Longtime Claremont resident Christopher Andrade, principal of Christ Lutheran School in West Covina, was selected as the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America 2016 Principal of the Year.

“Principal Andrade was nominated by a colleague, and selected by his fellow principals through a national process conducted by the Evangelical Lutheran Education Association,” said Gayle Denny, executive director of ELEA.

Mr. Andrade’s application was submitted to the National Association of Elementary School Principals as a candidate for the National Distinguished Principal award and was also chosen to receive that award.

Criteria for selection of both the National Distinguished Principal program and the ELCA Principal of the Year award require that the honorees are active principals of schools where programs are designed to meet the academic and social needs of all students and where there are firmly established community ties with parents and local business organizations.

Mr. Andrade was honored at an October event in Washington DC.