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Dr John McKenna

About Dr. John McKenna

Dr. John McKennaDr. John McKenna is an award-winning educator and international, national, and regional speaker from Western New York. He has presented throughout the world, including Oxford, England at Oxford University, in Jerusalem, Israel at the Van Leer Education Conference, and at the Hanban / Confucius Institute in Beijing, China, to name just a few. He is currently an Assistant Professor at Niagara University in the Educational Leadership and Policy Department.

He is also CEO and President of McKenna Leadership, an Expert Witness, and helps organizations with Strategic Planning, Dynamic Coaching, Training, and Team Building. Additionally, he's a published Author and Keynote Speaker.

For his service, he has been honored with many prestigious leadership positions and awards including but not limited to: (Additional Leadership positions, Awards, and Degrees / Certifications listed below).

  • President of the School Administrators Association of New York State (SAANYS)
  • President of the Graduate School of Education Alumni Association for SUNY at Buffalo
  • President of the Committee to Identify and Develop Educational Leaders (CIDEL)
  • President of Phi Delta Kappa (Buffalo State Chapter)
  • Board of Directors for the International Society for Educational Planning (ISEP)
  • Board of Directors SUNY at Buffalo
  • The New York State Outstanding Educator from the School Administrators Association of New York State (SAANYS)
  • The International Presidential Award as Distinguished Principal of the Year from PHI Delta Kappa
  • The Honorary Lifetime Achievement Award from Kappa Delta PI
  • The Honorary Life Membership Award and the Advocate in Action Award from the New York State PTA
  • Two Distinguished Alumni Achievement Awards from SUNY at Buffalo
  • New York State Senate Resolution and Proclamation for Distinguished Service
  • The Shooting Star Outstanding Achievement Award from the Make-A-Wish Foundation

Throughout his career which has spanned over 35 years, he has served as an Acting Superintendent, Assistant Superintendent, Principal, Assistant Principal, Dean of Students, Teacher, and Coach. He has published books, book chapters, and published articles internationally, nationally and regionally.

Books

Dr John McKenna BooksDr. McKenna is a published author of multiple articles and books. Most recently he teamed up with Rowman & Littlefield and published two books that he co-wrote and edited about motivating inspirational leadership during a crisis.

Those books are titled, “Managing Yourself and Others During Crisis” and, “Coping with Educational Crisis.”

In 2016 he co-wrote and edited the book, “Confronting Oppressive Assessments: How Parents, Educators, and Policymakers Are Rethinking Current Educational Reforms,” also published by Rowman & Littlefield.

Some of the places you can find his books are:

  • Amazon
  • Barnes & Noble
  • The Kindle Store
  • Rowman & Littlefield
Leadership

Dr. McKenna has served as President and other esteemed leadership positions in many prestigious organizations across the world including but not limited to the following:

  • He was the President of the School Administrators Association of New York State (SAANYS) where he served approximately 500 school districts across New York State and represented nearly 10,000 school and district administrators. He also served as the Chairman for the Western New York Region for SAANYS for several years, servicing approximately 90 school districts in the areas of professional development, negotiations, government relations, and personnel matters..
     
  • He currently serves as the President of the Graduate School of Education Alumni Association (GSEAA) at the State University of New York at Buffalo (UB) and served may years on the Board of Directors at the University at Buffalo.
     
  • Dr. McKenna was also elected to the position of President of the Committee to Identify and Develop Educational Leaders (CIDEL). This committee works cooperatively with school districts as well as Colleges and Universities across Western New York to identify potential leaders and match them with the program that best meets their needs.
     
  • He currently serves on the Board of Directors for the International Society for Educational Planners (ISEP) and has presented in various countries including China, Israel, and at Oxford University in England.
     
  • He has served as the President of Phi Delta Kappa at Buffalo State College and served on the Board of Directors for the Buffalo - Niagara Chapter.
     
  • He has also served on the Executive Board of Directors for the University at Buffalo Alumni Association (UBAA).
     
  • Dr. McKenna was the former Education and Legislative Chairman for the Niagara Region PTSA. In these roles he represented the region at the New York State Capital in Albany as well as provided information, workshops, and presentations to parent groups across the Niagara Region.
Awards

For his contributions he has been honored with many honors and awards.

  • He has been honored on two occasions by the New York State Senate, a Resolution for his distinguished career in 2015 and a Proclamation for his dedication and service in 2021.
     
  • The Erie County Legislature also honored him with a resolution for his outstanding contributions to his profession and community.
     
  • Two prestigious Distinguished Alumni Awards by the State University of New York at Buffalo from The Graduate School of Education in 2014 (representing over 25,000 alumni) and the University at Buffalo Alumni Association in 2021 (representing over 300,000 alumni).
     
  • Buffalo Business First recognized Dr. McKenna with the “Pathfinders Award” for developing innovative programs and forming collaborative partnerships between business and education leaders as well as the “Who’s Who in Western New York Education" for accomplishments in Educational Leadership.
     
  • He also was the recipient of the “Shooting Star” award from the Make-A-Wish Foundation for his lifetime support and activism for the organization.

  • The New York State Outstanding Educator and the Friend of Education Award by SAANYS (School Administrators Association of New York State.)
     
  • The Presidential Distinguished Elementary Principal Award from the Buffalo/Niagara Chapter of Phi Delta Kappa International.
     
  • The Honorary Lifetime Achievement Award from Kappa Delta Pi.
     
  • The Honorary Life Award and the Advocate in Action Award by the New York State PTA.

  • The Walter Potocki Distinguished Leadership and Service Award from the Niagara District PTSA.
     
  • The Leader in Me Award for outstanding school participation and program implementation from Franklin Covey, Inc.
Degrees / Certifications

Post-Doctorate

Harvard University – Harvard Graduate School of Education & Harvard Business School

  • Certificate: School Management & Leadership (CSML)
  • Certificate: Authentic Leader Development Program

Cornell University

  • Certificate: Executive Leadership

Ed.D.         

University at Buffalo – Dept. of Educational Leadership and Policy

  • Dissertation Title:  The Development and Implementation of a Balanced Literacy Intervention Program
  • Certification:  School District Administration (SDA)

M.S.

Niagara University

  • Major:  Educational Administration
  • Certification:  School Administrator Supervisor (SAS)

B.S.            

State University College at Buffalo

  • Major:  Elementary Education, K-6 and Exceptional Education, K-12
  • Certification:  Elementary, N-6; Special Education, K-12