On Tuesday, April 24, 2018, the Berks County Intermediate Unit held its 48th Annual Convention of Berks County School Directors to formally elect its Board of Directors. Over 225 Berks County school board members and administrators attended the event, which was hosted by the Reading Muhlenberg Career and Technology Center (RMCTC).
The Convention is held each year to approve the nominations of BCIU Board representatives whose terms are to be renewed or begin July 1, and to hear a noteworthy speaker of interest to all groups. Traditionally, schools take turns hosting the event, giving participants the opportunity to network and learn about innovative educational initiatives or newly renovated buildings in the county.
The RMCTC team took care of the myriad of details to plan a successful evening. Staff and teachers from the RMCTC were involved throughout the event, greeting participants, acting as tour guides, and assisting students who prepared and served a delicious dinner. Senior Jordan Corley did an exceptional job in his role of Master of Ceremony, keeping the program on target.
During the business meeting, the following slate of BCIU representatives was approved:
THREE-YEAR TERM ENDING JUNE 30, 2021:
Elizabeth S. Huhn | Brandywine Heights Area SD
James D. Ulrich | Governor Mifflin SD
Brian R. Specht | Hamburg Area SD
Carl H. Ziegler | Kutztown Area SD
Gary R. McEwen | Twin Valley SD
Dr. Amy Kennedy | Wilson SD
TWO-YEAR TERM ENDING JUNE 30, 2020:
Dr. David Hemberger | Exeter Township SD
Terrie Taylor, LSW | Wyomissing Area SD
ONE-YEAR TERM ENDING JUNE 30, 2019:
Bill Carl | Conrad Weiser Area SD
Randall R. Madara | Muhlenberg SD
Daniel Steinhauer | Tulpehocken Area SD
In addition, the following retired school directors with 15 years or more of service were recognized for their dedication and commitment to Berks County schools:
Dr. David Bender | Exeter Township SD | 34 Years
Russell Diesinger | Exeter Township SD | 16 Years
Carole Kutscher | Exeter Township SD | 21 Years
Robert Quinter, Jr. | Exeter Township SD | 16 Years
Jason Hopp | Wilson SD | 16 Years
After the business meeting, Secretary of Education Pedro Rivera delivered a focused message, highlighting the innovative work being done by the Berks County education community and our business partners to chart the course for college and career readiness for our students. He thanked the group for their investment and efforts, and voiced the support of the PDE to support programs to ready our students for careers. To open his keynote presentation, Secretary Rivera shared a video of thanks to educators from PDE entitled, “Every 11 Seconds, An Education Appreciation Video,” which can be accessed at the following links: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0fXTuJ33Kwg https://youtu.be/0fXTuJ33Kwg
The “Building Pathways Between School and Work” video, produced and prepared by Jim Del Conte and his students at the Berks Career & Technology Center, was also launched during the evening (https://vimeo.com/263343902). The video highlighted the partnerships and collaboration between Berks County businesses and educators to create a countywide career pathways model and build a blueprint to drive success for our schools and students. Special thanks to our sponsors for making the event available to participants at no cost:
Gold Sponsor – Tompkins VIST Bank; Dual Sponsorship | Silver and Bronze Sponsor – Fox Rothschild, LLP; Silver Sponsors – CM Regent Insurance Company; Bronze Sponsors – Clover Farms, Muhlenberg Greene Architects, Ltd., and Provident Energy Consulting; and Donations – Sysco of Central PA.
Our gratitude to the RMCTC team, the Joint School Committee, Superintendents of Record Dr. Khalid Mumin and Dr. Joseph Macharola, and all the RMCTC administrators, staff, and students for their hospitality, time, and efforts in their planning and coordination to make the Convention successful!