Dunn Selected as 2024 DoDEA Principal of the Year

The Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) proudly announces that Kimberly S. Dunn, principal of Dexter Elementary School in Fort Benning, GA, has been selected as the 2024 DoDEA Principal of the Year.

DoDEA Director Thomas Brady praised Dunn for growing parental involvement in the Fort Benning community while maintaining a focus on student achievement. 

“Kimberly Dunn has built a strong culture within the Dexter school community that creates opportunities for parents to play an active role in their child’s education,” said Brady. “This is a well-deserved recognition that reflects her commitment to our military-connected students and their families.”

Dunn has served as a teacher, instructional systems specialist, and now principal of Dexter ES. Her DoDEA experience includes both teaching and leading at the elementary and high school levels in Naples, Italy and Fort Bragg, North Carolina.

"I am so honored and grateful for my team here at Dexter because they have done the work,” said Dunn.  “I try to remove barriers so that we can meet the needs of our students and I think it’s important that the school is a resource, not just for academics but for the whole family and the whole child."

Dunn began her continual pursuit of lifelong learning as a North Carolina Teaching Fellow at North Carolina Central University. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education and Master of Education in Educational Administration.

Along with the award and recognition, Dunn will compete in the National Association of Elementary School Principals’ (NAESP) National Principal of the Year program, which recognizes outstanding school principals who have succeeded in providing high-quality learning experiences for students as well as demonstrating exemplary contributions to the profession.

For more information on the DoDEA Principal of the Year program, visit: https://www.dodea.edu/poy