TASBO Report Feb 2015 | Page 6

Tracy Ginsburg, continued from page 5 and exhibitor listing as well as important announcements throughout the conference. Our conference would not be possible without our participating Sponsors and Exhibitors. I have particularly enjoyed working together with our Strategic Sponsors throughout this year. Their level of professionalism and dedication to TASBO is unmatched and for that, I am grateful. Please make sure and stop by the Exhibit Hall during Exhibit Hours Tuesday and Wednesday and thank our vendors for their support. Tuesday will mark the beginning of Mardi Gras and staff has planned exciting activities for the Exhibit Hall floor, including a jazz band and the return of the popular photo booth, in addition to delicious food and beverage, all with a Mardi Gras theme. I sincerely appreciate your donations to the Ed West Scholarship Fund which you make during the Annual Conference. Your contributions allow the fund to award scholarships each year to school business professionals so that they may pursue their undergraduate or graduate degree. This year, TASBO will also be supporting Reach Out and Read on the Exhibit Floor. Reach Out and Read is an evidence-based nonprofit organization of medical providers who promote early literacy and school readiness in pediatric exam rooms nationwide by integrating children’s books and advice to parents about the impor- tance of reading aloud into well-child visits. TASBO will be soliciting your donation of a children’s book to be distributed by Reach Out and Read to non-profit medical clinics in the Houston area. Our hope is to build a long-term relationship with Reach Out and Read to demonstrate our members’ commitment to the education of every child in Texas. As you walk through the convention center, you will notice an “Ideation Board” in the mezzanine outside of the registration area. TASBO has enlisted the support of MCM Consulting to solicit member input regarding TASBO programs and services. Please stop by the board on Wednesday and visit with our consultants – we sincerely want your input! The Conference will conclude following the luncheon on Thursday at the Hilton Americas. The Thursday luncheon has always been one of my favorite events of the year as we get to recognize our TASBO Commitment to Excellence recipient, along with award winners in purchasing and management. Motivational speaker Clint Swindall will address the TASBO membership with his thought provoking leadership insight. We will raise a glass and toast one another together, celebrating what is good and great as professionals working toward the same goal – the education of our state’s most precious asset, our students. You won’t want to miss Clint’s insight! He was so well received at our Committee Connect event earlier this fall that we felt he needed an encore performance so that more of our membership could benefit from his uplifting perspective on life and leadership. I am particularly excited this year, to introduce the First Cohort of the TASBO Emerging Leader Program at the luncheon on Thursday