Page 4 - The EDGE Spring 2022

A MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT

BY KARLA WALTER
Growing up AASBO

Karla Walter

Happy Spring!

It is hard to believe that we are already headed The term “AASBO Kid” is real. Believe me, there
to the end the school year and preparing for the are lots of them out there! This gave me the idea
next! As we start planning for the new school for this article – I know of at least two AASBO
year, I hope you all are thinking of taking some kids who are still involved in K-12 education.
well-deserved time off and also plan on “Racing I wanted to feature them and have them write
to Excellence” by attending our 69th Annual about their experiences “Growing up AASBO”
Conference & Exposition in July!! Conference and how AASBO influenced their personal and
Chair and President-Elect Dale Ponder and the professional lives.
conference committee are preparing an excellent
conference for all of you. The first AASBO kid I am featuring is Brian
Lockwood, who is a young principal at V.H.
As I started thinking about this, I reminisced Lassen Elementary School in the district I work
about the times I attended the annual AASBO for, Roosevelt Elementary. Brian is the son of
conferences early in my career. My children were Jim Lockwood, who was a very active member
small, and attending the conference became a of AASBO, was President of AASBO in 2003-
yearly family event that we all looked forward 2004 and worked for the Apache Junction Unified
to. This was a common theme with some of my School District for 26 years.
colleagues who also brought their kids to the
annual conference. The second AASBO kid is Ryan French, who is
the CFO at Littleton Elementary School District.
It’s no secret that as school business officials, our Many of you know that his father is Bill French,
careers are so demanding and time consuming who is retired but continues to be involved with
and we look for every opportunity to spend time AASBO. Bill was President of our organization
with our families – the annual conference was and in 1986-1987.
is a great opportunity to do so. Packing for the
conference was quite the ordeal as the kids almost I hope you enjoy!
brought “home” with them including gaming
and other electronic devices (you can imagine
the size of those 20 years ago), swimming gear
and supplies, board games, food, snacks, ice
chests, etc. At times, I felt my kids, along with
the other “AASBO kids”, enjoyed the conference
experience more than any of us!

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4 THE EDGE SPRING 2022