ACTEAZ News  Exec. Director’s Letter

Executive Director’s Letter – October 2020
Submitted by Pam Ferguson

Dear ACTEAZ Members,

With the weather cooling off finally in Phoenix, it is starting to feel like Fall. As we begin to move into the holiday season it is my hope that all of you can spend time celebrating with family and friends. The holiday season has always tried to be a time of giving and uplifting, and we all could use that this year. The end of the year is also known for the increase in volunteers and I want to thank those of you in advance who live the spirit of the seasons with volunteering and contributing to the many charities who do so much. A huge shout out to everyone who continues this throughout the year, including a lot of your CTSO Students that continue to inspire and share the value that we are all here to serve.

Speaking of service, I would like to remind you that ACTEAZ is here trying to meet our members’ needs. We are continuing to schedule our Premiere Series courses through virtual and in person sessions as required by your districts to meet safety needs. The ACTEAZ Board recently met for our first virtual Fall Retreat and Board of Directors Meeting, and while different it was still a positive experience. Our next Board of Directors Meeting is November 2nd and will be held virtually. I want to remind all members that you can join us and that you can find all the details on our website.

Like many of you, ACTEAZ is also on an in-depth learning curve learning to master new technology. We have been researching the best method to continue to provide professional development opportunities for our members. Your safety will continue to be our highest priority, but we still hope to meet with all of you once again in a conference format. You can expect news about our Midwinter Conference in the coming weeks. Also, stay tuned for changes on the ACTEAZ website, as we will be merging CTE Leads into our site to provide all of you a one stop shop for CTE information and resources.

I know these are trying times for many of us with almost daily discouraging news events, uncertain political climate, and health concerns as we move into the winter season. I want to share a personal belief with all of you, and that is throughout history, humanity has continually shown to progress through adversity. I truly believe that Education, CTE, and even all of us will show our growth and progress once things settle down.

Yours truly,
Pam Ferguson