Thank you for choosing the Leadership Team to maintain the ground we won so far and to extend our victories. 2022-2024 Term Grounds to Keep: Progressive Grassroots Lobbying. The Legislative Committee and Contact Team successfully working with key legislators to win 10% in Supplement for retirees during the past three years and a COLA as soon as possible. Legislative updates, revealing the appropriations process, and sending emails for funding pay increases for retirees. Linda Gunter and Colleen Lanier as volunteer, unpaid lobbyists. New Flyer: “10 Reasons to Join NCRSP” produced; New NCRSP brochure: Made for all locals and regions to use in membership drives. Panorama Modernization: New masthead and color, easy-to-read features while saving money. Great Public Schools Fund PAC raising $19,769 in 2023 for crucial elections in 2024. PAC Training and working with Region Directors and Legislative Chairs working together to meet the goal of $25,000 by the deadline. New Membership Grants: Investing $15k to help small locals and regions to grow membership. Foundation for Public School Children: In 2022-2023, NCRSP members donating $32,285.40, the largest amount raised by any group of donors in North Carolina. From 2019 to 2023, NCRSP members and locals donating $81,677.40 to aid public school children. Constitution and Bylaws: Most extensive rewrite in 10 years led by the NCRSP committee. Website: Overhauled, organized, updated and added information so members can use the search tool, making the site navigable and timely. “Fireside Chats” with local presidents to keep leadership informed about what is going on in NCRSP World. One-on-One meetings with Region Directors to unite and launch new leadership. Forming New Regional Member Benefit Committees as “Ambassadors” to educate and help members apply for the benefits through NEA. Increased Disclosure: Full review of all business and financial records for accuracy and transparency. 

Thank you for re-electing me, and I will labor to maintain the battle ground we have won so far and fight to advance us into more gains in 2024-2026.

I am a graduate of Bennett College and North Carolina A&T State University where I received a MS in Instructional Media and Technology. I am also a certified K-12 Library Media Specialist and have a BA in History and Language Arts as well. I am a former Curriculum Facilitator, Technology Facilitator, Library Media Specialist, adjunct college professor and classroom teacher. I am one of the co- authors of the Library Media National Board Certification initiative, and I was appointed by the Governor of North Carolina to serve on the national board. I worked with twelve other librarians throughout the United States to establish the first guidelines and processes for the now popular licensure for which media specialists aspire throughout the country. 

I am a former President of the North Carolina Retired School Personnel of Greensboro-Guilford and most recently held the position of Co-Regional Director for Region 4 that consists of nine locals. I was recognized as the state Volunteer of the Year for my region! My passion for the NCRSP includes my former role as state Membership Chair, where my committee and I encouraged the leaders in enhancing the membership of the organization. I bring much leadership experience to the NCRSP as a former local NCAE president and member of the state NCAE Board of Directors for six years and as president of the state Student Services Division.

 I am the newly re-elected Vice-President of NCRSP (North Carolina Retired School Personnel). It is my desire to help provide the great opportunities that the NCRSP members deserve. One of my greatest and most memorable honors was being awarded the Outstanding Presidential Award presented by NCRSP Greensboro-Guilford. “Caring is a gift, the more we give the more we receive”

Dear NCRSP Member, 

I hope to give you an idea of who I am. On April 16, 2024, I shall be 72 years old. I was saved in August 1997 and baptized in November 1997. God has made me driven, diligent, and determined with a heart conviction to serve the cause of public education and the quality of life for the men an women who provided that education in all forms.

I taught for 35 years in five states, on two continents, but also have secretarial experience. I served as a paralegal for two law firms where accuracy and thoroughness and timeliness matter. The NC DSS chose me as Medicaid Caseworker of the Year for my speed, accuracy, and positive attitude in processing benefits. LWV chose me as Distinguished Woman in Education.  In retirement, I became NCRSP State Volunteer of the Year 2024, NCRSP Region 7B Volunteer of the Year for 2021, 2023, and 2024, and CCRSP Member of the Year, later serving as president of CCRSP and DKG Key Women Educators at the time of 2024 campaign. 

I know what it means to be the underdog coming from the poorest high school in a California town yet prevailing as the class valedictorian and winning scholarships to Stanford University. My parents, who survived WWII internment camps and ran a mom-and-pop store, were unable to pay for tuition but drive, diligence, and determination won the prize of education.  Stamina, mental toughness, and an enduring faith that the “impossible” can be accomplished make me who I am today –a woman of faith ready to serve.

Success has been my experience through help, love, and prayer. I have taught in English and Japanese, and served as a translator for my LEA. I have taught students in kindergarten, elementary school, middle school, high school, and college. Northwestern University chose me as one of ten speech and debate teachers nationally for its Graduate Speech Fellowship. I brought competitive student congress to Hawaii. I began a speech and debate team from the ground up in the lowest wealth school in my LEA and made students into champions with district, state, and two national titles.  Rotary International awarded me the Paul Harris Fellow award twice for outstanding contribution to the community, its highest recognition. 

Yet, what really matters is what I do today for you.

I keep learning. I've honored traditional standards and customs and acquired Microsoft skills and technical know-hows. I keep learning and searching for how to make writing and communication products cheaper, delivered faster, with better output in disaggregate information that we can use to win our struggle. 

Results: 1 - Our free NCRSP website I made for $12 a year saving NCRSP thousands of dollars, minutes and newsletters; 2- Two other free websites I've made for DKG and CCRSP, the two groups I lead as president with minutes and newsletters full of URLS and doorways into more information; 3 - Practicing and preparing our first NCRSP Choir in decades with singers from across our state.  In preparation for more information sharing, I seek and learn more tech apps to improve communication. I make YouTubes of events for our members to keep informed, such as the Quality of Life "Meet the Candidates." 

At the convention, my community supported us providing us with a free Self-Defense workshop with certified Department of Justice speakers. My goal is to record thorough, accurate minutes efficiently for the historic and exciting work NCRSP does for us all!

Realizing that we all stand on the shoulders of the heroes and heroines who have gone before us, I am thankful to you for your vote of confidence to record and deliver to you the minutes of NCRSP's historic meetings in 2024-2026.  Transparency guarantees our unity and body of shared information to champion our just cause for public education and for the quality of life of the men and women who provided that education. As my mentor and former Region 7B director Cathy Neagle says,

Together We are Strong! 

So how did a language arts teacher become proficient in organizational finance?

As a young teacher raising my daughter on my own, I was always concerned that the school board would grant raises each year. The Tennessee Education Association trained its members in analyzing school, city, and county budgets so that they would have the knowledge to work for those increases. I learned my lessons well, and I went home and did a 10-year study of our city and school system budgets. 

To my surprise, I found that by careful budget manipulation, our city school taxes never made it into our school system bank account. The superintendent and mayor were not happy with my findings. But this would not be the last time that I would upset those in power.

As the UniServ Director in Dallas, TX, I helped my maintenance and craft workers gain a salary schedule that rewarded their years of work in the school system and earned them at least a step each year.

As Research Director in Kentucky, I became adept at forecasting the new monies that the school districts would receive each year. I then worked with local associations to understand their local budgets and prepare requests for salary increases that would help their members. The Kentucky Department of Education invited me to be a participant in Superintendents' Budget Meetings because of that work.

As UniServ Director in Indianapolis, I was chief negotiator for bargaining the teacher contract. Because Indianapolis is a large urban area, they have a very high rate of teacher turnover. I taught the association there how to use retirement credit to not only raise beginning salaries but how to get everyone on the schedule a salary increase.

As UniServ Director in Charlotte-Mecklenburg, it was very challenging to confront the big financial interests like Bank of America and other large corporations that tried to tie teacher pay to salary schedules that made no sense!! Because of my work with University of Wisconsin's CPRE Group, I intend to help the association beat down these attacks and advance ourselves..

In Louisiana, I worked with state and local associations as well as Together Louisiana to fight EXXON which owned $3 billion dollars in property but was not paying its fair share in local taxes. 

I am a native of Bristol, TN, which is just 75 minutes from Asheville. When I retired, I came to North Carolina because my family is here. My heart will forever be in the smoky blue ridges of this beautiful state. 

I hope this recounting of my experience will help you understand my  experience, skills, and knowledge to watch over the finances of our NCRSP to prepare  budget  and financial reports that reflect our united work to fulfill our goals and mission.