President’s Letter: Our Service and Support

Welcome back! I hope this letter finds you doing well and smoothly transitioning into another successful school year. Throughout the year, I hope your membership with PSCA provides you the information, resources and support needed to complete your job responsibilities at the highest level. As we begin the year, this issue of The Pennsylvania Counselor focuses on new approaches with topics including mindset, social media and mindfulness. I hope these articles provide you with new perspectives and invigorate your work.
 
As an organization, we are excited to share several developments with you. First, please be aware that we are transitioning to a new website provider. Our address will remain the same (www.psca-web.org) but will be redesigned with a brand-new appearance and several expanded features that we hope will make your membership experience a more beneficial and pleasurable one. As you will see, we have added a few membership questions to aid us in our outreach and help us provide you with grade-level-specific information. We are planning to launch by the time you read this newsletter, so if you have not yet done so, please check out the new site and be sure to log in to see all the content.
 
We are also in the process of scheduling several professional development opportunities across the state. These will be regional workshops that we have created in conjunction with the Department of Education to provide updates and news regarding the career readiness standards you are aware of.
 
Finally, on a more somber note, I would be remiss if I did not share the sad news that Chris Harmon, a long time PSCA member and recently elected president-elect, passed away this last May due to liver complications. Chris held a number of positions in PSCA over the past decade and was a fixture at our annual conference. Most recently she served as treasurer, but you may also remember her as the organizer of the gift baskets that are a staple at our conference. It is with great sorrow but great pride that we remember Chris and all that she contributed to our organization. To say that she was one of a kind is an understatement. She will be greatly missed and we will work to ensure the initiatives she began are seen to fruition.
 
As a result of this vacancy, I am happy to announce that Beth Stem, former governing board member and representative from the Central Region, has agreed to the appointment of PSCA president-elect. We feel fortunate to have someone with Beth’s experience in leadership be able to fill this role. She has been a valuable member of the PSCA governing board and we have no doubt she will continue to benefit our organization in her new role.
 
I am proud to serve as your president for this school year. I wish you a great year and much success with your students in the numerous capacities you serve them.
 
Contact Michael Perrott, PSCA president, at maperrott@yahoo.com.