(Note: Roger’s three-year term as UEA vice president ends in July. He elected not to run for a second term.)
What a ride! It has been an honor to serve you as your UEA Vice President. My experiences over the last three years have cemented in my soul the importance of the work we do. It has been my privilege to travel throughout Utah and around the country as I have met with and shared experiences with leaders from Utah and other states. I have gained friends in education in other countries. I would not trade these last three years and the valuable things I have learned for anything. Below are just a few of the lessons that I will always cherish:
- There are hundreds of thousands of teachers in this country who genuinely love kids, and they dedicate their lives to guiding them to a pathway of a successful life.
- Utah is an amazing place and we have an incredible education system. We are admired throughout the country for what we do with the limited resources we have.
- Many of the people you see at the “Red for Ed” rallies across the country are my friends. They are some of the best and most dedicated people I have ever met and I can assure you they are not doing this for themselves. They are good people who are willing to stand up and fight for kids and teachers.
- The UEA has incredible leadership at every level. We are in excellent hands. There was no better person to replace Lisa Nentl-Bloom than Brad Bartels. He is the perfect person stepping up at the perfect time. I have watched closely as our president, Heidi Matthews, has grown from the proverbial deer in the headlights three years ago (she’ll agree), to an amazing visionary leader. She is the perfect person for her job and I look forward to watching her lead UEA forward for three more years.
- From the program staff to the associate staff and all others, the professionals at UEA are unequalled. All are amazing, but my special thanks go to Heather Shepherd. Heather is invaluable to our association. Her expertise and experience on practically everything about the association are vital to our day-to-day operations.
Thank you all for your support and kind words. I look forward to continuing to serve and support UEA in whatever role comes my way. For now, I am going to take a short break. But, I’ll be back.