A veteran Gwinnett County principal was named Thursday 2015 high school principal of the year by the Georgia Association of Secondary School Principals.

Central Gwinnett High School principal Maryanne Grimes received the honor at a surprise meeting Thursday afternoon.

Grimes joined the Gwinnett district in 1986, and has also served as a teacher, counselor and principal at the Gwinnett InterVention Education Center West. Grimes was honored for creating partnerships with the Lawrenceville community, where Central Gwinnett is located, and for helping implement the career academies program at the school.

GASSP is the state’s largest and oldest association of school principals and is a state affiliate of the National Association of Secondary School Principals. Grimes will represent Georgia in the national Principal of the Year program.

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