From his first days as superintendent in 2008, mental health advocacy marked Don Grosdidier’s tenure.
One of his key goals was to minimize stigma around seeking help.
“Is there any stigma about going to the doctor when someone sprains an ankle? There’s no stigma to that at all,” Grosdidier said. “Why should mental health be any different?”
For his work on behalf of mental health, Grosdidier recently won the Lyn Smith Distinguished Service award from the Bert Nash Center.
Emily Farley, the Bert Nash chief advancement officer, said the award honors an individual who served on the Bert Nash Center board of directors and did exceptional work to further mental health efforts in the community.
Grosdidier was on the center’s board for eight years, served as chairman for two and was president in 2012. The center provides mental health and substance use services for children and families regardless of a patient’s ability to pay.
“Don was very purposeful and intentional in that compassion and empathy and creating access to children and teenagers and families,” Farley said.
Soon after Grosdidier’s appointment as superintendent, the district learned it received a $3 million federal grant to bring mental health services to Eudora schools. Grosdidier was assistant superintendent in 2006-2008 when the district applied.
Kristin Magette worked under Grosdidier as the district’s communications director for six years. As a member of the Bert Nash Center board, she is asked every winter to nominate former board members for the Lyn Smith Distinguished Service Award.
“That day, I just thought that I couldn’t believe that I’d never thought of it before, that Don Grosdidier would just be an incredibly deserving honoree,” Magette said.
Grosdidier’s leadership throughout his tenure and the Safe Schools Healthy Students grant are some of the reasons he received the award.
“We had an opportunity with a grant to do some special things, but I think his ability to bring people together and really see opportunities and pursue them and not give up was really what made this different,” Magette said.
With the grant, the district went on to provide an after-school therapist and referrals for students. They also trained staff on mental health first aid.
“There are certainly kids who are now grown and families who he directly impacted just with his leadership. And that’s pretty special,” Magette said.
Grosdidier said the best place to serve kids’ needs is at school, where it’s important to have staff who can recognize if a student might be in a mental health crisis.
After retiring from the school district, Grosdidier worked for Greenbush, a southeast Kansas education service center, before retiring in June 2025.
The award was a chance for him to reflect on his time working as superintendent and on the Bert Nash Center board.
“The days when I was the superintendent of Eudora, working with Bert Nash, you know, those are things you don’t think about everyday,” Grosdidier said. “It kind of made me feel like I had done something in the time other than build buildings and those types of things.”
