<h3><span style="color: #e11a3b;"><strong>From the Executive Director</strong></span></h3>

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<img class="wp-image-271 size-medium alignleft" src="https://www.vsba.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Gina_NEW-2018-200x300.jpg" alt="Gina Patterson, Executive Director" width="200" height="300">

Dear VSBA Members,

I wanted to take this opportunity to update you on VSBA’s membership in the newly created <a href="https://www.cossba.org/">Consortium of State School Boards Associations</a> (COSSBA) as one of 22 founding member states. There has been so much great progress made by COSSBA over the past several months and I am pleased to share these updates with all of you.

Planning is underway for several upcoming COSSBA events, so please mark your calendars as all VSBA members are eligible to attend:
<ul>
 	<li>Urban Boards Alliance (UBA) Symposium – September 8-9, 2022, in Atlanta, GA (Registration is now open. Visit <a href="https://www.cossba.org/symposium/">www.cossba.org/symposium/</a> for more information.)</li>
 	<li>COSSBA Inaugural National Conference – March 30-April 2, 2023 (Pre-conference March 29) in Tampa, FL</li>
 	<li>Federal Advocacy Event – September 5-7, 2023, in Washington, D.C.</li>
</ul>
One of COSSBA’s top priorities is securing federal legislative representation in Washington. The Consortium’s Advocacy Committee has identified a firm and is working on finalizing a contract. This lobbying firm will represent COSSBA’s interests with an immediate presence on Capitol Hill, providing our members with regular updates on education issues at the federal level. The agreement also includes judicial advocacy and tracking of legal cases. I urge you to be on the lookout for federal advocacy updates from COSSBA, which are coming soon.

Virginia is also part of COSSBA’s Transition Steering Committee (TSC), tasked with carefully crafting the framework and foundation for the Consortium. The TSC, which temporarily serves as the governing body of COSSBA, met in April and May with the following action taken:
<ul>
 	<li>Approved a dues structure for COSSBA membership along with a transitional formula for state associations;</li>
 	<li>Employed a Transition Manager;</li>
 	<li>Approved the COSSBA governance structure;</li>
 	<li>Approved the FY 2023 budget, including finance policies and sponsorship program guidelines;</li>
 	<li>Reviewed and approved proposals for federal lobbyists; and</li>
 	<li>Developed proposed bylaws for approval at the TSC’s August meeting.</li>
</ul>
It’s exciting to be on the ground floor of a developing national organization representing state school boards associations and, in turn, their local member school boards. I look forward to sharing more updates on our affiliate organization. In the meantime, please visit <a href="http://www.cossba.org">www.cossba.org</a> to find out more.

I wish you the best of luck as you begin a new school year and thank you for all you do for Virginia’s public school students!