43 Years in 43 Days--Day Zero!

It is finally here!   And what a journey it has been!   There are so many people who have meant so much to me through these years.   I would never trade this incredible profession for any other.   I am proud to have been a part of this noble profession for 43 wonderful years!

There are so many people I would like to thank.  I just need to figure out how to do that, and I will.  I do want to thank a few people who have truly contributed to helping me "survive," enjoy, and be a successful administrator.   I probably wouldn't be writing these 43 years of memories if they hadn't had my back!   I previously mentioned my first office staff at Gilbert El when I started as principal.  I want to say a very special thanks to  Cris Silva and Toni Krampf, the office staff at Gilbert El for many years while I was principal.  They put up with me every day and saved me on many occasions and I will always be grateful to them. And especially to "my" secretary, Barb O'Fallon, who has meant the world to me!  Coming to Douglas, I have had the honor of working with Carol Perez.  Not only has Carol been "my" secretary, but she is also the Board's secretary and my friend.  She has been amazing and I can't thank her enough!  These ladies are the best and I can't begin to tell them how much they mean to me!  Thank you!!!!!

I don't think that my journey is complete yet and that is one of the key reasons I am moving back to Gilbert.  I am hoping that I will be able to continue to do something in some way in education for the next few years.  I am not ready to hang it all up and I feel I have a few more good years left.   So we will see what the next days and months bring.

Wally Delecki said that he recycled himself after he retired from Gilbert and went to teach at NAU.  One of our consultants calls himself a "recovering superintendent," which I love.  So I am hoping to "recycle" and I definitely know that I am "recovering" so maybe I will be a "Recycled, Recovering Superintendent!"

These past 43 days have been so much fun.  It has been therapeutic to go back each day over the past 43 years.   I have so enjoyed the dialog that has occurred on Facebook between people and the comments and remembrances that people have shared.   Thank you for the positive comments.  They mean so much.  And thank you to everyone who has read  about my 43 year journey.

It has been at times a wild ride, but I couldn't have asked for a better career!  It has been a blessing to me in so many ways.    I have so many incredible memories and so many people who have touched my heart that I can't imagine any other "job" (and it hasn't been a job--it has been so much more)!  I can only think of one final word to say and that is "WOW"............