
Hovland completed his education specialist degree from St. Thomas in 1976. Hovland was the first Minnesota secondary school administrator to be named principal of the year. His school was one of the six Minnesota schools recognized as a Blue Ribbon School in the first year of the U.S. Department of Education program. Hovland served several years on the board of the Minnesota Association of Secondary School Principals. He is currently an adjunct faculty member for the School of Education.