The 34th Annual CEA Awards & Retirement Banquet was held on Friday, May 21. More than 350 guests attended the event held at The Westin Columbus. The event is a celebration held for members who have gone above and beyond the call of duty in Association work as well as those who are retiring.

Greg Goodlander was presented with a Distinguished Service Award for his four years on the CEA Board of Governors. He was the Governor of District 1 and the CEA Legislative Coordinator. Diana Welsh was also presented with a Distinguished Service Award, concluding her term on the Board of Governors. Diana has served as Middle School Governor-At-Large and is a member of the OEA Board of Directors.

The Outstanding Member award was presented to Dean Fowls. In addition to serving on the LPDC and countless interview teams, Dean has consistently been an enthusiastic supporter of every charitable campaign conducted by the Association. He is fondly known as "Teacher No. 1" for his popularity in Association delegate elections.

The Builder of the Association Award is presented to a member whose contributions have led to significant advancement and growth of the union. This year's recipient, CEA Budget Director Tom Busher, has made certain that the financial aspects of the Association have been conducted in a responsible, conscientious manner. "Tom has brought unprecedented professionalism and quality to the office of CEA Budget Director," said CEA President Rhonda Johnson.

The Friend of Education Award is given to an individual or a group that has shown commitment and dedication to the educational mission of Columbus City Schools. This year's award was presented to United Way of Central Ohio. "With the United Way's Ready, Set, Learn initiative, preschoolers who live in our school district will be helped to get the intervention services they need," said CEA President Rhonda Johnson. Janet Jackson, President and CEO of United Way of Central Ohio, accepted the award on behalf of the organization.

The Innovator in Education Award is presented to an individual or group whose progressive leadership and creativity have led to bold reforms in public education. The Governor's Office was presented with the award for the ambitious House Bill 1 and the Ohio Evidence Based Model. John Stanford, Education Policy Executive Assistant to the Governor, accepted the award.

Outstanding Faculty Representatives

CEA is proud of our Faculty Representatives. They are the backbone of the Association. Each year, the District Governors select a Faculty Representative to be honored for exemplary work. We salute the following for their service:

2010 retirees

CEA congratulates all of our members who are retiring this spring. The following individuals were honored at the CEA Awards Banquet:

Retirees look to the future

Retiring CEA members were introduced individually at the banquet. As they came forward to be recognized, biographical information provided by the retirees was shared. Marilyn Boyd wrote the following song to the tune of "Bye Bye Blackbird":

Pack up all my books and chalk. Say "so long" to the Hamilton Hawks, Bye-bye Blackboard.

No more duties, interims or GLIs. My plans are done, Bye-bye Blackboard.
Wait! I see a kid just broke a rule. I stop him he says, "I hate this school."

Make my bed and light the light. I'll watch Letterman late tonight.
Blackboard, Bye-bye!

CEA scholarship recipients

For more than two decades, CEA has honored and supported students with scholarships at the banquet. We congratulate this year's winners and their CEA-member parents.

Christa McAuliffe Scholarship
Patricia Bergstrom
Daughter of Amy Jones (Eastgate ES)

CEA General Scholarship
Jacqueline Wilder
Daughter of Merele Wilder (Weinland Park ES)

CEA-R Scholarship
Megan Jackson
Daughter of Aaron & Lori Jackson (Briggs HS/Whetstone HS)

Joan Donley CEA-R Scholarship
Victor Proto-Newton
Son of Molly Proto (School Psychologists)

The John E. Grossman Memorial Scholarship
Joseph Hester, South HS Student