BOOTHBAY HARBOR, Maine — Eileen King, superintendent of School Union 49 and the Boothbay-Boothbay Harbor Community School District, has been named Maine’s 2009 Superintendent of the Year.

King was selected by a committee of her colleagues, including former Superintendent of the Year recipients, Maine School Superintendents Association officers and presidents of Maine’s superintendent regions, said Victoria Wallack, spokeswoman for the Maine School Management Association, which announced the award Nov. 14.

King said the award was a recognition that needed to be shared, according to Wallack.

“This truly reflects everyone who works with our students — our teachers, our staff, our school committee, our administrators, our parents, our community,” King said in a news release “It’s everyone doing what we need to do for our kids.”

King has been superintendent in the Boothbay area since 2002. Before that she served as principal of the Boothbay Region Elementary School from 1994 to 2002, Wallack said.

Stephen Ward, vice chairman of the Union 49 board, nominated King for the honor, saying she was a “well-rounded and seasoned educational and community leader, who expertly balances the multiple facets of operating a school district.”

King said the key to running a good school system is to keep the focus on the students.

“In every single decision, no matter how hard they are during tough economic times, don’t lose your eye on the kids,” she said.

In addition to school responsibilities, King serves on the Boothbay Region YMCA board of directors, chairs the Community Link organization that helps coordinate local services for people, and has served on a domestic violence prevention committee. She also serves as president of the Maine School Superintendents Association.