Swaim Announces Retirement from NMSA
At the June 2006 National Middle School Association Board of Trustees meeting, Executive Director Sue Swaim announced her upcoming retirement, effective as of June 30, 2007. Swaim has served as the executive director of the organization since 1993.
"My time as NMSA's executive director has been a truly amazing experience, and I am grateful for the opportunity to work and grow with such a dedicated group of people. During the last 13 years, NMSA has gone through its own young adolescent stage of development to become a strong, vibrant professional service organization focused on helping middle level educators, parents, policymakers, and others committed to the education and well-being of young adolescents.
"Without a doubt, I will miss the daily opportunities to work on behalf of middle level educators. Although this decision has not been easy, the time is right for my husband, John, and me to enter our next phase of "growing up." We look forward to spending more time with family and friends, moving to our home in Maine, and finding new ways to continue to be active middle level advocates.
"I'm looking forward to the upcoming year and the exciting things happening at NMSA. Continuing work around the recent release of Success in the Middle: A Policymaker's Guide to Achieving Quality Middle Level Education will be a key focus for me along with other initiatives such as our annual conference, Middle Level Leadership Institute, and NMSA's School Improvement Toolkit. I'm sure the 12 months will go quickly, but I'm going to savor every minute of it as my term as executive director draws to a close."
Patti Kinney, NMSA president, states, "Sue Swaim's leadership has been such an integral part of NMSA that it is difficult to imagine the organization without her. While the board is saddened by the news of her pending departure, we wish her well and hope that she and John enjoy a richly deserved retirement.
"Sue is such a well respected and highly regarded educator that her daily presence in the education community will definitely be missed. Anyone who has spent more than five minutes in her company has discovered that she is a passionate advocate for young adolescents. Her vision, leadership, and hard work have truly made a difference in the area of middle level education, and our hope is that she will continue to stay active in the field so that both young adolescents and those who serve them can benefit from her wisdom and insights for many years to come," Kinney said.
"Sue has helped build NMSA into a healthy, strong organization, and the board of trustees is committed to move our work forward as we conduct a search for her successor. We are appreciative that Sue has given us the gift of time to find her replacement, allowing the board to finalize the search process plan at its upcoming meeting in September. The plan will be shared with our members and affiliate organizations shortly thereafter," Kinney explained. In the meantime, those with questions or comments may contact NMSA via e-mail at NMSABoard@aol.com.