The baton was passed to the next group of leaders entrusted with fulfilling ACSA’s mission during the association’s May Leadership Assembly, which was held May 8 in Burbank.

The May Leadership Assembly is ACSA’s final governance meeting of the year, where delegates representing all regions as well as councils and committees gather to receive training, hear updates about ACSA activities, recognize the achievements of those who are ending their terms of service, and elect new leaders for the association.

Dr. Roxane Fuentes, superintendent of Berryessa Union SD in Region 8, was elected to the office of vice president. ACSA voting delegates had a choice between Fuentes and Terrence Davis, superintendent of Banning USD in Region 19. Delegates also elected ACSA’s next vice president for legislative action, Jared Hungerford, associate superintendent for the Calaveras County Office of Education, who ran unopposed.

Leaders heard updates from ACSA Executive Director Dr. Edgar Zazueta, who spoke about ways the association is working on behalf of its members.

Zazueta acknowledged that it is a challenging time in education, both at the federal level and financially.

In response to new pressures at the bargaining table, ACSA is working with the California School Boards Association, the California Association of School Business Officials, School Services, Inc., and county offices of education to create a unified front.

“There’s value for us just having some broader coordination around the state in terms of sharing what’s happening at the table,” Zazueta said. “This is going to be a big priority for us.”

Zazueta also shared ACSA membership is at its highest levels ever — 18,582 members — and that ACSA is continuing efforts to ensure services and professional development offerings match member needs.

On the advocacy front, ACSA’s Governmental Relations team has had a successful year, with accomplishments including endorsed candidates winning their elections, working to pass favorable legislation and amend or reject unfavorable bills, and efforts to avoid education cuts in the current fiscal year budget.

“ACSA’s not just part of these coalitions, more and more, this team over there — we’re leading these efforts,” Zazueta said of ACSA’s Governmental Relations team.

Leaders also welcomed ACSA’s next president, Dr. Daryl Camp, superintendent of San Lorenzo USD. Camp was introduced by retired superintendent and mentor Dr. Odie Douglas, who spoke about Camp’s track record of servant leadership.

“Dr. Camp has modeled what it means to lead with heart, with courage, and with an unshakable belief that every child deserves the very best of us,” Douglas said. “He doesn’t just talk about equity, he engineers it. He doesn’t just assemble teams, he elevates them. He doesn’t just lead, Dr. Camp serves.”

Camp took the stage to a standing ovation and spoke about his appreciation for the people who have been on this journey with him — from former colleagues and ACSA leaders, to family members, including his wife of 27 years Janee Cornelison Camp and sons Kendall and Myles.

He said he is also thankful to be serving as ACSA president at this moment in time, when public education funding and diversity, equity and inclusion efforts are being dismantled by the current presidential administration. Camp invoked a quote from Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr: “The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.”

“During [this year], I ask you to stay committed to the journey and keep bending that arc,” Camp said. “The way we’re going to do that is we’re going to be bold, we’re going to be loud with our leadership. But our loudness is here. And our power is here in the stories you have — that’s the power. Sharing stories to build bridges.”

He asked leaders to get out of their comfort zones and connect with those who have different experiences and viewpoints in order to move our communities forward.

In his final Leadership Assembly as president, Rafael Plascencia said he was grateful for the opportunity to highlight the importance of educator mental health during his term.

“I have just been lifted. My soul. My spirit — I don’t have the words of how much you have done for me,” he said. “We should always give to others — that’s what our profession calls for ... But we really cannot do the very best for our kids if we’re not doing well ourselves.”

ACSA leaders heard more about this topic from Effective School Solutions, an ACSA Partner4Purpose. Laine Whitaker, vice president of professional development with Effective School Solutions, spoke about strategies to reduce educator burnout and create better experiences for students.

“Us adults are not well, and we are triggering children, we are making them feel emotionally unsafe,” she said. “Educator well-being is student well-being.”

ACSA Partnership Executive Alice Petrossian presented the Legacy Partner Award, which recognizes those organizations that have been committed to ACSA’s mission for 25 years or more. This year’s award was presented to Horace Mann, which provides individual and group insurance and financial solutions to help educators plan their financial future.

ACSA Deputy Executive Director Margarita Cuizon-Armelino led an exercise for ACSA leaders to discuss how they are helping ACSA reach its Strategic Plan goals at the region level. ACSA leaders also had the opportunity to share those practices with the Leadership Assembly and in a shared document to “cross-pollinate” the ideas across regions, Cuizon-Armelino said.

During a Wednesday night dinner, outgoing region presidents, council presidents and vice presidents for legislative action were recognized for their leadership of ACSA.

Dr. Gina Potter, who has devoted 20 years to ACSA leadership on ACSA’s Council of Business Services Leaders, Legislative Policy Committee and most recently for two terms as ACSA’s vice president for legislative action, spoke about how public education and ACSA have impacted her life.

“I wouldn’t be standing here today if it wasn’t for all of you — my teachers, my principals, my superintendents — who gave me the opportunity to do what we all do, to give back to the next generations of children,” Potter said. “With the biggest heart of gratitude, I absolutely love ACSA and everything you stand for.”