A Message from our President
"Honor and shame from no condition rise. Act well your part: there all the honor lies."
Alexander Pope
Greetings TTAO Members:
This past quarter, the board has been actively committed to "acting well our parts," and we hope
that the growth of our organization is evident. Each time we hold a meeting, we begin by stating
our pledge and confirming our commitment to this great organization. Additionally, we hold core
values workshops during the first ten minutes of each meeting. The idea here is to stretch beyond
the initial phrasing of our core values of education, diversity, integrity, transparency,
and service and become living principles that guide the actions and decisions of everyone in the
organization. Let us know how we are doing.
Our SIOS Initiative, Service Is Our Signature, has been a remarkable triumph! We extend our
special thanks to Jill Ludington, who worked tirelessly to feature each of the participants on
social media. Moreover, we deeply appreciate the adjudicators who generously shared their time,
talents, and treasures. To date, our SIOS Initiative has benefited 62 schools which is a testament
to the tangible difference we are making. We eagerly anticipate next year where we aim to
double our participation and impact.
Our adjudicators' professional development is also up and running. Thank you Norma Thomas,
Yadira Gonzales and Kathy Harvey. There is, however, room for growth. To build capacity, we
need more committee members, presenters, and participants. Let us know if you are a visionary
who wishes to help expand our professional development component.
Next, we are actively planning for the TTAO Tenth Anniversary, a milestone we're excited to
celebrate at the TxETA Convention in September. We're organizing a celebratory gala and would
be delighted if you would join us. One important aspect of the event will be an In Memoriam
Video which will be a tribute to the members we have lost. To ensure that no one is overlooked,
we request your assistance in collecting the names of the honorees. Please send names and
photographs to B. K. Goodman: bk.goodman@texasthespians.org. More information about the
gala is forthcoming.
We also wish to say farewell and a very special thank you to board members and committee
members who are completing their terms of service in June:
Mandy Epley – Communications Director
Aquilla Aubrey – Treasurer
Kelsey Kling – Director at Large
Phillip Morgan – Director at large
Rachel Harrah – Core Values Chairperson
Standards and Practices Committee Members: Tana Howard, Kathy Harvey
Core Values Committee Members: Amy Jordan, Rosendo De Leon, Aaron
Brown
We are grateful for their generosity and willingness to serve.
Overall, it is our collective mission to move TTAO in a positive direction, driven by a shared
commitment to merit and service. We will continue to “rise to the condition” of excellence by
engaging our membership, fostering professional development and expanding our initiatives.
“WE ARE BETTER TOGETHER.”
Respectfully,
Yvonne J. Phillips-Dupree, TTAO President
