Professional and Personal Context
Prior to becoming president I was very active in TCWSE’s Metroplex Affiliate Association founded by Margret Montgomery, the founder of TCWSE. In about 1989 I was requested to create the first TCWSE AFFLIATE MANUAL in order for our organization to provide more opportunities for support, additional training, and networking structure within each region of Texas. Of course, the manual has been edited numerous times since its first publication. I also had the honor of working with while learning from President Virginia Collier as the first assistant principal to serve on the state board of directors, and then progressed to the first principal to serve on the board. Oh, how greatly blessed I was to have these marvelous professional and personal growth experiences!
During 1995-1996 I was president of the Texas Council of Women School Executive and principal of a middle school recently named a National Blue Ribbon School. In addition, I was the first woman president of a local Lions Club; facilitator and promoter of the Lions Quest philosophy, training and learning experiences; recent doctoral graduate; mother of an only child daughter in her freshman year of college; and a divorcee after 25 years of marriage. In the existing educational arena an extremely low percentage of outstanding women held the position of superintendent in the state of Texas, and this dire situation had to be corrected for the sake of our children.
Presidential Vision
In order to contribute to the increase of quality women in these leadership roles and the growth and expansion for all members, I diligently prepared for the duties and responsibilities of the year ahead as your president. In order to lead our organization, I reflected and focused upon my past years as a member who had served in various capacities. Going within my mind, heart and spirit I concluded that the Texas Council of Women School Executives needed a more united membership in order for the mission of our organization to be achieved. Based upon my reflections and observations, the goals came into focus in hopes of inspiring our organization, membership, and aspiring administrators to actually be Soaring to New Heights professionally, personally, and holistically. In order to accomplish this goal, our strengths became the foundation of the Four C’s creation which was not a mystery or epiphany. The Four C’s were simply an awareness of each member’s need to utilize all of these exceptional strengths without doubting oneself. By doing so, each would contribute to all of us and the organization’s becoming stronger and more influential by providing quality educators, outstanding learning experiences, networking opportunities, and a supportive network driven by quality educations and the best for our the children. The Four C’s:
- Communicate: In order to build a “family” each member accepts the challenge to communicate professionally, personally and politically with each of our members and the recruitment of quality members. It would take all of us working together to strengthen our mission, ourselves, and the TCWSE Family.
- Collaborate: Through collaboration with others we continuously resolved to make the effort to consciously and deliberately draw upon the strengths of self and others in order to develop a greater whole.
- Commit: As with all of us at times in our lives, rather than ignore, each member was asked to renew or reinforce within oneself that knowing that all things are possible and can become the “what might have been.”
- Connect: As members of our outstanding Texas Council of Women Executives, each member knows that each day one must connect and discover the meaning of each important step along life’s “journey”. Each day is a gift of love and happiness which enriches our experiences and inner self. Realizing by living in the now and seeing all of its goodness, grace, and opportunities each member keeps growing intellectually, emotionally, spiritually and professionally.
Appreciation
I am so grateful to the Texas Council of Women School Executives for permitting me to serve as president and for providing the gift of a marvelous board of directors and past presidents who exemplified dedication, intelligence, collaboration, creation, support, dependability, and sincerity! What a glorious year and honor!
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