Marc Gallaway, a 1988 graduate of Oak Harbor High School and currently the principal at Selah Middle School, was named 2018 Washington State Middle Level Principal of the Year.

“I am very humbled by the award,” he said.

Gallaway was principal at Selah Academy, the district’s alternative school, for two years before becoming principal at Selah Junior High in 2005. The junior high transitioned to a middle school in 2014.

Prior to working in administration, Gallaway taught one year at Lince Elementary School and six years at Selah High School; he also coached baseball for nine years.

Gallaway, a graduate of Central Washington University, is the son of Dr. Gary and Jeanne Gallaway, longtime Oak Harbor residents who recently moved to Selah.

Marc Gallaway was named Principal of the Year by the Association of Washington Middle Level Principals, which is part of the Association of Washington School Principals.

With the honor, Gallaway becomes eligible for the National Principal of the Year Award.

The key to being a successful principal, Gallaway said, is to develop a good relationship with the students and staff.

“We try not to focus on test scores,” he said. “We get to know the kids, their parents, their hobbies, their likes and dislikes.”

After Gallaway became a finalist for the state award, representatives from the selection panel came to Selah Middle School for interviews with him, his staff and the students.

He was told that a common comment by the teachers was that he leads by example and doesn’t micro-manage.

The honor has also increased his work load, he said.

“I have to sit on some committees and publish some articles for magazines,” he said. “I had to go to Olympia for a TV interview, and I will be going to Washington, D.C., later as part of the national award.”

In the past, the winners of the state award were invited to throw out the first pitch at a Seattle Mariners’ game. Gallaway, a baseball fan, hopes he is given the same opportunity.

On the Selah School District website, Superintendent Shane Backlund said, “I’ve had the privilege of working with (Gallaway) for almost 17 years and have seen the difference he makes in the lives of kids. The positive culture at Selah Middle School is a reflection of the leadership Marc provides.”