2008

President's View...Rob Burgess - "R-E-S-P-E-C-T"

Admin — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 11:00:00 -0600

Colleagues:

Sometimes when I write, I use verse to express myself. This is one of those times.
Recently, we learned that the nearly 90,000 children of the Detroit Public Schools once again face some uncertainty. For those of you who live in Detroit or the metro-Detroit area, you are probably more aware of the details of what has happened in and to the Detroit Public Schools in the past decade or more. At least in the far corner of Southwest Michigan, where our TV stations are all South Bend or Chicago, we get more news about Indianapolis or Chicago than Detroit. (I do know that Illinois could learn something from Michigan when it comes to Governors! I will take Governors Granholm and Engler over any last two indicted Illinois governors.)

Having grown up on the east side of our state, I have a deep affection for Detroit if for no other reason than my love of the Tigers, Pistons, and, yes, even the cursed Lions. In addition, my father met my mother during World War II in a Ford plant near Detroit. My father was a foreman and my mother a “Rosy the Riveter.” Before he passed away, Dad talked about seeing Babe Ruth at the old Tiger Stadium and the magician Harry Houdini in downtown. Additionally, I worked for seven years in an urban school district, Grand Rapids Public Schools. Having been at an urban district did not provide me with the answers. What it did is make me aware and sympathetic to some of the problems.

According to information on the CEPI web site, Detroit Schools enrolled 160,000 students in the early 1990’s. Today, Detroit’s enrollment is less than 90,000. I am not here to write about and rehash old problems. They are myriad. As President of MSBO, there is one thing that I do know: the State of Michigan needs the children of Detroit to thrive, to achieve, to hope, to grow, to prosper, and to become productive citizens for our great state.

There is plenty of blame to go around, whether it is in Detroit, in Lansing, in the metro-area, or in out-state Michigan where I regret that we sometimes forget and neglect the importance of the Motor City to our State. With the following poem, I caste no aspersions, I lay no blame. I simply hope to say that we as a State need Detroit and the children of that great city.

The Motown Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin, once wrote a song that goes like this:

“R-E-S-P-E-C-T
Find out what it means to me
R-E-S-P-E-C-T
Take care, TCB…”

Now, my poem ain’t no Aretha Franklin classic, but I ask that we all consider that the children of Detroit deserve what Aretha preached. My hope is that all the stakeholders will work together to make the Detroit Public Schools financially sound. But more importantly, I hope that they all work together for the betterment of educational opportunities for the youth of Detroit.
Prayer for the Children of Detroit

This started to be a poem,
but how does one write a verse
about children forgotten in the vortex
of politics and finances?
Where school administration,
teachers and support staff unions,
board of education,
legislators, governors, Department of Education,
the lobbyists, think tanks,
and the voters of Michigan
all seem to have an agenda.

But is it the children?
The children of Detroit?
Whose school district has declined
in enrollment (and the revenues that follow) by 40 percent
in less than two decades?

Ninety thousand children,
Michigan's children,
our children
each one precious
and in need of a compassionate teacher,
a sympathetic mentor in a guidance office,
or simply a kind word from a bus driver
at the end of the day.

Because each day
the children of Detroit go home
to houses in the most segregated city
in the United States of America
in a State of Michigan
where we too often spend more time berating
our once (and I hope once again) great city
than realizing that
the children of Detroit are
near and dear to
God.

Pray for the children of Detroit.
Ninety thousand children.
Pray that political leaders
and any newly appointed
emergency financial manager
will remember as scripture says to:
"Let the children be fed first,
for it is not fair to take the children's food
and throw it to the dogs."

Amen.

Executive Director's View...Tom White - My Final Column!

Admin — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 10:00:00 -0600

It is hard to know how to close out such a wonderful chapter in my life and career. I beg your indulgence to allow me to repeat some things I’ve already said in the past, as important messages bear repeating.

First and foremost, I feel privileged to have served you and MSBO. Second, I feel proud of this organization, our members, and our mission. MSBO has a thoughtful and engaged Board of Directors; a hardworking, dedicated, and intelligent staff; and a membership that is second to none.

One of the most important things I’ve discovered in the past few years is the value and relevance of organizational culture. I’d hear the term, “culture” tossed around regularly when I was in graduate school. I have to admit I only paid enough attention to pass the class. I heard the words but given I had very little experience outside of school - I didn’t get it. Now I do.

My greatest pride at MSBO has been to build on the organizational culture that existed when I came here. Our culture is a result of the collective beliefs and actions of our members and staff. It is something that can be shaped by small groups like a board, the collective activities of our members as a group, and the actions of individuals within our membership and/or on our staff.

The cultural values of MSBO members are: dedication to duty; putting education and students first; going the extra mile to assist and support one another, even in “competing” districts; a belief in continuing education and professional development; and an unending willingness to keep taking on more responsibilities as resources are stretched. Quite simply, MSBO members are, “get things done,” people. You take pride in your work, help one another, and put students’ interests in front of your own. You are generally more comfortable not being in the spotlight, but work hard to provide the necessary research and behind-the-scenes efforts to make others look good, and get the job done.

The MSBO office also has a unique culture, based on the leadership of our board and staff. Our values are: putting the good of education in Michigan before all else; focusing our efforts on how we can help our members be valued by their districts, and more effective in their jobs; seeking out partnerships in which we can add value to products and services that help our members; doing whatever it takes to help inform and educate our members from the basic, “nuts and bolts” of school business to high level leadership. Anyone who has been close to the MSBO staff knows how hard they work and how member-focused they are. We have a lot of fun in our office, but we also know how to churn out an incredible amount of work for a small staff. It is a rare group of people.

The MSBO Board has been wonderful. They act the way a board is supposed to act! They keep their eye on the big issues and policy matters, but help on details when needed. They are often a sounding board or act as a focus group when we discuss and consider topics from new services to political issues. They do not rubber stamp the staff’s decisions, nor should they. Yet they are supportive and willing to help on details when needed. I can’t say enough good things about them. A good board is the foundation of a good organization and we have both.

I can’t come close to covering all the points I’d like to relative to MSBO, our culture and our people. But the nice part of this “culture” thing is that it transcends individuals…including executive directors. Individuals can shape or affect a culture, but culture comes from more than one person. It is a collective of all of you and the MSBO Board and staff.

I had a wonderful retirement party early in December. It was funny and touching and filled with good memories and good friends. I could not have asked for anything better. While I appreciated the kudos, I can honestly say that my reaction was that I have really just done my job, as all of you do yours. I have just been fortunate to be in a position where I could have a broad impact, and I work with and for people who are kind and appreciative. What a blessing.

I’ll still be around in education circles. I’m going to work with Dave in planning the MSBO Conference, and I’ll be there in a support role. I will also be working with MSU at the Confucius Institute where I can pursue my passion for connecting Michigan’s schools and students with China and other nations. I’ll also be working with Mike Flanagan at MDE on a project for “re-imagining” education in Michigan. I’m really excited about that. I’ll have a few other projects and relationships that will keep me involved with the people and endeavor – education – that I have come to love and value so much.

I really appreciate all MSBO has done for me, all the opportunities that came because of my involvement, all the good people I’ve met, and the opportunity to work on things that really mattered to me. Thank you.

Collateral and Investing

Admin — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 09:00:00 -0600

As chair of the Michigan Liquid Asset Fund Plus (MILAF +) Board, I feel it's appropriate that I am writing a column on the topic of investing. As our resources in schools dwindle with the overwhelming upheaval in the financial markets in recent months as well as what is happening with the Big 3 auto companies, it is even more important to raise questions about the safety of investing and the use of collateral to secure investments or using the services of professionals where investing is their business.

Collateral is defined as an asset which is pledged by a borrower to secure a loan or other credit, and is subject to seizure in the event of default. From the perspective of an investor, collateral is the asset used by the financial institution to secure your deposit into that financial institution in the event they do not have the ability to pay you the principle and interest due to you at the conclusion of the investment’s term.

When collateral is used as part of an investment contract, it is just as important to have confidence in the value and marketability of the collateral as it is to have confidence in the financial institution itself to complete your investment contract. Collateral comes in many forms but typically the most acceptable of these are U. S. Treasuries and U. S. Agencies. Other potential candidates for collateral include State Agency and Revenue Bonds, School and Municipal Bonds, Tax Anticipation Notes, Highly Rated Out-of-State Municipal Bonds and Highly Rated Corporate Bonds.

Many investors are turning to collateralization as a safety net during these turbulent times. The act of securing a collateral interest in a security is critical to the process for the investor. The investor should have the right to determine what collateral is eligible to be used. In the event the collateral selected has a call feature, you should maintain the right to have only cash or eligible securities used to replace the called security.

Most importantly, a contract must be constructed to secure your interest and establish appropriate custody of the selected collateral. Most financial institutions have such an agreement available, however you should have counsel review the document to verify its perfection of your interest and its enforceability in the event of the failure of the financial institution.

Another issue related to collateralizing an investment is determining the amount of collateral necessary to secure the investment. When using Treasuries and Agencies as collateral, a flat percentage of the investment (collateral margin) is used (103% - 110% is fairly typical). When using collateral with a fluctuating market value, another approach would be to take the current market value plus anticipated interest for the term of the investment, minus FDIC insurance coverage, times the collateral margin you have selected.

When using collateral with a fluctuating market value, it makes perfect sense to have the value reviewed on a daily basis to determine if additional collateral is needed to fully secure your investment. A related issue is the downgrading of the collateral’s rating. The pledge agreement should allow you to replace collateral in the event such a downgrade in ratings occurs.

While establishing collateral and having it properly secured has made your investment more secure, it does not come without a cost. Consider there are legal costs on both sides of these transactions as well as custody and segregation of assets costs to the financial institution. The end result is a secure investment with the potential for a substantially lower returns due to these additional costs.

Other investments exist that are built with supporting assets that may or may not be identified as “collateralized” investments. These investments draw support from assets other than the issuing entity itself. For example, Asset Backed Commercial Paper (ABCP) is supported by assets specifically identified for the issued security. These assets are not necessarily direct assets of the issuer. In many instances these assets are made up of debt that has substantially lower ratings than the issuing entity.

The most widely publicized of these assets are sub-prime mortgages. Thus when an investor purchased ABCP, the name of the issuing entity could have led to the belief that the issuer was supporting the investment. In reality, the supporting asset may have been a pool of sub-prime mortgages. When the sub-prime mortgage market crashed, these pools lost a tremendous amount of value and their ability to support the security issued simply was non-existent or very limited.

The issuing corporation did step in and offer support to these investment vehicles in a number of instances. In many others, losses occurred. Had the investors been experts in evaluating underlying assets, they may have never purchased these securities, or their ongoing credit analyses may have identified the problems before the value was lost. But what business manager has the time and expertise to conduct these analyses?

One of the most effective ways to deal with today’s difficult investment environment is to identify investments with a historic track record of successfully negotiating through difficult financial times. Another approach is to identify an Investment Advisor who is experienced in investing public funds and who also has a history of success in trying times.

Just as importantly, don’t forget what we are going through today when the economy turns around. When times are good it becomes easy to trust the markets to take care of the risks inherent in investing. Our responsibility to exercise good judgment in investment decisions transcends today’s economic difficulties. Understanding your investment options and having confidence in your investment choices will allow you to sleep well each and every night, knowing your investments are appropriate.

This article was written with the assistance of Mark Guastella, Senior Managing Consultant, PFM Asset Management LLC.

Get Your Nominations In for MSBO Meridian Awards!

Admin — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 08:00:00 -0600

Nominations due December 31, 2008:

2009 MSBO Meridian Award of Excellence
Mark and Kay Stebbins
Wally Piper Scholarships
MSBO Distinguished Service Award.

The MSBO Meridian Award of Excellence is a special recognition award acknowledging successful practices or publications in all areas of school management and education. Two $1,500 scholarships will also be offered to active members. The Piper and Stebbins Scholarship program encourages and recognizes individuals currently employed in school business who are improving their technical skills and competencies by pursuing a degree.

Another deadline fast approaching is the MSBO School Business Official of the Year Award deadline, which is January 31, 2009.

Entries for all awards must be mailed to:

MSBO, 1001 Centennial Way, Suite 200,
Lansing, MI 48917

For nomination forms, download the 2009 MSBO Awards Booklet.

Version 2009 of Dynamic Budget Projections is available just in time for your new budget and negotiation season!

Admin — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 07:00:00 -0600

Annual Maintenance and Support – Version 2009  One of MSBO’s commitments is to maintain, support and upgrade the program from year to year. When a district purchases the Annual Maintenance and Support, they receive the update to the software (Version 2009), updated documentation that explains the changes, and software support. This update includes:

The state formulas have been updated for the 2008-09 State Aid Act, including the new formula calculations and new property tax calculation
labels and foundation factors have been updated
taxes sheet changes to incorporate commercial PP TAV and commercial PP millage rates
taxable value descriptions changed to conform to state changes
the State Aid Status Report format changed to incorporate changes made by the MDE

Last year’s 2008 update also included:

prior fiscal year foundation field added – needed to calculate current year foundation allowance
retirement factors updated by fiscal year
retirement and FICA adjustment section added – adjustment needed when salaries are contracted services
automatic axis equalization button added to the snapshot graph
print menu updated with print foundation calculations worksheet

The 2009 Annual Maintenance and Support is $110. A discounted rate of $90 is available (if all districts that purchased the DBP program in an ISD also choose to purchase the Annual Maintenance and Support). A CD will be mailed to you upon receipt of your payment.

Register for MSBO Dynamic Budget Projections Program Training today!

Admin — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 06:00:00 -0600

January 29, 2009 • 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Clinton County RESA • 1013 South US 27 • St. Johns • 48879

MSBO’s 2009 Version of Dynamic Budget Projections software training is designed for first time users or for those who want a refresher.

Dynamic Budget Projections Training uses the 2009 Version
This training will use the updated K-12 Version 2009. If you haven't ordered your 2009 upgrade, we recommend you do this if you plan to attend this training. If you want training but do not want the upgrade, please call MSBO to discuss your options. Support for the prior version has expired and that version is no longer being supported.

For the first time purchaser: Training is required prior to receiving the basic software. The training for one individual from your district is included in the purchase price of the software and is noted as a "complimentary seat." If you wish to send more than one person, each additional person will be charged $75 and is noted as an "additional seat."

For those wanting a refresher: Training is not required to receive the Version 2009 upgrade (as long as you received prior training). If you'd like a refresher or want to learn about the enhancements in a computer lab setting, you should attend and you will be charged $75 (register online as an "additional seat").

It's the only Dynamic Budget training until the MSBO Annual Conference
The only other planned K-12 Version training is scheduled for the afternoon of Tuesday, April 28 in Detroit (just prior to the start of the Annual Conference). Remember, if you are a first time purchaser, you will want to sign up for the January 29, 2009 training date.

Registration Information:
Register online. If you have misplaced your Online Registration login and/or password, contact MSBO at 517/327-5920. SB-CEU’s are not available for training.

Get more information about Dynamic Budget Projections Software or download order forms and training materials online.

Limited Seating:
There are limited seats available for this training, so register as soon as you can. If you wish to register and the class is full, please contact us for more information.

Questions:
Contact Pat Korloch or Bob Dwan at 517-327-5920.

Make MSBO’s Financial Strategies Conference Your Top Priority in 2009!

Admin — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 05:00:00 -0600

January 21-22, 2009 • Kellogg Center, East Lansing
Agenda: 9 am to 4 pm each day

Get the latest information on the economy, the budget, state aid and advice on improving your leadership skills at the MSBO Financial Strategies Conference. This conference will help you and your district prepare for the upcoming budget and labor negotiation processes. Learn how to be a better leader for your business office and district. You can’t afford not to attend!

The special room rate for overnight accommodations at the East Lansing Marriott is available until Jan. 7, 2009. The Kellogg Center is sold out.

Lodging Information: Overnight accommodations are NOT included in the registration fee. A block of additional rooms is reserved at the East Lansing Marriott until January 7. Make your overnight accommodations directly with the East Lansing Marriott at 517.337.4440 in order to receive the conference rate. Conference rates are: $107 single/double. Identify MSBO as the group you are with to receive the special rates.

MSBO Financial Strategies Conference gives you information about:

Health Insurance – We’ll have multiple sessions to help you deal with changes in the health insurance. We’ll hear directly from MESSA on the new way they will be rating schools for health insurance premiums.

Find out how health insurance bidding is going, what’s happening with claims data and once you get your data, how will you need to use it to control your health insurance costs.

Learn how some districts have saved significant dollars by completing Employee Dependent Audits for their health care plan.

Economic Outlook, State Aid Revenue and the State Budget – Get a look at our Economic Future from the Executive Director of the House Fiscal Agency who will give us an analysis of our state and federal economic climate. Information from the January Revenue Consensus Conference will be hot off the presses. You'll receive the status of school finances and find out the latest per pupil funding estimate as you prepare for budgets and negotiations.

Negotiation Strategies – Find out which negotiation strategies might be appropriate this year as well as what strategies you might see from across the table. This update will be very timely as the negotiation season approaches and your district needs to start developing your own strategy.

Retirement Update – The Director of ORS will share how the latest financial events have affected the retirement system assets and how they might affect our rate next year. The latest board decisions related to allowable compensation will also be discussed. Might we also get a feel for what next year’s rate will be?

Tough Choices, Tough Times – Be challenged by a national speaker who will discuss a provocative proposal to radically restructure our educational system and how we educate kids. Can we think outside the box in order to maximize resources at the classroom level?

Improving Your Leadership – We all can use help being better leaders, no matter how good a leader we might be. It’s important to take time to make sure leadership is not forgotten in the school business community.

Hear from none other than our own Tom White on Leadership and Life’s Lessons – Tom will share thoughts from years of dealing with people and issues in the education arena.

Ethical leadership is something we seem to take for granted these days. This session will help you ensure that ethics is an important ingredient in how we lead our districts.

Are you providing leadership for your district by planning for changes in staffing – are you helping the transition and succession of strategic positions in your district? Learn some practical ways to help your school deal with changes in personnel in a proactive way.

Cost Recovery for Building Use – Is your building use from outside groups on the rise? Have your charges for use changed in recent years? How do you calculate your costs? This session will explore ways to assist you in assessing your true cost and give details on the magnitude of potential funds to be recovered.

Legislative Update – What are they doing now? What's next?

SB-CEU Information: Those who attend the entire conference (both days) will earn 1.1 SB-CEUs.

Registration Information: Register online or download the registration form and fax it to: 517.327.0768 or mail it to: 1001 Centennial Way, Suite 200, Lansing, MI 48917.

Fees: $235 MSBO members • $290 Non members

Questions: Contact Bob Dwan at 517.327.5924 or David Martell at 517.327.2581.

71st MSBO Annual Conference Early Bird Registration Available Through January 16, 2009

Admin — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 04:00:00 -0600

“Give a Little Bit” is the theme for MSBO’s 2009 Conference. We’re asking that you give a little bit of your time to get a great deal of useful information to help you and your district deal with the challenges you face. Education for children matters, and so does education for school business professionals.

If you register and pay by Friday, January 16, 2009 you will receive an Early-Bird discount. Regular registration will be $275, but early bird registration is $240.

This is a low risk proposition: You can cancel your registration at any time up to two weeks prior to the Conference and pay only a $25 processing fee.

While the Conference program is not finalized, we are planning to have the same quality and depth of programs we’ve had in the past. We’re planning more clinics than we’ve ever had. If you do the Early Bird registration, you’ll need to select specific clinics at a later date (January or early February 2009) when we have finalized the agenda. You’ll receive an e-mail notice when that’s all ready. Please note that you may register now for any Pre-Conferences you plan on attending; however, certification class registration will come later.

Conference Registration Scholarships Available
The MSBO Board has authorized scholarships for MSBO members granted through a scholarship application. SET SEG has agreed to continue making a generous contribution for partial support of these scholarships. This scholarship covers the cost of your registration for the 2009 Annual Conference. This year you must complete a separate application and fax it with your registration form to 517.327.0768 by January 16, 2009 for consideration.

The scholarships are focused on members in one of three areas:

members who have not attended the Annual Conference in the past;
members who are within their first 3 years of employment in a school district; or
members who have attended in the past but would not be able to attend in 2009 without the scholarship assistance.

Since funds are limited, we ask that if your district can afford the registration fee, please do not apply for a scholarship. But we know that many of you will need the registration scholarships in order to attend; please do not hesitate to apply. We do have a policy of one scholarship per school district so please coordinate with others from your district who may wish to attend.

The scholarship covers the cost of registration for the full conference or a one-day registration. Scholarships do not include the Pre-Conferences or certification classes offered before the Conference. Recipients are responsible for their own transportation and lodging. Rooms at the Marriott are $129 a night. Most of your meals are covered through registration. MSBO will notify you regarding the status of your scholarship application approximately one week after it is received.

Transportation
MSBO will have shuttles to and from the headquarter hotel, the Marriott Renaissance Detroit, to the Cobo Center. Also, the People Mover has a stop at both facilities. A People Mover Pass will be included with your registration materials.

MSBO is working with the regional groups to potentially offer car pooling and shuttling to down town. Call your MBSO regional group President to ask what is happening in your area.

To Register
For the Early Bird registrants: fill out the registration form or register online.

For Scholarship registrants: if you are applying for a scholarship you cannot register online. You must fax the scholarship application and registration form together to 517.327.0768.

If you have questions about registration procedures, contact Marte Cadwell at 517.327.5920.

Are you an optimist or pessimist?...Rob Burgess

Admin — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 11:00:00 -0600

Having been in the U.S. Navy, I learned numerous pithy sayings. Have you ever seen a group of sailors coming into port, having been out at sea with months and months of paychecks in their pockets? I once witnessed the carrier Midway with its several thousand sailors enter port in Yokosuka, Japan after having been out to sea for something like six months. You will have to trust me when I say I have witnessed first hand why they call it, “spending like a drunken sailor.”

This morning as I drove to my weekly Optimists Club breakfast meeting, the sky was a brilliant red over the high school. It reminded me of another Navy saying, “Red at night, sailors’ delight. Red in the morning, sailors take warning.”

There is wisdom in that old saying. Back in the days before weathermen had satellites and radar, sailors paid close attention to the skies. Ask anyone who has been a Boatswain’s mate; the redness at sunset is a fairly accurate predictor of calm seas over night. The red morning skies may forecast a stormy day ahead.

Are you an optimist or a pessimist?

Recently, I was on the phone with one of my district’s attorneys. I had drafted an agreement, which I hoped would help resolve a sticky personnel matter and I was asking our attorney to review it. Over the years, I have grown to appreciate the humor and professionalism of this counsel. He has on more than one occasion provided me with sage advice. In this situation, our conversation went something like this:

“You know Rob, I have been told that the best attorneys are those who are depressed.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, the best attorneys are those who are always thinking of the worst thing that could happen to their clients. Then they draft long and exhausting documents that address just about any possible bad thing that could happen under the sun.”

“Ha, ha!”

“In this case, your letter should work fine for 99 percent of the cases. There is always a risk, but it would appear to be quite small in this situation.”

As we enter the budget preparation season for 2009-10 with adjustments possible for 2008-09, how many of you are going to take the approach of being “depressed” and taking into account every possible thing that could go wrong? Every year starting about this time, you hear about neighboring districts, which are predicting huge deficits for the upcoming year. There are times when I have been one of those prognosticators. On the other hand, there are times when my colleagues in surrounding districts are predicting million dollar deficits and I wonder why mine isn’t that big. It is all in the assumptions.

As chief financial officers for our districts, we often walk a fine line between being conservative and prudent with the budget, which is our job, and being downright depressed. If your district has a healthy fund balance, say 20 percent or more of your annual expenditures, you may be able to afford to be a little less conservative in your budgeting. If your fund balance is less than 5 percent of your annual expenditures, you probably should be more cautious in your assumptions. If your fund balance is close to zero or “below decks,” remember the adage “red in the morning, (don’t spend like a drunken sailor) take warning!”

As I write this, today is Veteran’s Day. Kudos to those of you or your loved ones who have served our country, especially those who served during wartime and in combat zones. (I did not.)

Tomorrow is another memorable anniversary. At the Mariner's Church of Detroit in downtown Detroit, there will be a ringing of the bells 29 times in memory of the sailors who lost their lives on the Edmund Fitzgerald and also for the lost lives of sailors from many other vessels who died in storms on the Great Lakes. In case, you have not seen it, the Mariner's Church is located on the Detroit River front not far from Cobo Center, the site of our annual conference this year.

The walkway that goes along the Detroit River from Cobo Center down past the Renaissance Center is a lovely stroll. Recently, during the MSBO Leadership Conference meetings, I witnessed hundreds if not thousands of downtown workers enjoying the scenery of Michigan’s Ambassador Bridge with Canada, the freighters and fishermen’s craft on the river, downtown Windsor, Ontario just across the way, and downtown Detroit’s skyline. The one word that I can think of to describe it is “charming.” I hope the weather at this year’s MSBO conference in late April will cooperate and we all get the chance to experience this short walk along the waterfront.

Are you an optimist or pessimist? Well, here’s my lyrical answer for this month from multiple Nobel Prize nominee Bono and U2:

“It's a beautiful day
Sky falls, you feel like
It's a beautiful day
Don't let it get away...”

P.S. Don’t forget the celebration of Tom White’s leadership for MSBO will take place on Thursday, December 4 at the Kellogg Center in East Lansing. Contact MSBO offices to RSVP.

The Power of "Thank You"...Tom White

Admin — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 10:00:00 -0600

Do you understand the power of, “thank you?” I mean an honestly given expression of appreciation. As I close out my career at MSBO, I often reflect on how many people I feel gratitude towards.

We recently held MSBO’s Leadership Conference in Detroit. We hold this meeting annually to plan our Annual Conference (April 28-30, 2009 in Detroit!) and to say thank you to the people who serve in volunteer leadership roles for MSBO. I’m paid for what I do, but these people serve their professional community for free, or even at a personal and professional cost.

Who are they? They are the chairs of MSBO’s Administrative and Program and Research Committees, Regional Presidents, and our Board of Directors. They give their time for you and for the benefit of MSBO. I want to say thank you to all of them.

Look at the 2009 MSBO Directory and find who these people are. They come from all aspects of school business professions – financial and business, facilities, food service, transportation, technology, purchasing, and more. They are geographically spread across the state and represent large and small schools. They provide leadership and input that makes MSBO the organization it is today! Please take the time to look at the names and districts of these volunteers and say thanks.

Much of MSBO’s success is directly related to the quality and dedication of our members. I can tell you from my experience working in four different associations in my career; MSBO members are a cut above. Our members share with one another, help each other and learn from one another. I’ve had several people comment on this to me over the years. Our members have a special esprit that just doesn’t exist everywhere. Maintaining the esprit and the cooperative culture of MSBO members can be the difference between success and failure for us individually and collectively.

Thanks to all of you who don’t just do your own jobs, but help others in your district, or in other districts to be successful. Now think about the other people around you who dig in and work hard every day, often in the face of declining resources and staff. Pick out one person a week in your office or around your district, and tell them, “thank you” for all they’ve done for you or the students of your district. Write them a special note or e-mail to express your feelings. Chances are you will make someone’s day.