YCS presents DeeDee Buckingham with Distinguished Leadership Award

Yelm Community Schools and Superintendent Chris Woods took some time during the start of a school board meeting on Thursday, Aug. 13, to honor DeeDee Buckingham, director of human resources, with a Distinguished Leadership Award.

Buckingham was joined by her family and friends for the award presentation portion of the meeting. She joined Woods at the podium as he honored her with a speech.

“DeeDee Buckingham exemplifies what it means to be a truly exceptional leader,” Woods said. “Throughout the 2025-26 school year, DeeDee demonstrated an extraordinary ability to step into whatever role was needed to help Yelm Community Schools navigate one of the most financially and operationally challenging periods in our district’s history.”

In addition to serving as the YCS human resources director, Woods noted that Buckingham stepped in and successfully managed the business finance department for over eight months as the district sought to hire a new director of finance.

“DeeDee played an instrumental role in helping the district navigate a reduction in force, numerous time-consuming bargaining processes, an increasing volume of public record requests and many difficult decisions associated with our financial challenges,” Woods said. “At the same time, she helped lead the district through a state audit and continues to work diligently to complete an employee benefits audit.”

Woods added that through all of these responsibilities, some planned for and some additional, Buckingham has never lost sight of the most important part of leadership — people.

What makes Buckingham truly deserving of the Distinguished Leadership Award, according to Woods, is not the incredible amount of work she’s accomplished but rather how she has accomplished it.

“Even while carrying an extraordinary work load, she has consistently put the human needs of her team first,” Woods said. “She makes sure her staff feels supported, valued and cared for — particularly during some of the most difficult professional circumstances a person can experience. DeeDee leads with compassion, humility, strength and an unwavering commitment to doing what is best for our district and the people who serve our district.”

Woods believes that YCS is incredibly fortunate, as a district, to have Buckingham’s leadership, dedication and heart at the helm.

He said that Buckingham has repeatedly stepped forward where the district has needed her to most. Woods stated that her impact on the 2025-26 school year has been nothing short of remarkable.

“DeeDee represents the very best of leadership and we are proud to recognize her with the Distinguished Leadership Award for 2025-26,” Woods said. “What DeeDee has done in this past year is obviously remarkable. The challenges on the human resources side of things in our district that we face because of financial challenges, but then to take on the business and finance side of things and try to hold things afloat while we’re in transition. That’s hard under the best of circumstances.”