In March, several IBEA members attended the NBEA convention in San Antonio. Our numbers would have been larger, but some of our members were unable to attend due to flight cancellations. Some of those who did make it enjoyed a overnight stay at the Dallas-Fort Worth airport on the way down!

For those who were able to attend, it was a great week of interesting and informative sessions, including a presentation on reading skills in the business education classroom presented by IBEA member Sharon Keehner. Congratulations, Sharon, on a job well done!

If you have never attended an NBEA convention, consider attending in 2009. It is a very worthwhile professional development opportunity. And in 2009, it’s close to home. The convention will be held at the Marriott in downtown Chicago April 8-11. More information will be available as the convention gets closer at the NBEA website—www.nbea.org. Now is the time to put this in your budget for next year.

Speaking of conventions...Sandy Warning and her planning committee are hard at work planning next years’ IBEA convention. The theme is "It’s a Jungle Out There—Let IBEA Be Your Guide." A tentative schedule is available here on the IBEA web site and will be updated as convention time draws near. At the convention you will be able to network and learn about issues and trends that affect us as business educators. In addition, you’ll also be able to visit with exhibitors representing the major textbook publishers as well as many other businesses related to business education. Mark your calendar to attend this valuable professional development experience October 10 and 11, 2008 at the Holiday Inn Airport in Des Moines. The registration form and hotel reservation form can be found on the home page.

If you’re looking for professional development opportunities over the summer, check the IBEA website for information on summer workshops. IBEA and the Iowa Department of Education program management committee have worked hard this school year to provide a wide variety of experiences. In addition to the useful information you’ll be able to learn to take back to your school in the fall, you’ll also have an opportunity to earn graduate credit at these popular workshops.

Finally, I’d like to offer congratulations to two former IBEA members, Kelli Diemer and Pat Thieben who are now employed by the Iowa Department of Education. Kelli took over Colleen Hunt’s position when Colleen took another position in the department. Pat took a position as a consultant. Congratulations to Kelli and Pat on their new positions!