On a warm weekend in July, CCBE’s Board of Directors converged on the historic Dolce Hayes Mansion in San Jose for an exciting, productive and, at times, very moving annual strategic planning retreat. Each year, our board, which consists of CCBE’s six Executive Committee members, 20 Regional Directors from across the state and county board members who sit on CSBA’s Board of Directors, meets to set goals and objectives for the year ahead.

This year, the group dug deep into past successes, as well as areas with potential for organizational improvement. Starting with lots of blank white paper, we became surrounded by ever-increasing, colorful lists of our motivations, ideas and priorities. Aided by a very skilled facilitator, Lauren Ball, and our always-outstanding program manager, Charlyn Tuter, we (1) reviewed and updated our goals, (2) set out tasks to advance those goals, (3) assigned those tasks and (4) set deadlines for accomplishing this work.

As in years past, continuity was important, but the infusion of new perspectives and experiences added to the richness of our discussions, and, ultimately, to quality of the results. While adding some new concepts, we determined to carry on with work on our most significant continuing objectives, such as increased communications with our members and with our local communities.

Another ongoing objective that has been critically important for some time, and that has received increased attention this year, is our goal to strengthen relationships within CSBA.

We start with the foundation that CCBE members are interwoven into the fabric of CSBA in many ways. First, of course, all CCBE members are required to be CSBA members. (This year we have 100 percent participation from county boards across the state.) Next, our 20 CCBE Regional Directors play an important dual role in the organization — they, along with our Immediate Past President, sit on the CSBA Delegate Assembly. In addition, as CCBE President, I sit on the CSBA Board of Directors, as does our Director-at-Large, County member, Heidi Weiland, who, as it happens, was CSBA’s 2018 Annual Conference Committee Chair.

While we have always been present, we recognize the importance of being more connected and of helping all CSBA members better understand our roles in CSBA and in the education community as a whole.

This is one of the reasons we have been so excited about our space in this California School News publication. In the year ahead, we will continue to spotlight unique and innovative county programs that bring services to students, educators and local districts.

We have also committed to increased collaboration with and participation in CSBA’s essential presence in California’s legislative arena. As one example, I was honored to speak on behalf of all of CSBA, including CCBE, at a recent Senate Education Committee hearing. Still, there could be no better example of the power of our collaboration than the work that the CSBA Legislative Committee, which now includes four county members, and CSBA staff have been able to do to advance our shared visions of well-funded schools and the good governance models needed to sustain them.

Even as CCBE’s strategic planning continues to evolve and adapt to changing circumstances, I can say with confidence that sustaining a strong relationship and presence within CSBA will remain a priority.