Dr. Helene Cunningham

Dr. Helene Cunningham is a distinguished education leader, author, and mentor whose career spans 34 years of dedicated service in public education. Throughout her career, she served 18 years as a school principal—equally divided between middle and elementary schools—and 11 years as Director of Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment, where she helped shape educational programs and student success across multiple schools. In recognition of her outstanding leadership, she was named California's National Distinguished Principal of the Year in 2013, representing more than 10,000 principals statewide and participating in national discussions on the future of education. She earned a Ph.D. in Education Administration and a Master of Arts in Education from Claremont Graduate University, following a Bachelor of Arts in Literature and Writing from the University of California, San Diego.

Following her retirement from public education in 2025, Dr. Cunningham has remained deeply engaged in advancing the field through higher education, leadership development, and authorship. She serves as an adjunct professor and dissertation chair at Concordia University, while also working as an education consultant, leadership coach, and mentor for school leaders. A passionate advocate for continuous professional growth, she is the author of The Art of Principation: How the Role of the Principal Has Changed, a respected resource encouraging coaching and mentorship for educational administrators, as well as the children's book Get Your Head in the Clouds. Beyond education, she expresses her creativity through silver smithing in her Cunninghammer Silversmith Workshop and enjoys cultivating succulent gardens.

At the heart of Dr. Cunningham's work is an unwavering commitment to servant leadership, authenticity, humility, gratitude, and meaningful relationships with students, educators, and families. She believes that every child deserves to feel connected, valued, and capable of success, and she inspires educators to lead with both excellence and compassion. Guided by the philosophy, "Your work is your signature—sign it with excellence," she continues to influence future generations of teachers and leaders through teaching, consulting, writing, and professional service. Her active involvement with organizations such as the Association of California School Administrators (ACSA), the National Association of Professional Development Schools (NAPDS), and the California Association for the Education of Young Children (CAEYC) reflects her enduring dedication to strengthening education and empowering those who serve within it.