Winner: Edgard Paez

Edgard PaezInterim principal

Edgard Paez of Coram recently received the Hispanic Heritage 2011 Distinguished Service Award from the Town of Islip based on his "outstanding achievements and contributions toward the overall betterment" of Long Island's Hispanic community. Paez presently serves as the interim principal of Ralph G. Reed Middle School in Central Islip. He has been an administrator in the Central Islip School District for 17 years, first as Ralph G. Reed's dean of students and then assistant principal, and is a past president of the Central Islip Principals Association.