On behalf of the UAPCS Board of Directors, I want to thank you for your membership, confidence and support of our organization. I’m currently Board Chair at Salt Lake School for the Performing Arts and have served on the UAPCS Board for the last two years. I was recently elected as UAPCS Board Chair and appreciate the opportunity to build on recent and significant accomplishments, including:

• Steady growth of Charter School membership to 138 campuses — an all-time high
• Stable UAPCS leadership, staffing, administration and financial condition
• Effective advocacy with public policy, favorably impacting Charter School funding and expansion of governing authorizer options
• Expansion of professional development, training and APPEL programs
• Success of the Annual Conference and the recently held Charter Day on the Hill, both with historically high participation. I encourage you to attend our upcoming Annual Conference on June 6–7, extending our record-setting attendance.
• Increased private funding sources for expanded Charter School enrollment, particularly targeted to rural communities

Our ultimate goal is to provide a support system for the industry and lead programs that complement the objectives of our member schools, while productively integrating with the overall objectives of the Utah State Board of Education, Higher Education and other key stakeholders. We continue to believe that the industry should provide complimentary educational choices, in particular, with certain specialty education such as STEM, Performing Arts and others. UAPCS stands ready to lead and promote the further growth and evolution of Utah education, and I appreciate the opportunity to lead the Board during this exciting time.

I look forward to working with you all and listening to your feedback.

Doug Keefe