Kimball public schools teachers Deb Bertram and Nancy Bonnifield were among 150 educators from 37 school districts honored at the 12th annual Leadership in Educational Excellence (LEEA) Banquet and Awards ceremony Oct. 29. The LEEA event is an opportunity to recognize educators for being models of excellence to their fellow educators and students. More than 485 people attended this year’s ceremony in St. Cloud. Daniel Brooks, superintendent of Sauk Centre School District, served as the emcee for the evening. Greetings and congratulations on behalf of Governor Pawlenty and the Commissioner of Education were delivered by Chas Anderson, Deputy Commissioner of Education. Keynote speaker Ginny Kruger urged the audience to stay calm (listen and learn from experience), be brave (sometimes it takes courage to step out), and watch for S.T.A.R.S., Statements of Truth Arising from Real-life Situations (how ordinary people and events can shape your world). The LEEA ceremony is the only event of its kind in Minnesota, representing all aspects of public and private education from classroom teachers to specialists. The event is sponsored by Resource Training and Solutions, and is coordinated by Joyce Rife and Sandra Cordie.
