Christine Lafferty has been named the region’s 2009 Educational Technology Leadership Award winner, but she has a hard time accepting it.

“It’s really more about the things we’ve got going on in our district and all the resources we have available,” Lafferty said. “The district is really on the forefront of providing top-notch resources for our students.”

Lafferty is one of eight people in the state recognized with this honor by the Virginia Department of Education. She represents the best in the region, including all of South Hampton Roads and Western Tidewater.

The award is given to those who have shown “outstanding school division leadership in education technology planning and implementation, as well as success in helping the division improve teaching and learning through the use of instructional media and technology,” according to Suffolk school officials.

Lafferty credited her success to the school system’s priority on cutting-edge education.

“We have so many opportunities in this district,” she said. “There is no end to the stuff teachers can do. The people that are here (in the technology department) are really brilliant with being resourceful and efficient in the purchases that are made for the district, so that if a teacher has the desire to do something, the technology is there for them to do it.”

Specifically, Lafferty referenced Suffolk Public Schools’ growing ability to use videoconferencing and its access to the bandwidth that allows easy video access and streaming.

Lafferty is one of three Suffolk Public Schools employees to win this award since 2002, and School Superintendent Milton Liverman credited her success to her dedication.

“Her patience, kind heart and absolute dedication are the root of her success,” Liverman wrote in Lafferty’s nomination letter to the VDOE. “Her passion to technology integration only comes second to her passion and dedication to teaching. Christine Lafferty brings energy, commitment, leadership, passion, and experience to promote technology integration in Suffolk Public Schools. She truly is a leader for technology.”