The Tennessee School Counselor Association is proud to recognize Dawn Cox of Bradley County Schools as the 2026 TSCA Administrator of the Year!

As the School-Based Mental Health Services Grant Director, Dawn has transformed the support available to school counselors throughout Bradley County Schools. She ensures counselors have a meaningful voice in district decisions, provides role-specific professional development, encourages participation in state and national conferences, and helps counselors use data to demonstrate their impact on student achievement, attendance, mental health, and college and career readiness using Student Outcome Goals.

Dawn also created the district’s Thriving Together internal website for SBMH Professionals to connect them with resources, professional learning materials, meeting notes, and tools that foster collaboration. She also created district-level awards to further encourage and recognize professionals in the field such as the School Based Mental Health Provider of the Year Award. Her commitment extends to the future of the profession as she advocates for sustainable funding for additional counseling positions created through the School-Based Mental Health Grant.

Through her leadership, Dawn has elevated school counselors as essential partners in student success and empowers them to lead.

Dawn will be recognized at TNSCALI this September.