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CONGRATULATIONS, MILLIE DAVIS!
The new year brings new possibilities for Millie Davis, NCTE’s Senior Developer for Affiliates and the Director of the NCTE Center for Intellectual Freedom. On February 2, Millie will retire after more than 28 years with NCTE.
At the recent Affiliate Breakfast in St. Louis, a portion of the program was devoted to a presentation honoring Millie and her service to NCTE. Current and former colleagues shared their thoughts about working with Millie, celebrating what NCTE Past President Doug Hesse describes as her “wisdom, humor, historical perspective, and general good sense” in meeting challenges and solving problems.
“Millie Davis is a teacher’s teacher, an amazing mentor to all of us who have worked with affiliates through the years,” writes SCOA Chair Jean Boreen. “Her knowledge of best practices for affiliates regarding everything from membership to governance structures to leadership development have influenced the lives of most affiliates over her stellar career.”
As she prepares for retirement, Millie has this to say about affiliates and the important role they play in our profession:
“I found my professional home in an affiliate some 35+ years ago. The Virginia Association of Teachers of English became what I referred to as my ‘plug-in.’ VATE was the place that, with others, I remembered why I taught, why I wanted to keep teaching, and how. In VATE, I shared lessons that worked out and got advice on those that didn’t. There I found opportunities to interact with others in work outside my classroom teaching: to analyze state edicts and prepare responses to them, to write, meet, and speak, to plan conferences.
“How fortunate am I to have vicariously enjoyed these very same professional pleasures and more these last 28+ years at NCTE in my work with affiliates. That affiliate work is special professional work I knew when I came, but over the years, I’ve had the exquisite pleasure of learning with you the panorama of possibilities this work entails.”
What are Millie’s post-retirement plans? “First, I’m going to just sit down,” laughed Millie when asked that question, “and then explore options for the future.”
SCOA extends best wishes to Millie as she begins this wonderful new chapter in her life. |
