Eldorado Principal named Peabody Energy Leader in Education

</element><element id="paragraph-1" type="body"><![CDATA[Steve Nelson of Eldorado Elementary School was named a Peabody Energy Leader in Education for the 2011-2012 school year, and awarded $1,000 for his commitment and dedication to students in a surprise school-wide event Thursday morning.

Nelson, who has been principal at the school for 25 years and will be retiring at the end of the school year, was not aware he would be receiving the award.

The check was presented to Nelson by Maureen Moore, of Peabody Energy, who also gave a brief speech to the students about her company.

According to a release by Peabody Energy, they chose Nelson for the award because he "believes that all students deserve a strong education foundation. He sees his students as future community and business leaders, and wants to ensure they receive the best education possible."

It goes on to say that "Nelson strives to provide a safe and secure school environment where students learn and grow at their own pace. An advocate of educators, he encourages his staff to pursue higher education and more than 20 percent of the school faculty has earned master's degrees."

Nelson also supports his students through involvement in the community as an active member of the Rotary Club.

The Peabody Energy Leaders in Education program strives to reward dedicated education professionals-from teachers and coaches to librarians and counselors-who inspire and motivate young people to succeed. Award recipients are selected throughout the school year by a committee of top educators and business leaders, according to the release.

"Steven Nelson is a hero in education who truly cares about the success of his students," said Vic Svec, Senior Vice President of Investor Relations and Corporate Communications for Peabody Energy. "Peabody created the Leaders in Education program to give outstanding educators, like Steven, the recognition they deserve."