I Want You to Know

First off, thank you to all who attended NADE17 in Oklahoma City. The conference team, Kathy Moore, Kayla Harding, Alicia Sharpe, and Stacey Frazier, did a stellar job of organizing and running the conference. Thank you as well to Karen Patty Graham and Annette Cook, and to all who helped. The conference was outstanding, and we really did miss our friends who were unable to attend.

Now, as I begin the last year of my tenure as President of NADE, there are three goals I have for NADE and what it will offer its members.

I want you to feel…

• Connected

Through these letters, the newsletters, and the Board’s increased attendance at chapter meetings, we have begun to work on this goal, but our work on making our members feel connected to the national organization and to each other will continue. We do not underestimate the value of having someone who understands the often humbling and lonely road developmental educators sometimes have to walk. We want our members to know your Executive Board, your Chapter leaders, and your colleagues are here for you.

To that end, we are focusing on holding regional conferences in addition to the annual conference so more people can meet and network and learn. We are also going to focus more on our listserv which you can join at nade-discussion-forum@thenade.org. We also encourage you to join our Facebook page. Search for @nade.DevEd to find us.

• Protected

By protected, I mean that you do not have to stand alone when you are questioned about your curriculum or your programs, or about developmental education as a field. Sometimes when people are peppering you with questions asking you to justify your position, it is hard to come up with ready answers. That is when we can come in.
Your Executive Board can refer you to research and resources, and if you wish, we can conference with you, or write to legislators or administrators. We are here to help you and protect you. Call on us.

• Respected

Above all, please know that we as your board, and I as your president, respect you for all that you are and all that you do. Most of your working days you may go unnoticed, feeling as if you are working in a thankless job often for little pay and recognition. But always remember you are working for the outcomes, not the income; you are the one your students will remember in the future as having made a difference in their lives. In this accelerated world where it is easy to skip appreciation and fail to express gratitude, let me take this time to tell you how much you are appreciated now and every day.

With love and thankfulness for you and the work you do for our students,

—Robin