OSBA members receive recognition

Oregon School Boards Association members from across the state received state and national awards and other recognition at the association’s annual convention in Portland in November.

Beeson elected president

David Beeson of the Silver Falls School Board is the new president-elect of the Oregon School Boards Association. The OSBA board of directors elected him on Nov. 11, 2010, to serve as president-elect through 2010 and to take office as president on Jan. 1, 2011. A sheep rancher and artist, Beeson is firmly committed to public education and has contributed a significant amount of his volunteer time and energy to public education. Over the years, Beeson has held many leadership roles in education, including seven years as a member of the Butte Creek Elementary School Board before mandatory consolidation in the 1990s and 10 years as a member of the Willamette Education Service District board. He is now in his third term on the Silver Falls School Board. This will be Beeson’s second term as OSBA president; he served previously in 2005-06.

“I believe that education is the single most important work of our society,” said Beeson. “Our success in every other arena of human endeavor depends directly on how well we succeed in the most basic work of educating our people. Public education is the backbone of this work and it must thrive if our nation is to thrive.”

In addition to Beeson, the OSBA board of directors also elected these three people to officer positions:

• Kris Howatt of the Gresham-Barlow School District was elected to serve as vice president through Dec. 31, 2010, and as president-elect beginning Jan. 1, 2011.
• Terry Lenchitsky of the Oregon Trail School District was elected to serve as secretary/treasurer through Dec. 31, 2010, and as vice president beginning Jan. 1, 2011.
• Lori Theros of Klamath Falls City Schools was elected to serve as secretary/treasurer beginning Jan. 1, 2011.

Board leadership awards presented

Eight members of the Oregon School Boards Association received board leadership awards at the convention. The OSBA Leadership Institute offers four levels of awards for individual school board members, recognizing completion of specific OSBA board leadership courses.

• Jewell School District: Board member Allen Foster received the bronze award for completing the first level of courses in OSBA’s Leadership Institute.
• Klamath Falls City Schools: Board member Lori Theros received a bronze award for completing the first level of courses.
• Lebanon School District: Board member Debi Shimmin received the bronze award for completing the first level of courses.
• Monroe School District: Board member Mylrea Estell received a platinum award, the highest level of achievement for individual board members in OSBA’s Leadership Institute.
• Nestucca Valley School District: Board member Ken Henson received the bronze award for completing the first level of courses.
• North Santiam School District: Board member Richard Morley received the gold award for completing the third level and Tass Morrison received the bronze award for completing the first level of courses in OSBA’s Leadership Institute. Morley also is a member of the OSBA board of directors.
• Port Orford-Langlois School District: Board member Bill Dooley received the bronze award for completing the first level of courses.
• Silver Falls School District: Board member David Beeson received a platinum award, the highest level of achievement for individual board members in OSBA’s Leadership Institute.

More about OSBA’s Leadership Institute

National awards received

Kris Howatt of of the Gresham-Barlow School District, Beth Gerot of the Eugene School District and Annette Mattson of the David Douglas School District received distinguished service certificates from the National School Boards Association. Created in 1992, this recognition program acknowledges and commends local school board members from across the country for extraordinary commitment to public education through proven board leadership and service. The certificates were presented by NSBA President Earl C. Rickman III to Gerot, Howatt and Mattson at the convention; the Oregon School Boards Association nominated them for the honor. Gerot is OSBA president, Howatt is OSBA vice president and Mattson is OSBA past president. In his letter to each Oregon recipient, Rickman wrote, “By your excellent work as a school board member, you have helped prepare students to become successful, contributing members of a changing, global society.”