Crozier honored as IHSSA Fine Arts Administrator of the Year

Killian recognized for service as Northeast District President

By Audrey Posten, North Iowa Times

MFL MarMac Superintendent Dr. Dale Crozier has been recognized as the Iowa High School Speech Association’s (IHSSA) Fine Arts Administrator of the Year. Conceived in 2005 by the IHSSA’s executive committee, the award is presented to a distinguished individual of statewide reputation and outstanding accomplishments who has shown dedication and commitment to the IHSSA and arts activities in their school beyond normal expectations. 

Crozier was nominated by MFL MarMac’s speech coach, Angie Killian, as well as Tammy Manning from Eastern Allamakee, where Crozier is also the superintendent. 

In their nomination letter to IHSSA, the two said Crozier “makes IHSSA better in our school districts and our northeast district because he advocates for students to be able to be involved in fine arts activities and supports us as educators and coaches. Specifically, he takes time after school hours to attend rehearsals, musicals, plays, concerts and speech contests.”

“He’s always supportive,” said Killian, who noted that Crozier actually encouraged her to become the school’s speech coach. He’s always been open to the district hosting speech contests, she explained, and “he provides himself as an audience for students to practice for contest. He talks to students about it, wishes them well and he shows up at contest.”

In their letter, Killian and Manning said Crozier has “made it his mission to ensure the students of Eastern Allamakee and MFL MarMac will have access to quality, thriving activity programs for years to come and that all programs are treated fairly.”

Crozier said he was humbled and honored to be recognized. As superintendent, he works to ensure students at MFL MarMac have a well-rounded educational experience including academics, athletics and fine arts. They’re all deserving of praise and support.

“You need to have all those aspects, those opportunities,” he said, “or kids fall through the cracks.”

Fine arts, in particular, helps with brain development, Crozier shared. Through improv and speech, students pick up academic building blocks and learn to flow with situations.

His speech, which stressed this healthy balance, received a standing ovation from the crowd at the IHSSA convention in Ames on Oct. 11.

“That was kind of scary,” he admitted, having to speak in front of roughly 300 speech coaches from around Iowa.

Crozier was quick to spread the credit around, though. 

“This was not about me, but we. It takes a whole school,” he said. “I’m lucky to have strong fine arts departments at MFL MarMac and Kee. Everyone together made it happen.”

Killian has taken the program and brought it to new heights, Crozier added.

“We’re getting kids qualified for all-state every year,” he said.

She was honored at the convention too, in recognition of her service as president of the IHSSA’s northeast district.

“I didn’t know I was getting anything. I thought it was all for Dale,” Killian said. “I got one last year and didn’t expect another one.”

Killian has served the past two years as president, and before that secretary and vice president. The officers, she explained, run and organize the district meetings, attend executive committee meetings with the state’s other districts, discuss how contests went that year and, every three years, change and clear up the rules for the different speech events. They also clarify rules at contests, if a judge has a question.

“The great part was having an impact on the changes and improvements that can be made that impact student success,” she said. “It’s a really good experience, and it made me evaluate the rules and made me a better coach.”