LANSING – Peggy Tortorice, who has served on local and county-wide Boards of Education in Genesee County for 41 years, was presented today with the State Board of Education’s Dorothy Beardmore Service To Education Award.

The award is named after the late Dorothy Beardmore, past President and member of the State Board of Education from 1985-2001.  The award was announced at today’s State Board of Education meeting by Board President Kathleen N. Straus.

The Beardmore Service to Education Award is given to the person whose efforts on behalf of education and education reform are deemed to be of outstanding benefit to the quality of education for all Michigan students.

“Mrs. Tortorice exemplifies the dedication to service and commitment to improving public education that so defined Dorothy Beardmore,” Straus said.  “She has been a visionary leader on many educational forefronts, including the development of the Mott Middle College in Flint 16 years ago.”

Tortrice has been elected to the Genesee Intermediate School District’s (GISD) Board of Education continuously since 1977, serving as that board’s president for eight terms.

A former school nurse and later a nursing instructor, Tortorice has taken a leadership role in driving health-related programs for both students and school staff. She serves on the county’s Wellness Committee and helped develop the GISD’s Health, Safety and Nutrition Services Department. She has served on local, state, and national committees focusing on the improvement of educational programs.

“I am grateful to my colleagues for these many years of working together to improve education and support our local school district,” Tortorice said. “Each one of them is committed and hard working, and it has been a pleasure to work with them.”

Tortorice is a member of several professional associations, including: the National School Boards Association, National Education Association, Michigan Association of School Boards, Michigan Association of School Nurses; and the National Association of Female Executives.