Finis Engleman Award

Finis EnglemanDr Finis Engleman was an educator of international stature and a Founding Father of NESA. In recognition of the late Dr Engleman’s unparalleled service to international education, the NESA Board of Directors bestows its Finis Engleman Award on an educator whose “outstanding dedication and service to schools in the NESA region reflect the meritorious contributions of a man whose memory will always be special in the annals of NESA.” This year, the coveted award is presented to Dr BRENT MUTSCH, superintendent of Singapore American School, for his contributions to international education and to NESA in particular.

Dr Mutsch is the immediate past President of the NESA Board, and just completed five distinguished years as superintendent at Saudi Aramco Schools, Saudi Arabia. He began his overseas career in 1994 as deputy superintendent at International Schools Group in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, subsequently serving as ISG superintendent from 1998-2002, before joining Saudi Aramco.


Dr Brent MutschAfter earning a history degree from St. Olaf College in Minnesota and teaching American History and American Government at Carlisle Junior-Senior High School in Iowa, Dr Mutsch received an MA in guidance and counseling from the University of Iowa. He then served as Counselor, Assistant Junior-Senior High School Principal, Associate High School Principal, High School Principal and Superintendent at schools in Iowa and Colorado before moving to Saudi Arabia in 1994.

In 1997, Dr Mutsch earned a doctorate in education in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies from the University of Northern Colorado. He was a member of the NESA Board of Directors for nine years, most recently serving as President.

Brent Mutsch made many outstanding contributions to NESA during his tenure on the NESA Board. Most significantly, he led the organization into its latest strategic plan, “NESA 2010”. His visionary leadership helped take the organization into a new and transformative time in its history. It is in recognition of his outstanding service that the NESA Board of Directors selected Dr Mutsch to be the recipient of this year’s Finis Engleman Award.

(The last Finis Engleman Award was presented in 2003 to Dr Beatrice Cameron, NESA’s Regional Education Officer at the Office of Overseas Schools, US Department of State.)