Holman Middle's Susan Proffitt is named runner-up for the prestigious annual award
Arainau "Rainy" Neal, principal of Maude Trevvett Elementary School, has been awarded the 2025 REB Award for Distinguished Educational Leadership for Henrico County Public Schools.
The Community Foundation and the REB Foundation present the award to four principals annually — one each from the school divisions of Henrico, Chesterfield and Hanover counties and one from the city of Richmond.
Neal was surprised with the news Friday at a school celebration, attended by her family, staff members, students and HCPS leaders.
“It means so much to know that I've made a difference,” Neal told the crowd Friday at the gathering. “To know that you've impacted and made a difference in the lives of students and even the community, it means so much.”
Neal will receive a $10,000 cash grant and an additional $20,000 for school projects. She plans to use the funds to enhance the “house” system at the school. Students belong to one of six houses, each representing one of Trevvett’s core values and the school’s six most prevalent languages other than English. The REB award grant funds will pay for a schoolwide house system app; staff training; a themed hallway mural for each of the six houses; communication tools; and an ambassador program to welcome new students, especially those who don’t yet speak English.
"I’ve worked so hard, and I've sacrificed a lot of time with my family because I really do believe in each and every one of you. I love what I do."
Susan Proffitt, principal of Holman Middle School, was runner-up for the award. She will receive a $10,000 grant to establish the Huskie CARE Camp at Holman for multilingual learners. The camp would comprise 16 afternoon meetings, field trips and monthly family dinners to improve access to educational programs, foster community engagement and expand opportunities to acquire new language skills.
The REB award recognizes principals who go beyond the day-to-day demands of their jobs to create an exceptional educational environment. The award stresses management and communication skills, and the ability to inspire, encourage and advocate for the school. Nominees must have served as principal at their school for at least three years.
Neal became principal of Maude Trevvett in 2020 after serving from 2016-20 as associate principal and student support teacher at Charles M. Johnson Elementary School. She joined HCPS in 2014 as a teacher at George F. Baker Elementary School after beginning her career in education with Petersburg City Public Schools and Richmond Public Schools. She holds a bachelor’s degree in interdisciplinary studies and a master’s degree in educational leadership, both from Virginia State University. She earned a postbaccalaureate certificate in autism spectrum disorders from Virginia Commonwealth University.
Under Neal’s leadership, student pass-rates for SOL science tests at Maude Trevvett Elementary rose from 67% to 89%, using targeted instruction strategies and data-driven interventions. This month, she is taking a group of teachers to Arizona to learn more about an initiative that reimagines teaching roles and staffing, with an eye toward creating a similar pilot program at Trevvett. She serves on the HCPS Principal Advisory Committee; the HCPS Gifted Advisory Committee; Virginia Union University’s Educator Preparation Advisory Board; and is a VCU Clinical Faculty member, mentoring aspiring educators.
Proffitt has been principal at Holman since 2019. Before that she served as associate principal at Tuckahoe Middle School and assistant principal at Quioccasin Middle School. She joined HCPS in 2010 as a math teacher at J.R. Tucker High School, after holding the same position at Manchester High School in Chesterfield County. She earned a bachelor’s degree in math from the University of Richmond, and master’s and doctoral degrees from Virginia Commonwealth University.
“It was just an honor to be nominated by teachers,” Proffitt said of the honor. “They're the ones that are doing such hard work every single day. To be nominated by them just makes me feel like I'm supporting them every day they need to be supported. And I'm just excited because everything is for programs here at school. …
"We have a lot of multilingual learners here at Holman, and we just want to support them. There's just always more we can do. We do a lot — we put so much in place for all of our students. And there's more we can do, and we want to continue to do more, so that's what this is about."
For more about the REB Award for Distinguished Educational Leadership, visit cfrichmond.org/receive/scholars-educators/educators/leadership.