Have You Ever Considered Running for ATPE State Office?
Nominations for the 2025-26 ATPE state officer elections are due March 15. Find out what service as a state officer means to a few of our past state presidents.
Have you ever looked at the stage during the ATPE House of Delegates (HOD) meeting and thought, wow, that could be me someday? Everyone must start somewhere, and members’ next opportunity to run for ATPE state office is fast coming to a close. Per the ATPE State Bylaws, nominations for the 2025-26 ATPE state officer elections must be received by the state office by March 15. (Nominations may also be submitted from the floor of the HOD.)
A candidate for ATPE state office must be an active Professional, Administrator, Retired, or Associate member of the association and must currently be serving or must have served within the past five years as a local unit, region, or state officer. (Learn more at atpesummit.org/house-of-delegates).
We asked our ATPE past state presidents about the impact of state office service in their lives. Here’s what they had to say:
“Running for ATPE state office was a defining moment in my life. Not only did it give me the opportunity to get to know more of my ATPE family statewide, but also the skills I learned as a state officer made me a more confident leader and a better advocate and helped me believe I could be a school superintendent. Without my experience as a state officer, I don’t know that I would have accomplished that. Thank you, ATPE, for enriching my life!”
Deann Lee
2012-13 ATPE State President
“Many people believe that what they have to say is never heard, but that is not true. Many of those people, especially educators, have talked to students and others and spread valuable information to many others because of their message. Before becoming a state officer, I once spoke before the body at the summit, and I saw that others heard my words and thanked me for speaking. I then took a leap of faith. It was one of the most enjoyable times of my life.”
Byron Hildebrand
2018-19 ATPE State President
“Introvert here, so running for state office was a little challenging for me! But what was amazing was the chance to meet and listen to educators all across the state! I saw running for state office as a way to give back to public education in general and ATPE specifically. Plus, it has given me the chance to share unsolicited U.S. history stories from time to time. 🙂 I continue to feel honored and blessed by this opportunity and would recommend it highly to others!”
Jayne Serna
2023-24 ATPE State President
If you have questions about running for state office, please contact summit@atpe.org.
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