The CCBE Board of Directors held its annual planning retreat July 30–Aug. 1 at the Embassy Suites in Sacramento, wearing masks and in person for the first time in a year and a half.

Meeting facilitator Lauren Ball began the retreat on a positive note, asking everyone to introduce themselves and share something good they experienced because of the pandemic. Board members also shared their personal expectations for the meeting’s outcomes.

During the course of the weekend, the Board of Directors analyzed the past year’s accomplishments and discussed ideas for strengthening the organization, improving communication with its members, and empowering county board of education trustees in their roles as leaders. At the forefront of the Board of Directors’ goals and accomplishments are more in-depth training for CCBE members on how to improve their desired skills, implementation of the new CCBE Computer Science program, and the excitement building for the Annual Conference.

CCBE President Rick Shea of the San Diego COE said a large part of the organization’s success is the ability of board members from across the state to work together. “The highlight is the ability of all of us to get together and learn from the energy and enthusiasm for the work we do, and the willingness to respond to and meet any challenge brought to us in the service of our individual and collective county boards,” Shea said. “The camaraderie was evident from the moment we got together on Friday for the big picture overview until the final group exercise we conducted on Sunday.”

The biggest takeaways were stories of accomplishments shared with the group and a shared optimism about working with all CCBE stakeholders including CSBA and the California County Superintendents Educational Services Association. Also discussed in depth were future plans for leadership opportunities, legislative advocacy, program development and fiduciary responsibility.

CCBE President-elect Joe Ross, of the San Mateo COE, said the meeting gave him clear direction. “The way CCBE works is our Board of Directors sets the course, and our executive committee, the president and other officers, takes action in response. At our retreat, the course the board set was abundantly clear: It’s time for CCBE as an organization, and for county board trustees as individual leaders, to be empowered,” he said. “We must take responsibility for addressing the challenges we face. In short, we cannot abdicate. To that end, CCBE in 2022 will prioritize training our members to ensure we all understand the statutory authority and responsibilities of county board members. We will also maintain our presence in Sacramento so that the voice of CCBE remains heard by policymakers. We need every county board member to get involved in our statewide efforts. There’s a lot of work to do.”