The school community at Cristo Rey St. Martin — and the Viatorians — have known it all along, but now it’s official: Dr. Michael Odiotti is an outstanding leader. After being named a finalist last month, Dr. Odiotti was awarded the Golden Apple Award for Excellence in Leadership. He emerged from from a record-setting 121 nominations of Pre-K through 12th grade school leaders from across the state.

“Leaders like Dr. Michael Odiotti are the reason behind great schools, strong teachers, and successful students,” said Golden Apple President Alan Mather. “They cultivate a school community that truly flourishes under their leadership, even in a year that brought numerous unforeseen challenges.”

The tradition of the Golden Apple Award is that it’s given as a surprise. Here is how it went down: