As many of you know, in April of this year the current economic realities resulted in downsizing of my position with my employer. I was very fortunate to have a skill set that presented many opportunities, but unfortunately many of those were not in the Colorado Springs region. It is in this light that I have recently accepted a position with a university in Tennessee. It appears that this will be a permanent position, once the probationary time associated with this position has passed, and I look forward to the opportunity.

In parting I do want to express my appreciation and gratitude for my time on the Board. I will be saddened to no longer regularly be associated with this wonderful group of people on the Board, it’s schools, and especially the members of the District 49 Community. The passion that is shared among all of the members of these various groups is truly awe-inspiring.

I admit that my parting is somewhat more palatable as a result of the recent failure of the efforts to forcefully recall me from my seat on the Board. At times facing the recall efforts while searching for employment made the desire to walk away from my seat on the Board a very tempting proposition, particularly in light of the fact that there was a high probability that I would find employment away from the District 49 Community. It was the many people who encouraged me to leave on my own terms, and not in response to the hidden agenda of others, that bolstered me during this time. I express my heartfelt gratitude for those people who sought to understand what I was being accused of and saw the falseness of the accusations.

At the time I did find it confusing to see Tammy Harold and Jackie Vialapando, who I had went to great lengths to communicate with during my time on the Board, advocating for my recall. This confusion fell away when I came to understand that these same individuals sought to fill my seat in the event of a recall election. These are the same people who could have run for the Board when I did in 2007, but chose not to. The release of the ballot for the fall elections has helped to further accentuate this point.

As I resign I would like to do so with a suggestion that my seat be filled by Mr. Andrew Holloman. I make this recommendation based on the engaged role that Mr. Holloman has displayed within the District. He was critical to the success of the Mill Levy override that resulted in the construction of a new elementary school, two new High Schools, and other projects related to developing a beneficial learning environment for kids. He has also been a driving force behind the success of the Long Range Planning Committee and many of the improvements that have been, and are about to be, identified.

In closing, I want to once again express my gratitude for the members of this great D-49 community and all of the individuals who seek to enhance the learning experience for my children and the other leaders of tomorrow.