Hello MN PTA Members! Just thought I’d take a moment to introduce myself.
I am excited to have taken on the role of MN PTA President at the close of convention. I joined the board as President-Elect in January of 2017, so it has been a sprint to get caught up with the fantastic work Deborah and her team have done these last two years. I have large shoes to fill, but I look forward to the challenge. And don’t worry, I’ve made Deborah promise she isn’t going anywhere!
I live in Bloomington, MN with my husband and three kids ages 8, 12, and 14. I am finishing my third term as the Vice-President of the Bloomington PTSA council, and have previously served as President of Hillcrest PTSA and President and Outreach Chair of Bloomington/Richfield’s Early Childhood Parent Advisory Council. I bring over 11 years of PTA experience to this role and am excited to move MN PTA forward. I am also a former middle school teacher, and currently teach ECFE classes for 12-24 month toddlers and their parents.
This past March, the MN PTA Board of Directors met to begin our Strategic Plan for 2017-2019. It has the overall theme “Why PTA? Staying Relevant in Today’s Changing World” and has three components: Increasing Visibility, Increasing Partnerships, and Increasing Education and Unit Support. Through these goals, we hope to also increase statewide membership. We are 200 units and 8,000 voices strong, but we can do more.
We have already begun to increase visibility through presenting at the Minnesota School Boards Association’s convention in January, and Action for Healthy Kids’ convention in March. We have also testified in front of Senate and House Education Finance Committees four times – each time advocating for an increase in the general funding formula – something that reaches every student across Minnesota.
We have increased partnerships through new collaborations with FedEx Office and Minnesota United soccer (Go Loons!). These are in addition to other member benefits such as participation in Reflections, access to MN PTA Scholarships, and access to the awesome vendors that joined us at convention. If you have an idea for a member benefit, please let us know!
Increasing Education and Unit Support is a big task, but a critical one. Events like convention are only one piece of a larger structure of educating and supporting our PTA leaders. We will work hard to be in contact – whether you need help filing your 990, need direction on gambling laws, are struggling to recruit new members, have conflicts within parents or between PTA and administration – we are here for you. In the coming months, look for new ways we look to support you and help you operate the best PTA you can!
Thank you! I look forward to serving you these next two years.
