Dr. Vic Wilson Honored with Dr. James A. Street Award

Montgomery, AL – June 15, 2026 – The Council for Leaders in Alabama Schools (CLAS) is proud to announce that Dr. Vic Wilson has been awarded the prestigious Dr. James A. Street Award at the 2026 CLAS Convention Awards Session. This award, presented by the CLAS Board of Directors, recognizes exceptional service in the interest of administrators and supervisors, and to field of public education. The award may be given in recognition of a single, significant contribution during a given year, or for a series of contributions over a period of time.

The 2026 recipient of the Dr. James A. Street Award is Dr. Vic Wilson, honored for his exemplary service as executive director of CLAS from 2017 to 2025, working with professionals who serve students from Pre–K through graduate school.

Prior to leading CLAS, Dr. Wilson served as Superintendent of Hartselle City Schools. He has held roles at all levels of public education – principal, assistant principal, teacher, and coach.

In 2014, Wilson stepped into statewide leadership as president of the Alabama Association of Secondary School Principals and was selected as Alabama’s 2017 Superintendent of the Year by the School Superintendents of Alabama (SSA). Wilson has received leadership awards from the Alabama Music Educators Association, the University of Montevallo, and SSA.

Most importantly for CLAS members, Dr. Wilson was the architect of the Principals Act, a groundbreaking piece of legislation sponsored by Senator Arthur Orr and Representative Alan Baker that ties together formal mentorship, accountability, and professional learning to drive school improvement while also rewarding principals for their commitment to professional growth. This unprecedented program, delivered via the Alabama Principal Leadership Development System, has set a national standard for mentorship, accountability, and the development of school leaders. States across the country continue to look to Alabama’s model as an exemplar on which to build their own program.

Dr. Vic Wilson stands as a model of achievement and dedication, embodying the highest ideals of the Dr. James A. Street Award. CLAS is honored to recognize his lasting impact on school leadership across Alabama.

“Vic Wilson’s impact on education is immense,” said Dr. Farrell Seymore, CLAS Executive Director. “From the classroom to the superintendent’s office to eight years leading CLAS, he has spent his career building up the people who lead our schools. The Principals Act alone will shape how Alabama develops school leaders for generations to come. On behalf of CLAS, I am honored to present him with the Dr. James A. Street Award.”