WEST LAFAYETTE, OH - September 24, 2026 - Ridgewood Local Schools is proud to announce that Lester McCurdy received the Ohio School Boards Association (OSBA) Southeast Region President's Award during the Southeast Region Fall Conference held Thursday, September 24, 2026 at Hocking Hills Lodge in Logan.

Established in 2006, the President's Award is selected each year by the Southeast Region president to honor individuals who have demonstrated unwavering commitment and dedication to public education and to the children of Southeast Ohio.

For McCurdy, that commitment has helped take Ridgewood students from a rural Ohio classroom to opportunities on the national and international stage. Through his work with Ridgewood High School's AI for Youth class, McCurdy has developed collaborations with technology leaders including Intel and NVIDIA and created opportunities for students to learn, present and collaborate far beyond the walls of Ridgewood.

Ridgewood students have had opportunities to present their work at the White House and to Intel and NVIDIA, as well as speak with U.S. Senator Jon Husted and Congressman Troy Balderson. Intel also selected Ridgewood students to participate in an international student panel in Orlando alongside students from the Philippines and Dubai.

McCurdy has also taken Ridgewood students to San Francisco, where they participated in meetings with OpenAI and NVIDIA. These experiences have given students direct exposure to organizations and people helping shape the future of artificial intelligence while allowing Ridgewood students to demonstrate their own knowledge, creativity and leadership.

"What Lester has accomplished goes far beyond teaching an AI class," said Ridgewood Local Schools Superintendent Mike Masloski. "He has opened doors for our students that we could not have imagined just a few years ago. Our students have gone from West Lafayette, Ohio, to the White House, to national technology companies, and to sharing ideas with students from around the world."

"Lester has shown our students that where you come from does not determine how far you can go," Masloski added. "Because of his leadership, our students have sat at the table with some of the brightest minds in technology and have demonstrated that students from rural Ohio can compete, collaborate and lead with anyone on the national and international stage. He has helped our students see possibilities for themselves that they may never have imagined before."

The evening also highlighted Ridgewood leadership beyond the school district. Ridgewood Local Schools Board of Education member John Riebesell currently serves as President of the OSBA Southeast Region Executive Committee. In that role, Riebesell works alongside board members and educational leaders from across Southeast Ohio in support of public education and the students and communities served by the region.

Having a Ridgewood board member serving as Southeast Region president while McCurdy received the region's President's Award made the evening especially meaningful for the district.

"We are extremely fortunate at Ridgewood to have people who are willing to serve and lead beyond our district," Masloski said. "John's leadership with OSBA and Lester's work creating extraordinary opportunities for our students are examples of the impact people from a small rural school district can have across Ohio and beyond."

Ridgewood Local Schools congratulates Lester McCurdy on receiving the 2026 OSBA Southeast Region President's Award and thanks him for his dedication to Ridgewood students, public education, and creating opportunities that show rural students they can succeed on the world's stage.