Westlake Schools Dave Kocevar Named Educational Administrator of the Year

The Westlake City School District is proud to announce that its director of business affairs, Dave Kocevar, was recently recognized as the 2019-2020 Educational Administrator of the Year by the Educational Office Professionals of Ohio (EOPO).

“It means a lot to receive this award, and by being recognized by such a prestigious group of professionals who do so much to help their members thrive and succeed, is incredibly humbling,” said Dave Kocevar. “This award truly recognizes that my accomplishments are only possible through the hard work and dedication of my entire team, including my amazing administrative assistant Lisa Zuk.”

As the district’s director of business affairs, Kocevar oversees the ancillary departments for the school district, including custodial, maintenance and food service as well as assisting with transportation and building renovations and construction, to ensure that they operate in a fiscally responsible manner. The main goal of Kocevar and his team is to provide a clean, safe and healthy environment for everyone who uses their services and facilities. His dedicated support staff of custodians, food service partners, maintenance and transportation employees provide these specialized services that support the district’s mission of educating for excellence.

“If we are doing our job correctly, the teachers and staff can focus on the students and attending to their needs without worrying about the health and safety of the environment and building around them,” Kocevar says.

The Educational Administrator of the Year is selected by the EOPO awards committee and then approved by its board of directors. The award recognizes the administrative professional who meets the needs of his/her students, demonstrates strength in communication skills, is committed to professional development and growth, and is active in his/her local community.

“There is so much behind-the-scenes work that goes into successfully running a school district and ensuring that the students and staff have everything they need to flourish, and so much of that work flies under the radar, but it is extremely meaningful, and for Westlake City Schools, Dave is the man behind all of that work,” said Superintendent Dr. Scott Goggin. “We literally could not provide the environment and services we do for students without Dave and his team. He is so appreciated and important to our success, and this award proves what an asset he is. Thank you for your hard work, Dave, and congratulations on the much-deserved award!”

In honor of the award, Kocevar was presented with a plaque at the district’s October board of education meeting. Lisa Zuk, administrative assistant for the department of business affairs, presented the award. She, along with Dana Hoffman, another district administrative assistant, were responsible for nominating him for the honor last spring.