My name is Mike Nourse. I retired in 1999 after 32 years of service in public education. I worked as a classroom teacher from 1968-76 along with coaching duties.

I worked for the Lawrence County Educational Service Center the final 23 years of my career as work-study coordinator and general supervisor.

I have just completed my first year as a board member on the Lawrence County Board of MR/DD. It has been one of the most satisfying years of my entire career in education.

My wife Gail and I attended the Open Door Christmas program in December. This was my first school program since my classroom days in 1976.

Superintendent Paul Mollett warned me that I would be seeing a program like none I had seen before. He was right! The performances put on by students and staff were truly remarkable and beyond heart warming. I would highly recommend this program to anyone able to attend next December.

This is an example of just a single highlight of my first year as a board member. I have come to find that fellow board members, administration, and staff members, both certified and non-certified, have one common goal: a quality education of clients under the MR/DD umbrella.

I salute each and every one of them for making my initial year as a board member highly satisfying.

The board members, administration and staff members both past and present include: Gaythel Auxier, Nicole Bates, Malyssia Beckett, Christiana Bentley, Betty Blankenship, Carrie Blevins, Jerry Boggs, Phyllis Boykin, Traci Brace, Eugene Brown, Paul Brown, Robin Bumgardner, Sarah Burroway, Andrea Burton, Betty Cade, Veronica Cameron, Amy Chaffin, Misty Chaffins, Donna Childers, Regina Clay, Oran Clouse, Candy Cochran, Kathleen Conner, Deborah Cox, Nancy Crager, Christy Cremeans, Ron Davis, Glenda Deering, Michelle Denning, Daniel Dillon, Betty Duncan, Mary Ferguson, Gina Fraley, Michael Fraley, Connie Fyffe, Jamie Garnes, Laurie Green, Nancy Grimmett, Randy Guthrie, Robert Hamilton, Debra Hanshaw, Tomi Harper, David Harvey, Sue Harvey, Beth Henderson, Daniel Honaker, Vanessa Honaker, Angela Hopkins, Erin Hutson, Julie Imes, Nancy James, Jennifer Johnson, Katherine Jones, Larry Justice, Robert Justice, Elizabeth Kelley, Kendra Kelley, Melissa Klaiber, Sharon Kleinman, April Knipp, Raymond Langdon, Randy Lavender, Richard Lee, Kelli Leffingwell, Rebecca Lester, Randy Lilly, Tammy Lilly, Arlie Lynd, Andrea Malone, Diane Mannon, Lana Markel, Stephen McConnell, Chastity McFann, Stacy McFann, Sarah Melvin, Lecia Menshouse, Paul Mollett, Catherine Monnig, Susan Murnahan, Debra Musser, Chaunchey Neal, Sharon Odekirk, Pamela Pancake, Annette Payne, Robert Price (deceased), Susan Price, James Robinson, Monica Robinson, Gina Runyon, Cheryl Russell, Doak Russell, Patricia Schwartz, Pat Sheridan, James Short, Frances Smith, Lujuana Smith, Whitney Smith, Joshua Tackett, Patricia Thompson, Courtney Townsend, Sue Vanderhoof, John Waginger, Geraldine Walsh, Chris Webb, Paul Webb, Karen Whitman, Carol Wierenga, Ashleigh Williams, Robyn Wilson, and Karen Woods.

Mike Nourse is a retired educator and contributing columnist for The Tribune. He lives in Coal Grove with wife Clara Gail, also a retired educator.