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WCSD Board of Trustees Elects New Officers
Reno, NV (Jan. 11, 2012) - The Washoe County School District Board of Trustees passed the gavel as members elected new officers at Tuesday's regular meeting. Trustee Ken Grein was unanimously voted as the Board's new president for 2012. Members elected Trustee John Mayer to the office of vice president and Trustee Estela Gutierrez to serve as the Board clerk.
Grein has been serving on the Board since January 2009 and served as vice president in 2011. Grein retired from WCSD in July 2008 after 32 years of experience as a teacher, elementary school principal, assistant superintendent of K-12 and superintendent of operations.
"As the new Board president, I am very excited to continue working with the superintendent and District staff. When we started down our reform pathway, we said we needed to make improvements immediately to put our students on a road to success for their future. The increases in the graduation rate and test scores show we are serious about this commitment, and we will continue to move forward with our reforms so that every single child graduates with the skills and knowledge to be successful in college and their careers," Grein said.
Superintendent Heath Morrison said he looks forward to working closely with Grein throughout the coming year. "Ken's impressive track record shows his commitment to education and how much he cares about this community and all of our children. His experience and leadership has assisted and led to substantive, positive reforms in WCSD. He has embraced every part of the community by reaching out to students, staff, and business and community leaders. We are fortunate to have him as an advocate for our schools and community."
New Board Vice President John Mayer has been a Trustee for one year. He is a lifelong resident of Nevada and retired from WCSD in 2000 after serving as a teacher, coach and principal. Prior to joining the Board, he served as a Sparks City Councilman for more than 17 years and represented the City of Sparks on the Regional Transportation Commission.
"I am really excited to work with such a high-performing Board as we continue to work toward the goals of the strategic plan," Mayer said.
New Board Clerk Estela Gutierrez has been a member of the Board for four years. She served as Board President in 2010 and currently works at Truckee Meadows Community College as the dean of student services.
Len Stevens, local business leader and executive director of The Chamber, praised the direction set by the WCSD Board and the District. "The Washoe County School District continues to amaze the business community with its continued improvement. Not only has it raised the graduation rate substantially during the last two years, WCSD has been an outstanding example for developing relationships with so many organizations in our community," Stevens said. "From Superintendent Heath Morrison to the school board and support staff, we have seen a transparency that is unparalleled in our community. Because of that, the Washoe County School District has received a strong support in so many areas. I applaud the Superintendent, the Board of Trustees, support staff, and the community for coming together to serve the needs of our youth. By continuing to work together with the Board, we will ensure the continued success that we, in our community, aspire to."
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About Washoe County School District: The Washoe County School District includes the Reno/Sparks metropolitan area, Incline Village, Gerlach, Empire and Wadsworth, Nevada. The District provides each of its 63,000 students with a superior education in a safe and challenging environment and is committed to graduate every child career and college ready.
For more information visit: www.washoecountyschools.org. Follow us on Twitter at WCSDTweet.
Washoe County School District
425 East Ninth Street
Reno, NV 89520
