It’s December and another holiday season is in full swing. As I write this month’s letter, on the eve of Thanksgiving, I can’t help but reflect on the multitude of things for which I am thankful, one of which is you!
I am thankful for my family. The five of us siblings are spread throughout the country with our own adult children, and even grandchildren, which makes it harder each year to all get together. But in one of those sibling group texts this week my brother reminded us of how blessed we were to have both of our parents present in our lives through their sixty plus years of marriage.
I am thankful for the amazing women I got to feature in our Under the Flamboyan newsletter this year. To have this space to lift one another by sharing a bit of their stories, and to expand our friendships across the country allows us to celebrate one another as a sisterhood of leaders.
I am thankful for the opportunity to bring together so many women at our annual When Women Lead summit. Annually we come together to share, laugh, grow, and reinvigorate our commitment to equity, justice and joy for the children and youth whose paths we cross.
I am thankful for the community we have that takes the time to acknowledge the great women who have led boldly and selflessly for over thirty years, and who serve as role models for others aspiring to leadership; leaders like Dr. Carmen Ayala, Dr. Sharon Contreras and Dr. Lupita Hightower, our 2023, 2024, and 2025 Lifetime Achievement Award winners.
I am grateful for several dear friends who helped me to initiate and build this concept called Voice4Equity, a company without walls, a fluid networking space designed on love, respect, support, learning, growth, opportunities, and a vision for continuously passing our blessings and knowledge on to others. People like Dr. Alicia Thompson, Theresa Chaulk, Dr. Elizabeth Alvarez, Dr. Bren Elliott, Tiana Hill, and Dr. Talisa Dixon seemed to only know the words “yes” and “let’s do it” as we took this model beyond an idea over the past four years.
There are so many people and blessings to be grateful for. It warms the soul to reminisce about the people who have made our lives beautiful.
In this issue, Voice4Equity continues to celebrate others, while inviting you to meet with us under the flamboyan, if you are new to our community. First, we share with you a few highlights in our Year-in-Review as we celebrate the friends that we grew and learned together with during our conferences, interview highlights and collaborations. We celebrate the selection of NABSE’s new President-Elect Dr. Kimberly McLeod. I had the chance to catch up with Kimberly at the joint AASA, NABSE, ALAS, NIEA Leaders of Color conference (a historic first!) in Annapolis back in August. Enjoy her interview! In this issue, we also provide you with a new yoga video in our Wellness Corner from Tiana. I encourage you to continue to (or renew!) your commitment to your personal wellness. I also shout out Dr. Roxanne Fuentes who is going to serve as our When Women Lead 2026 emcee! How fun is that! Registration is open, so gift yourself and your women in leadership a seat at this amazing table!
Thank you for being a part of this network of amazing educational leaders, and for sharing some of your time in community with us! Together, the Voice4Equity network continues to gather under the flamboyan tree in order to stand strong together as we work hand in hand with our students and communities, and as we embrace endings and new beginnings together in love and friendship.
Happy Holidays!
Christina and the Voice4Equity Network
