Author: Beth Strike

The remodeling of the Cedar Falls Conference Center is now complete and staff have been settling into their new space. An open house is being held on Wednesday, December 16th, from 11:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. Please stop in to take a look at the new areas while you are here for the holiday potluck. 

While this had the most direct impact on people in the Cedar Falls office, everyone was touched in some way by the remodeling. Thank you all for your patience, understanding and good humor through the process!

Interested in seeing the final product? Check out this gallery of photos!

The AEA 267 Board of Directors met Wednesday, December 9, 2015 at 5:30 pm at 4128 Wynnewood Drive, Cedar Falls. Immediately following the regular board meeting, the AEA 267 Foundation meeting was held.

The agenda for the December meeting can be found on the agency website under About Us>Board of Directors>Board Meetings & Agendas. Official minutes will be posted the following month after board approval.

While we hope many of you have been able to personally meet some of the new staff at AEA 267 this year, we know it’s not always possible. So we have the next  best thing-check out the agency Facebook page and learn a little about the newest members of our team.

This past month, we featured the following staff members:

• Dustin Reece, joined us as a school psychologist. He earned his degrees from Bethany Lutheran College, Minnesota State University in Mankato, and the University Of Northern Iowa. Dustin and his wife have three children and when he is not spending time with family, Dustin enjoys golfing and following Minnesota sport teams.

• Taylor Baumgartner serves as an assessment intern and earned her degree from Wartburg College. She is currently attending the University of Northern Iowa. In her free time, Taylor enjoys triathlon training, reading, and traveling.

• Marie Butenhoff is serving as one of the special education support staff working in the Marshalltown office. Her background is in healthcare and she told us she is excited for the new challenge working in education brings. Marie spends her free time, baking, gardening, and traveling to visit her grandchildren.

• Briana Backer is one of our newest speech-language pathologists and earned her degrees from Hawkeye Community College and UNI. Prior to joining AEA 267, she worked over ten years in the medical field. Briana and her husband have three children and in her free time, she enjoys baking and being with her family.

• Amy Sehi is also serving as a speech-language pathologist and received her degrees from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Amy previously worked for school districts in Nebraska and North Carolina before joining AEA 267. When she and her husband are not attending their three children’s activities, Amy enjoys tennis and traveling.

• Melissa Blohm, Consultant for Reading and Language Arts, received her degree from UNI and previously worked in both Grundy Center and Waterloo CSD. Along with her husband, Melissa has two young children, and enjoys reading, shopping, cooking, and golfing.

• Holli Counsell, Early Childhood Special Educator, earned her degree from UNI and prior to joining AEA 267, worked as a preschool teacher and respite provider. Holli and her husband have one child and in her free time, loves just spending time with her family.

Please join us in welcoming our newest team members! #MTM

Did your schedule keep you from catching one of Chief Administrator Sam Miller’s presentations on his recent Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities & Threats (SWOT) analysis? No problem! Watch this short and informative video that summarizes what he learned.

https://youtu.be/gXgxptsJPK0

Dennis Craun, Jr., Director District 9, represents East Buchanan, Independence, Jesup, and Waterloo school districts.

Dennis has been employed by Diedrich & Associates Inc. since 1999 and is currently their systems administrator. After serving six years in the United States Marine Corp, he attended both Hawkeye Community College and Hamilton College and earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Manufacturing Technology.

Dennis and his wife, Pam, have two teenagers, both of whom attend East High School in Waterloo. As a parent of two children, Dennis told us he has a deep appreciation for the services AEAs provide to impact student learning. He plans to bring his sense of fairness, a respect for diversity, and his belief that a quality education is the right of every student to his new role at AEA 267.

Maureen Hanson, Director District 6, represents the school districts of: Brooklyn-Guernsey-Malcom (BGM), Gladbrook-Reinbeck, Grinnell-Newburg, Hudson, Montezuma, North Tama County, South Tama County, and Union.

Maureen is currently employed with the John Deere Product Engineering Center in Cedar Falls and received a Bachelor of Science degree in Industrial Engineering from the University of Wisconsin-Platteville. She and her husband, Leonard have three adult daughters and two grandchildren whom they love spending time with. Maureen enjoys running and has completed seven marathons – most recently, the Green Bay Marathon this past May.

With 22 years of experience on the Hudson Community School District Board of Directors, Maureen has developed a deep appreciation for the vital role AEAs play in educating students. She hopes to use her experience to help strengthen ties between AEA 267 and local school boards, as well as support staff in making a positive difference for students.

Please join us in welcoming Maureen and Dennis to AEA 267’s Board of Directors!

Have you checked out all the resources the agency staff website offers? A new resource for staff members, “Who Do I Ask”  is located under “Get to Know Your Agency” on the staff website (use your email login and password to gain access.). Here you will find answers to many of your questions along with a contact person or link to the corresponding webpage. While many questions can be answered by your supervisor or sector secretary, this is a great tool to help staff know where to locate information quickly.

November is upon us and that means the possibility for agency closures and professional learning cancellations. Please be sure that you take time to thoroughly review the information on the inclement weather page of our staff website. (Use your email login and password to gain access.) This page provides all of the details you will need to learn about cancellations and office closures as well as updated procedures and answers to your most frequently asked questions about weather-related travel. If you have questions after reviewing this information, please visit with your supervisor. Stay safe and please exercise good personal judgement at all times!

Cari Teske, AEA 267 Integrated Learning Specialist, will be hosting several sessions to improve your skills and confidence in using Google. “Let’s Get Started with Google Apps for Education!”, is a three-hour course for AEA 267 staff only. During the workshop, participants will be creating and organizing files in Google Drive and working through a Google Doc. Time will be available to work independently and asking questions is encouraged!

Register online for course #15360, through the My267 website.

Date	Time	Location	Room
11/10/15	9 a.m. – 12 p.m.	Clear Lake	Room C
11/11/15	9 a.m. – 12 p.m.	Cedar Falls	Ed Services Conf (2nd Floor)
11/12/15	9 a.m. – 12 p.m.	Marshalltown	Room G
11/23/15	9 a.m. – 12 p.m.	Clear Lake	Room C
12/8/15	9 a.m. – 12 p.m.	Cedar Falls	Special Ed Building Rm 1
12/10/15	1 p.m. – 4 p.m.	Marshalltown	Room A

If you are unable to attend any of these sessions, additional training may be scheduled at your convenience; contact Cari Teske to set up a time. Look for additional dates and trainings coming up in the future!