I officially accepted an offer this morning, Tuesday, Aug. 6, from the University of Colorado at Boulder to become the director of the CU News Corps and an instructor in their journalism program. My last day as KSPA’s executive director will be Saturday, Aug. 17, when the board of directors meets at Kansas State University in Manhattan.
I informed KSPA officers and the KU School of Journalism on July 23, the day I first received the offer from CU, and I have met with President Jim McCrossen, President-Elect Kathy Habiger and Secretary Amy Morgan to help plan for next year. I will meet with the KSPA student assistants on Wednesday, Aug. 7, to help them organize for the coming year, in addition to working with this year’s board at the Aug. 17 meeting.
Rest assured that the transition to an interim and/or permanent executive director will be as smooth as it can be.
This change came abruptly and was spurred by personal issues regarding my wife’s status as an alternative health care provider in Kansas. As a result, we made a family decision to move back to Colorado. We wouldn’t have left for just any position, though, and I fully intended to stay in Kansas for at least a few more years.
I apologize if my departure causes inconvenience.
Please know that my leaving has nothing to do with the organization or its members. KSPA will continue to be the best state scholastic press association in the U.S. Former executive directors John Hudnall, Jackie Engel and Dana Leibengood, and amazing Kansas advisers are responsible for that.
I began my work here four years ago with a promise that I would address several issues that faced KSPA and scholastic journalism:
- The threatened elimination of CTE funding for Kansas high school journalism;
- KSPA’s dwindling financial resources;
- The ongoing censorship threat at the state’s public schools; and
- The modernization of KSPA’s day-to-day business affairs.
With the help of strong and courageous board members and other advisers, I feel I have effectively handled all of those.
- CTE funding has been restored;
- At the end of the 2012-2013 fiscal year, KSPA had more than $125,000 in cash assets, including nearly $75,000 in the Jackie Engel Endowment Fund;
- Advisers continue to work with administrators in supporting the Kansas Student Publications Act; and
- KSPA continues to digitize many of its operations and contests.
Of course, many improvements still need to be made, and I’m confident the KSPA executive board, board of directors and membership will meet the challenges required to implement those improvements.
Kansas was, is, and probably will be for decades to come, the best state for scholastic journalism. And it’s because of friends like you and the support you provide that make it so.
I have been the beneficiary of your support and expertise. Thank you for allowing me to serve you the past four years and in the future, if the opportunity arises.
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