Advocate Online

On the Road
with Valerie Wilk

On a beautiful October weekend, I attended the second annual Iowa State Education Association (ISEA) Community College Faculty Conference.

The event attracted more than 70 members from 13 institutions. ISEA President Linda Nelson welcomed the group and acknowledged the importance of the work of faculty in the community colleges to educate Iowa residents. She pledged the support of the state Association to their work.

The next morning, Robert Denson, president of Des Moines Area Community College and a union supporter, painted the state budget picture for participants and urged the community colleges and ISEA higher ed locals to join forces to secure more funding for Iowa's community colleges.

Conference workshops covered teaching and learning, legislative issues, and leadership. In a workshop on the value of membership, I talked about how campus locals can help build membership with NEA resources, including published materials, online products, and training opportunities.

Gary Hughes and Bill Ricketts, president and past-president, respectively, of the local at Iowa Western Community College, gave a session about reenergizing their local and expanding the base of active members.

It was also exciting to reconnect with two of the graduates of the first class of the NEA Emerging Leader Academy (ELA), John Bybee of Southeastern Community College and Michael Hall from Iowa Western, and with current ELA class member Lisa Ossian from Southwestern Community College.

John and Michael are using their leadership skills to build campus membership and serve at the state level, respectively. Lisa was co-chair of this year's community college conference.

— Valerie Wilk coordinates NEA higher ed activities.