This year, Niles West Dean Tim Dykes is the recipient of the Illinois State Deans Association (ISDA) Dean of the year award. 

“As the president of the Illinois State Deans Association, Tim has been an adaptive and innovative leader. Evidence of his leadership started in March of 2020 when the pandemic shut down the educational system, and the organization could not meet in person,” ISDA stated on their website.

Throughout the pandemic and remote learning, Dykes created virtual meetings and Twitter chats for deans across the state to stay connected and collaborate. He was awarded for his “countless hours being proactive with school safety, building relationships, procedures and plans to create a safe learning environment.” 

Dykes was honored to get the award when the news was announced.

“Anytime as a professional that you are recognized by your colleagues it’s special. I think what made it even more special was that it was specifically for helping my colleagues during the pandemic,” Dykes said. “This job is all about who you work with, and I’ve worked and worked with great deans. It’s a recognition of our team, not just me.”

Colleague and former recipient of the ISDA Dean of the Year award Amy Tucker couldn’t have agreed more with the recognition. 

“I’m really happy for him. He absolutely deserves it. It takes a lot of work to run that organization in addition to working full time. As far as his character, he is such a strong advocate for students and teachers,” Tucker said. “He is constantly working to make sure everyone is feeling safe, comfortable and supported.”

According to junior Victor Kutkovskyj, “Dean Dykes cares about every student and all the staff. I always see him trying to keep everything in order.”