The Lodi Unified School District Board of Education said good-bye to two long-time members Tuesday night.
Board members Ron Heberle and George Neely were recognized for their 12 years of service, as Tuesday's meeting was the last both of them would attend.
Both men opted not to run for re-election this year, and will be replaced by former Lodi Unified teachers Sherry Alexander and Jeff Stroh.
"I think the one thing we're losing with these two board members, is 12 years of experience," board president Susan Macfarlane said. "Twelve years of situations they've been in that new board members hadn't been in."
Macfarlane led the recognition ceremony during Tuesday's board meeting, bringing the departing trustees to the public speaker's podium separately.
She thanked Heberle as a leader for his service, time, parenting and vision for Lodi Unified students.
"I think in all the menagerie that happens with our board, Mr. Heberle, along with Mr. Neely, is the first board member that puts students first," she said. "Not that we all don't, but his goal is students, academic student safety, and how they are going to affect our community."
Heberle spent 35 years in the fire service before retiring in 2010 and running for the board that same year.
He said the board joked at the time that he was "out of the fire, into the frying pan," adding that when he first ran, he wanted to make sure his friends inside and outside the district would feel comfortable enough to tell him what they thought.
"Their perspective was important for me," Heberle said. "How am I doing? Am I staying focused and directed in taking care of our kids? They get one shot through this system, and every year is an important year for them. And I'm sure all of us know what a mess it was for the last couple of years. It's worth it. They need our help, they need our support. So those folks, I do appreciate they were keeping me in line and making sure I was doing the right thing for the right reasons."
Heberle, who served as board president in 2012 and as vice president in 2016, said one of the best things about his tenure was knowing what was going on at the campuses in his area.
Staff and faculty would also let him know when things were not going as well as they had hoped, and he said while he could not promise results, he always promised he would bring their concerns to the board.
"A lot of times people ask me why do I do it," he said. "I said there are frustrating times, of course. But I would not do this if i did not truly believe in its importance. Our students are worth the effort. Don't ever forget that. If you think that maybe as an employee that you're just a cog in the wheel, you're not. An agency or business will stand and fall on their employees."
Heberle said he would still be involved with the school district, as he has 11 grandchildren now attending Lodi schools.
Recognizing Neely, Macfarlane said the community was fortunate that he sat on the board for as long as he had, and there were many things she could have highlighted about his tenure.
"One of them is that you're very welcoming to new board members," she said. "You also champion causes that other people didn't want to. There wasn't a student or challenging situation with students that you weren't afraid to use your voice. And while you and I agree on a lot of things, we do disagree from time to time, but I respect you."
Neely was also elected to the board in 2010, and served as president in both 2011 and 2018. He also served as vice president in 2015 and 2017.
After his service in the US Army, Neely was a corporate executive before returning to Lodi and becoming a teacher in 2005.
He said Tuesday night was a bittersweet moment after 17 years in public education.
"It's been amazing," he said. "It's been so rewarding. And it's just been so much fun. And I'm really going to miss that. Since I got on the board, it's also been frustrating at times, and sometimes infuriating. And I'm to going to miss that part of it that much."
Neely said being a board member isn't just attending meetings two Tuesdays of the month. It's a lot of time, hard work and research to make decisions that best serve the district, its employees, and its students.
"I really do believe in this system that has seven people that by all indications, are very strong-willed and are passionate about their positions, that we have to come together in one opinion, and then we've got support each other on that," he said. "How we've been able to do that is just amazing."
He added that the people involved with public education are some of the best people he had ever met in his life.
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