Isabella Bank Institute for Entrepreneurship

Saginaw Intermediate School District Superintendent Dr. Jeffrey Collier (EdD ’21) has been named the 2024 Michigan Superintendent of the Year by the Michigan Association of Superintendents & Administrators (MASA). The award is presented annually to a superintendent who has shown tremendous effort and dedication to enriching the lives of students and the community. Dr. Collier is the first ISD Superintendent to receive the honor in the award’s history.

“I am deeply humbled,” Collier said, “but this is an all of us award. The recognition is a testament of the transformative servant leadership provided to our community by the entire team of committed educators throughout the Saginaw Intermediate School District.”

Under Collier’s leadership, Saginaw County successfully passed a Special Education Millage in 2022 – the first time in 48 years that such a measure was approved. He is also one of 12 founding members of the Talent Together program – a collaborative consortium that aims to attract and train future educators by pooling resources and expertise.

“Dr. Collier recognizes the critical role that local school districts play in the overall success of our education system,” said Mark Whelton, Bridgeport-Spaulding Community Schools Superintendent. “He goes above and beyond to offer support, guidance, and resources.”

Collier has more than 24 years of educational experience across multiple levels and districts. In July 2020, he was named Superintendent of Saginaw ISD, which encompasses 12 local public school districts and five public school academies that serve approximately 26,000 students from birth to age 26. Shortly after getting the job in Saginaw, Dr. Collier earned his Doctor of Education degree in November 2021 from Central Michigan University. The 8-year process was life-altering, according to Dr. Collier.

“It was unbelievable,” Collier says. “I met some of the most amazing people I’ve ever met in my life, in higher education and in personal experiences. We were seasoned professionals who came together in an in-person cohort. The ability to be thought partners with these education administrators, to be challenged with them, to learn and grow with them, and to get to know them as people. We could learn from each other, share ideas, collaborate, and form partnerships. It was just a wonderful experience.”

The experience has led to future opportunities and projects that grew out of his 8-year program at CMU. “I’m working with Dr. Paula Lancaster (Dean of the College of Education and Human Services) on this very innovative, unique green STEM preschool design. We’re currently in a pre-construction phase on that. That probably wouldn’t have happened if I hadn’t had the great experience at CMU. I cannot say enough positive things about it and the faculty there.”