The COSA Board of Directors reviewed the organization’s 2006-07 performance, voted to increase member dues for the first time in five years, welcomed newly-elected officers, and toured the refurbished COSA offices during the annual Board planning session last month.

Over the course of the annual review, the Board, led by COSA President Jerry Colonna, praised Executive Director Kent Hunsaker and his staff for:

• Enhancement of professional development opportunities, including several new events (New Superintendents and Principals Leadership Seminar, OASSA/OESPA Winter Conference, Breaking Ranks in the Middle, Breakthrough Coach workshops, the State Leadership & Literacy Conference set for August, and the Professional Learning Communities Conference with Rick and Rebecca DuFour set for November);
  
  
• Effective legislative advocacy, including advocacy in collaboration with other statewide education groups;

• Leadership on important policy issues, including high school graduation requirements and state assessment; and

• Improvements to the COSA Website.

The Board encouraged continued focus on these areas in the year ahead, and will adopt 2007-08 goals at its June 20 meeting in Seaside.

At its annual planning session, the Board also:

Voted to raise annual COSA dues by $30, to $525, for 2007-08.  This will be the first dues increase in five years.  “As Oregon  “Nonetheless, we have continued to improve our services and offerings.  For the financial health of the organization, we need to ask for a modest dues increase; hopefully, our members will agree that this is an appropriate time to do so.” districts experienced funding shortfalls in recent years, we didn’t think it was right to ask our members for dues increases,” Hunsaker said.

Toured the newly-refurbished COSA offices.  The improvements were made possible by the sale of LifeTrack Services, in which COSA held stock.  In addition to the COSA offices, upgrades are also underway throughout the Association Center, which is owned by COSA.  The improvements have already attracted new tenants to the facility, another important contributor to COSA’s financial well-being.

Welcomed newly-elected officers.  Members elected to COSA and departments positions in March were:

COSA President-Elect – Karen Goirigolzarri

OASE President-Elect – Krista Parent
OASE Zone V Director – John Lahley
OASE Zone VII Director – Pat Evenson-Brady
OASE Zone VIII Director – Dennis Carter
OASE Zone IX Director – Linda Florence

OACOA President-Elect – Holly Lekas
OACOA Region A Representative – Samantha Steele
OACOA Region C Representative – Terri Vann
OACOA Region E Representative – Art Anderson
OACOA At-Large Representatives – Verne Ferguson and Eric Volger

OASSA President-Elect – Darin Drill
OASSA 5A/6A Representative – James Hiu
OASSA 3A/4A Representative – Jani Hale
OASSA 1A/2A Representative – Randy Trani
OASSA Assistant Principal Representative – Sue Voigt
NASSP Coordinator – Jan Miner

OESPA President-Elect – Mike Donnelly