From a Distance...

 
Online Newsletter for Arkansas Distance Learning

From the ARDLA President
by Valerie Wilson

Whew...my first ARDLA Conference as your fearless leader! This year’s conference is one of the best ARDLA Conferences I have attended. I was only able to attend a couple of sessions, but they were great! Everyone seemed to enjoy the Quick-Fire Round and Birds-of-a-Feather sessions. And the Around the World Game....well, no one left the session that I facilitated without getting their sticker. It was a big hit.

I had the opportunity to visit with many of you during the conference, which has helped me get a much clearer view of distance learning in the state of Arkansas beyond what is happening in higher education. I am looking forward to investigating ways to get more higher education involvement in ARDLA and pull all of the different stakeholders together to find out how the Association can better serve both its membership and the state of Arkansas as a whole in distance learning.

I must say that I am very pleased with the conference and extend my deepest gratitude to the ARDLA Officers; committee chairs and members; our vendors; our special guests: Congressman Mike Ross, USDLA President-Elect Reggie Smith, TNDLA President Linda Ash, and Jan Zanetis; and to everyone who attended the conference this year. We are still accepting conference evaluations and will use the results as we plan for next year’s conference.

Thank you for the confidence that you have placed in me shown by electing me to serve as your president for 2010. I have several things that I would like to accomplish during this upcoming year that I will share with you in the spring issue of the newsletter.

About the Author 

Valerie Wilson is the Vice Chancellor for Information Technology at SAU Tech.  She earned her A.S. in Business Administration from SAU Tech, a B.S. in Industrial Technology from Southern Illinois University, and an M.B.A. from Henderson State University.  She is a 1996 graduate of Leadership Camden Area, 2007 graduate of Leadership Arkansas’ inaugural class, and a Blackboard Certified Trainer. 

Valerie is active in many civic and professional organizations including president of the Camden Area Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors, Executive Director of the Camden/Ouachita County Community Housing Development Organization, Inc., past president and current personnel/nominating committee chair of the Board of Directors for the Boys and Girls Club of Ouachita County, president of the Ouachita County Single Parent Scholarship Fund Board of Directors, president of the SAU Tech chapter of the Arkansas Association of Women in Two-Year Colleges, and chair for the Junior Leadership Scholarship Fundraising Committee. 

Valerie is very active in Shady Grove Baptist Church where she is also deaconess, church typist, director of all choirs, vacation bible school superintendent, and assistant Sunday school teacher for the young adult class. 

Valerie and her husband Travis have four children, Travis, Santresa, Michael and Tracey; five grandchildren Jaquestin, Amauryae, Sydnee, Aerial, and Isis; and four god children Corey, LaYonda, Dekerrion, and Amyia.

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