Marietta High School principal Keith Ball is one of three finalists named for the 2022 National Principal of the Year award.

Ball is in the running for the award presented by the National Association for Secondary School Principals. The winner will be announced in October. Beth Houf of Fulton Middle School in Missouri and Ted McCarthy of Sutton High School in Massachusetts are also finalists.

The award recognizes middle and high school principals who “have succeeded in providing high-quality learning opportunities for students as well as demonstrating exemplary contributions to the profession,” the association said.

In February, Ball was named principal of the year by the Georgia Association of Secondary School Principals, which placed him in contention for the national award.

Ball was appointed Marietta High School’s principal in 2018. Before that, he served as assistant principal and principal at Etowah and Cherokee high schools and Woodstock Middle School in Cherokee County.

Ball earned has a bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University at Albany, State University of New York and a specialist degree in educational leadership from Lincoln Memorial University.

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