One Year Later

“What a difference a year can make”

A year ago today, on November 16^th, 2010 I was sworn into office as a Citrus County School Board Member for District 1.  It has been one of the most fulfilling works I have done outside of being a father and husband.

Over the year I have often been asked, “Do you like it?” and “Is it anything like you thought?”  Like before one gets married or becomes a parent you can never really know what it would be like until you have experienced it.  I want to share that I love being a school board representative.  I feel so honored to be able to be a part of the decision making process and I am blessed to have an opportunity to work with these wonderful educators, staff, administrators and most especially Citrus County’s amazing students.

I want to take this opportunity to thank some of those people that have helped to make my year an exciting and great year.  First I would like to thank the individual schools staff, teachers and administrators.  You all are always so welcoming to me whenever I visit your schools.  It has also meant a great deal to me that you have provided open and straight forward support, feedback and advice.  Next, I must thank the many district staff members who work behind the scenes to make our district successful.  The district coordinators and directors I thank for always being willing to sit down and discuss with me information regarding any of my questions and concerns. Thanks goes to the executive secretaries who work so well together to take care of the executive Administrators, Superintendent of Schools, Assistant Superintendent, and the Citrus County School Board Members.  I want to thank Ms. Himmel who does an excellent job of working with each of us as board members.  It is difficult to adequately explain how hard Ms. Himmel works to build positive working relationships with her board members and make sure we receive pertinent information in a timely fashion.  Understand this is not the case in most other school districts.

Lastly, I want to thank each of my fellow Board members for going out of their way to help me transition into the Board by including me from the start and diligently working to make me feel a part of the team.  I have many specific positive memories of things that each one of them have done to reach out to me during this past year.  No new board member could have ever asked for anything more.  I share this because, looking from the outside in, it is difficult to really understand the respect, appreciation and admiration we share for one another.  Please understand that this doesn’t mean that we agree with each other all the time.  In fact, we regularly debate issues but it is done with respect while working to find a consensus.  In the end, all of this comes together because, as a board, the center of all of our decisions is always based on what is best for students.

I have learned so much over this past year and I learn more every single day.  Education has changed dramatically in just one year and we still have many great challenges ahead of us.  I ask that each of you keep me in your prayers and thoughts.  I ask that you continue to share with me your opinions, concerns and worries for our schools.  I want to thank you for allowing me to represent you as one of the Citrus County School Board Members.

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