Dr. Robert Kelty to Receive Carolyn Warner Legacy Award at the Arizona Educational Foundation’s 2026 Arizona Teacher of the Year Awards
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Emilie Saint Amour
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Dr. Robert Kelty to Receive Carolyn Warner Legacy Award at the Arizona Educational Foundation’s 2026 Arizona Teacher of the Year Awards
Event presented by Desert Financial Credit Union and emceed by Jason Coochwytewa, Board President of the American Indian Chamber of Commerce of Arizona
PHOENIX, AZ, September 29, 2025 – Robert Kelty, Ph.D., has been named the 7th recipient of the Carolyn Warner Legacy Award given by the Arizona Educational Foundation (AEF). Kelty, who won AEF’s 2008 Arizona Teacher of the Year award, now serves as the Head of Development, Outreach, and Government Relations for the International Baccalaureate (IB) North America, which oversees the United States and Canada.
Dr. Kelty began his career with Teach for America in 2001 in Crownpoint, New Mexico, located in the heart of the Navajo Nation. Since then, he has held several significant roles, including head of school, superintendent, member of the national team for Teach for America, and an elected official as the Coconino County Superintendent of Schools. In his current role as Head of IB North America, Dr. Kelty is responsible for overseeing government relations at the federal and state levels, fostering national and international partnerships, and driving the growth of IB across both countries. IB is seen as one of the most respected and prestigious educational foundations around the world in both the private and public-school sectors.
The Carolyn Warner Legacy Award is endowed by the family of Carolyn Warner and given as part of the Arizona Educational Foundation’s Teacher of the Year Awards, an annual celebration of public school teachers throughout the state. AEF was created by Warner in 1983 when she was Arizona’s Superintendent of Public Instruction.
“Carolyn founded AEF because she noticed the only time a public school made the news was when something bad happened,” said Kim Graham, executive director of the foundation. “She had the vision to celebrate the successes of public schools and shine a spotlight on the extraordinary work these administrators, teachers, and support staff do on a daily basis.”
Just as Carolyn Warner embodied the attributes of a servant leader, this $1,000 award given in her name celebrates a former AEF Arizona Teacher of the Year, Finalist, or Semifinalist who has continued to make a difference long after their year of service as an honoree or candidate was
over. The recipient is someone who has remained active in elevating the teaching profession and continued to make an impact as a champion of education. Previous recipients include Dr. Pam Roggeman, 1999 Ambassador for Excellence and Dean of the College of Education at The University of Phoenix and Dr. Beth Maloney, 2014 Arizona Teacher of the Year and Executive Director of Act One in Phoenix.
Kelty will receive the award at the 2026 Arizona Teacher of the Year Awards Presented by Desert Financial Credit Union on October 18, 2025. The event will be emceed by Jason Coochwytewa, CEO of Urias Communications, an award-winning marketing and PR agency in Phoenix with nearly three decades of experience serving diverse markets and Tribal communities. He serves as Board President of the American Indian Chamber of Commerce of Arizona and as a trustee/board member for the Arizona Science Center (Government & Community Relations Chair and Indigenous Ingenuity Exhibit Chair), Western National Parks (Cultural Stewardship Chair), Education Forward Arizona, and the Arizona Secretary of State’s Business Advisory Council.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
WHAT: The 2026 Arizona Teacher of the Year Awards presented by Desert Financial
WHEN: October 18, 2025, Cocktail Reception: 4-5:30 p.m. Awards: 5:30-7:30 p.m.
WHERE: Madison Center for the Arts, 5601 N 16th St, Phoenix, AZ 85016
TICKETS: azedfoundation.org/teachersrock
About Arizona Educational Foundation:
Since 1983, the Arizona Educational Foundation (AEF) has been at the frontlines of Arizona’s PreK–12 public education system celebrating excellence and addressing the urgent and persistent challenges facing schools, educators, and students. Founded by former Arizona State Superintendent of Public Instruction Carolyn Warner, AEF is the state’s only education foundation charged with elevating Arizona education by showcasing schools and educators that exemplify best practices and confronting systemic issues such as teacher shortages, low student achievement, and inequities across communities. As such, AEF’s 11 statewide initiatives serve as critical interventions that help stabilize schools, build leadership pipelines, train teachers, and expand opportunities for students and districts who too often go without. Public education is the heart of a community, and AEF remains focused on ensuring every student, in every community, has access to the resources, educators, and opportunities required to succeed.