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The Superintendents to Watch award recognizes up to 25 school district leaders each year who have fewer than five years of experience as a superintendent and who demonstrate dynamic, fast-paced leadership with strong communication at its core.
Vince Breunig has demonstrated exceptional leadership and a commitment to excellence as Superintendent of the School District of Lodi, transforming the district with his vision, encapsulated in the phrase, "The best is yet to come in Lodi, the best is yet to come." This guiding principle has inspired and motivated the entire educational community.
Mr. Breunig is a knowledgeable leader who goes beyond traditional administrative responsibilities. He has created robust systems of support that set up the school board, administration, staff and students for success. Whether stepping in as a substitute teacher, capturing moments as a photographer at district events or creating social media content, Mr. Breunig exemplifies service-driven leadership.
One of his most impactful initiatives has been the development of an onboarding process for board members. By working closely with them, he provides the necessary guidance and resources to help them succeed in their roles. His commitment to leadership development extends to the administrative team, fostering a culture of collaboration and continuous improvement.
Communication is a cornerstone of Mr. Breunig’s leadership. His "inside-out" communication philosophy emphasizes the importance of informing staff first, enhancing transparency and trust within the district. His student-focused mantra, "champions for students," underscores the importance of flexibility and inclusivity to meet the diverse needs of all learners.
Leading by example, Mr. Breunig consistently demonstrates dedication through his hands-on involvement, willingness to take on various roles and active presence in schools. His leadership sets a high standard for all district employees and promotes a cohesive, student-centered culture.
Vince Breunig’s vision, commitment to communication and focus on student success make him an exemplary educational leader. His leadership has positioned the School District of Lodi for continued growth and excellence.
District Administrator Vince Breunig utilizes both traditional and innovative methods to communicate effectively with staff, parents and the community. One traditional method is The Community Link, a quarterly printed newsletter sent to all households in the district, including those without students in the schools. This publication includes essential district information such as building phone numbers, updates from various departments and highlights from each school, written by building principals.
Another traditional communication tool is the Friday Note, a weekly email sent to all district employees. This note includes expressions of appreciation, district-level announcements and links to building-level newsletters. The Friday Note has improved communication across the district by aligning information and providing a "one-stop shop" for updates, fostering transparency among all employee groups, from food service staff to administrators.
Additionally, Mr. Breunig established a schedule and calendar for district excerpts published in the local newspaper. This calendar highlights various aspects of the school district, such as Suicide Prevention efforts, Fall Field Day, Board Appreciation Week and Friendship Day. These articles ensure that community members without students in the district remain informed about its activities and accomplishments.
Innovative methods have also enhanced the district’s communication reach. One example is the district’s Facebook page, managed in partnership with SocialSchool4ED. Mr. Breunig has prioritized "telling the district’s story" on Facebook, providing guidance for creating engaging posts and narratives. As a result, the district’s Facebook presence has significantly expanded. Between the spring of 2023 and the spring of 2024, followers increased from 3,854 to 4,600, and the average monthly reach grew from 29,633 to 86,867.
Mr. Breunig has also used Facebook to build excitement for the new school year by implementing countdown campaigns, such as reposting videos and top posts from previous years. These initiatives celebrate the district’s achievements, highlight its positive impact and foster community engagement.
Vince Breunig has successfully integrated communication goals and strategies into the School District of Lodi’s strategic plan. During the strategic planning process, stakeholders, including parents, community members and district staff, engaged in open and transparent discussions about the district’s strengths, challenges and opportunities. These discussions revealed that communication was an area needing improvement, leading to its inclusion as one of the five pillars of the strategic plan.
Pillar 3, "Innovative Communication Connection," emphasizes the district’s commitment to providing clear, transparent communication and fostering engagement with all stakeholders. To achieve this, Mr. Breunig formed a communication team that included parents, community members, city officials and district employees. The team conducted a thorough audit of current communication practices and collaborated with a consultant to identify best practices.
The team’s findings were consolidated into a two-year communication plan with specific, measurable goals aligned with the district’s broader objectives. The strategies and goals were regularly communicated to stakeholders through emails, newsletters and social media platforms, ensuring accessibility and transparency.
Mr. Breunig’s integration of communication goals into the strategic plan has fostered trust, engagement and collaboration within the district and the broader community.
Vince Breunig, Superintendent of the School District of Lodi, is a dynamic leader whose communication skills and strategic vision have greatly benefited the district. He has effectively guided the district’s strategic planning process with a focus on transparency and community engagement. Initiatives like "Coffee with the Superintendent" foster open dialogue with parents, students, and community members, ensuring their voices are central to decision-making. He is also deeply engaged in the daily operations of the district’s four schools, regularly visiting classrooms to observe lessons and interact with students and staff.
Mr. Breunig’s participation in local civic organizations, such as the Lodi Optimist Club, further demonstrates his dedication to building relationships and keeping the community informed. His weekly Friday Notes email enhances transparency among staff by providing consistent updates and fostering a unified district culture.
Collaboration with the local newspaper, the Lodi Enterprise, has been instrumental in promoting the district’s achievements and maintaining a consistent brand. Additionally, the district’s use of social media platforms such as SocialSchools4ED and PeachJar has expanded its communication reach, ensuring community members stay informed.
Ongoing initiatives, including a communications plan and a brand refresh project, highlight Mr. Breunig’s forward-thinking approach to enhancing district communications. His efforts have strengthened community connections and positioned the School District of Lodi for continued growth and success.
B.A. - Mississippi State University; MPA - University of Georgia
I believe school PR/communications is what I was born to do! One of the biggest decisions a parent can make is where to send their child to school, and it’s an honor to share with our parents the engaging work that their children are doing under the guidance of world-class teachers and leaders. On any given day, in any given school, there are many stories to be told and I take that charge seriously. As school communicators played a key role in COVID-19 communications, storytelling was more important than ever – not only did I share information with parents about our protocols, but I also made over 80 visits to schools last year and told a variety of stories about how students were thriving with both in-person and distance learning options. I also worked with principals to determine best mitigation practices and helped make those pervasive, because positive action must be the foundation of what we are ultimately communicating. School public relations is incredibly complex and I love that each day brings a new challenge.
My greatest school PR success was completing 11 nationally-innovative school communication audits using a process of research, planning, implementation, and evaluation. I am now in phase two of this project and am attending school council meetings to garner feedback from parents about school-level communication and how I can better support the work of their schools. One of the most significant findings is that as students take more ownership of their learning, they also take more ownership in parent communication. Therefore, next steps are to better prepare parents for this transition and to also determine best practices from exemplar teachers and coaches at the secondary level so we can strike the right balance with parents feeling informed and fostering student independence.
My greatest school PR challenge is overcoming rigidity. Like many PR professionals, I am detail-oriented and a self-described perfectionist. It’s a blessing and a curse to see when something is one pixel off, but the greatest challenge I have faced in my 13 years in this field is to learn to be more flexible. I might have an aversion to Comic Sans or Curlz, but it’s not the end of the world if those are a font favorite elsewhere. What’s more important is the bigger picture – staff and parents feeling well-informed and students growing and learning in positive school cultures. Instead of telling someone their website isn’t formatted properly, I now make a 2-3 minute screencast if I think there’s a quick tutorial I can offer to provide ongoing professional learning. By being much more flexible, I have deepened relationships and become better at supporting the most important job that occurs in our school system: teaching.
My favorite part of my job is the relationships. I often say that there is no substitute for showing up, and that’s why I make so many school visits each year. From getting to hold a gorgeous monarch butterfly to watching a vibrant student musical to seeing 3-D printing in action from engineering students, I have witnessed countless unique opportunities, and these experiences are just a small piece of what our students get to take part in each and every day. If I didn’t take the time to form relationships, I wouldn’t know that what students value is knowing that the photos I take may show up in their yearbooks. I wouldn’t know the myriad of annual activities that teachers do across our schools because I wouldn’t have witnessed them firsthand. I wouldn’t know about the families of our principals or what they believe makes their school unique. All of that is invaluable because at the end of the day and at the end of this career, relationships are what will remain – both professionally and personally.
The communication tool I use the most is Canva! I would be a brand ambassador if they asked! I am not very mathematically-minded and it can be challenging for someone with an eye for good design – but not an eye for rulers and gridlines – to be a graphic designer. However, Canva has made it possible and I am able to create aesthetically-pleasing graphics with short turn-around times. I have trained communication ambassadors at our schools how to use it as well. Right after Canva, the tool I most use is iMovie. I am completely self-taught in videography and using iMovie and Canva together has made me someone who can add “videographer” to their list of expertise.