Snoqualmie Valley School District Superintendent Joel Aune has been named the Washington Association of School Administrators (WASA) president-elect for 2010-2011.

Aune, who replaces current president Saundra Hill, superintendent of the Pasco School District, will begin his presidency next July.

A member of WASA since 1998, Aune has been a board member and has served on numerous committees.

Aune told WASA that he was “deeply honored to have been elected to this position because of the appreciation I have for WASA and the immense respect I have for the membership.”

The group, he said, must continue to play a key role in supporting school leaders.

“Now, more than ever, we must work to maintain and further expand WASA’s role as a credible, persistent, and respected advocate for public education in the state of Washington,” Aune added.

His goals as president include expanding the organization, aggressively advocating for school funding, developing professional development and strengthening the association’s Corporate Partners program.

Aune started his career as a teacher and then assistant principal in the Cashmere School District in 1983. His career then took him to Walla Walla, where he became an elementary school principal. He went on to serve as superintendent in both Colfax and now Snoqualmie Valley, where he has been working since 2005.