ISTE Board approves new Portland office location

The ISTE Board of Directors held its regularly scheduled March meeting in Portland, Oregon, March 11-12. The following is an update on some of the key decisions and events related to the meeting:

ISTE Portland office

As previously reported, more than a year ago (with the lease on the ISTE Eugene, Oregon, office set to expire in August 2016), ISTE engaged an outside firm to assist in determining whether ISTE should maintain its West Coast office in Eugene, or consider moving it to another West Coast location. With an eye on the long-term goals of the organization and a desire to enhance staff recruitment ability, the ISTE Board of Directors determined at its December 2015 meeting that Portland, Oregon, was the best match for the nonprofit and directed staff to seek office space there. 

During the March meeting, board members toured two potential office locations in Portland. These two spaces had been identified after a thorough review of multiple options in the city. After the visits, the board voted to authorize CEO Brian Lewis to finalize negotiations for a lease of one of the spaces. That process is now underway. 

Changes to ISTE board 

As previously reported to members, Matt Harris resigned as ISTE chair at the March meeting. Per the organization's bylaws, immediate past president Kecia Ray was installed as chair and Mila Thomas Fuller was named chair-elect. 

Ray will serve as chair until Dec. 31, 2016; Fuller will become chair Jan. 1, 2017.

In further action, Karen Swift, head of Business and Digital Technologies at James Nash SHS in Queensland, Australia, was appointed to the board. Swift was a candidate in the most recent ISTE board election. Swift will serve through December 2017.

Board member Johnson hosts reception

ISTE board member and treasurer Paige Johnson, education strategist at Intel Education, hosted a reception at her home in concert with the March board meeting. 

Attending the reception were members of the ISTE board, local and regional members of the the education community (including representatives from local school districts), representatives from ISTE affiliates in the region, ISTE Corporate Members and ISTE staff members. 

The event provided an outstanding opportunity for members of all of these groups to connect and discuss current ed tech issues.