Rick Anthony, AESD President

I want to welcome each of you to a new year and the beginning of another year for ESDs to work together, help and support our districts as well as grow our network.

As you may know, our strategic plan has been completed for the next three plus years.

Our goals are:

  1. Develop Strategic Relationships
  2. Grow the Network and Provide Needed Services
  3. Tell Our Story

Many thanks go to all who worked on this project, especially Gene and Eldene. If you have not seen our plan, please ask your AESD Representative to get you a copy.  Everyone should have one as this will be a working document. 

In addition, you may know that your AESD gave a PowerPoint presentation on ESDs at a breakout session during the WSSDA Conference in November. It was a great hit. Thank you to all that presented and worked on that project. We can now take this presentation on the road for all to see. 

I indicated in our last Dispatch that a nominating committee had been selected.  The following nominees have been recommended for approval of the Executive Board: 1. President – Rainer Houser from ESD 112, 2. President-elect – Bruce Wildfang from ESD 123.  The entire membership will have an opportunity to nominate additional individuals for these offices at our annual business meeting at the end of the conference in April.

We are also working on our New ESD Board Member packet. This was first developed by Dr. Howard Coble a few years ago. Our hope is that the final draft will be completed by our February meeting. A committee is working on this.

Please continue to work with your legislators to help correct the issues that HB2242 creates. Our job is not close to being done. 

I am really looking forward to this new year and I hope you are too. We are in the most gratifying as well as the most challenging profession. May this year be the AESD’s best as well as yours personally. Working together we can accomplish anything. 

Rick Anthony,

AESD President