Crystal Priest – 2023 John Lunt Friend of Technology Award

The John Lunt Friend of Technology award was established by ACTEM in 2006 as a way to recognize individuals that have made significant contributions to education and technology in Maine.  

The award is named after John Lunt - one of the founding members of ACTEM.  John served as president of ACTEM for six years and also chaired our annual MAINEducation conference for over ten years. 

The John S. Lunt Friend of Technology is a special award that the ACTEM board gives to recognize individuals who have made a long term, lasting contribution to supporting and advancing the use of technology in education throughout the state of Maine.  The standard used by the ACTEM board in how we identify our honorees is - if you mention this person’s name to anybody who is involved in technology around the state, the response should be “well of course!” I believe it was Crystal Priest that had some help in determining that standard we have used on past honorees’ and “well of course” Crystal perfectly fills that standard.  

The ACTEM Board considered it a no brainer to recognize Crystal Priest this year as she retires from her long career in education in Maine for the John Lunt Friend of Technology award.  Jenifer Van Deusen, a previous John Lunt award recipient, presented the award on behalf of ACTEM to Crystal at the fall 2023 conference.  Jennifer stated;

“Crystal’s accomplishments span the technology universe. In 1998, as Director of Technology in MSAD 4, Crystal piloted a 1:1 laptop initiative to students, before Governor King made it statewide. She went on to serve as ACTEM’s President from 2008-2012, while becoming an Apple Distinguished Educator in 2011, and then co-chairing ACTEM’s Conference Committee from 2013 through 2017.”  

Crystal still serves on the current conference committee as a valuable member and is always there to help out with whatever we asked of her.

Crystal was also a contributing member to SEED’s (Spreading Educator to Educator Developments) garden as a developer.  As a SEEDling, Crystal not only shared her lesson design “packet” on how to create Claymation videos, she also offered professional development, teaching the teachers. It was Crystal’s idea to bring the SEEDlings together for a special recognition at this past fall’s ACTEM conference.

Jenifer states: “Crystal has been a steady leader within the ACTEM organization for more than 20 years. She tells it like it is and gets stuff done without calling attention to herself.  Plus, she likes to have fun!” 

Congratulations to Crystal Priest as the 2023 John Lunt Friend of Technology Award honoree!