NEA Midwest Minority Leadership Training Held in Kansas City, MO

Team ISEA submitted the names of six members to participate in the annual NEA Midwest Regional Minority Leadership Training, this year held in Kansas City, Missouri. I was asked to submit the names of one experienced leader and five emerging leaders. Shauna Firmature from the Council Bluffs EA, served as our team leader. What follows is Shauna's report to me:

Linda,

Thank you so much for sending me as the team leader for the MLT. This was a great learning experience for all from our state. I heard from several of the participants how much they enjoyed the classes.

The one class that I enjoyed the most was Message Development. I think that this is one thing that every building representative should attend because it teaches the participant how to get your message across to administrators. I especially liked how he said to keep it to three simple messages. He taught us to keep saying our mesasge as if it were a triangle and continue saying our message in that rotating way.

We also had two Iowa participants run for positions for the NEW Education Association in the Mock RA. Flora Lee ran for President and Dolores Silva ran for a board member position. Though neither one won, I believe that they did a service to their teams by showing what is needed to run for a position: campaign slogan, campaign money,campaign manager, speeches, networking, etc.

This was also a great time to have a minority group to go from our state since we had an Iowa minority leader, Kathy Williams, NEADirector. I believe this really was a good example and was a great way of showing how this leadership conference can promote you in your state. I have attached a picture of the Iowa participants with President Reg Weaver.

Pictured (above) from left to right are members of Team ISEA with NEA President Reg Weaver: Kathy Williams, Davenport EA and NEA Director; Shauna Firmature, Council Bluffs EA; Dolores Silva, Muscatine EA; President Reg; LaTrenda Soukup, Iowa City EA (in front); Flora Lee, Northwest AEA and AEA Rep on ISEA Executive Board; and Marlo Ross of Burlington EA. We are not sure what happened to our sixth team member. Kathy Williams was added to our team for her leadership role on the NEA Board of Directors. Alice Boyd of DMEA also participated with her local providing funding.

Thank your for the opportunity to go as team leader.

Shauna Firmature
Council Bluffs EA

I think this looks like a terrific group of Team ISEA leaders! How lucky we are to have them step forward and take on leadership roles!