b'BY CISCO GOMEZ, PRESIDENTPR E SIDEN TS ME S S AGEWAMOA: Building the Future TogetherW hat an incredible week wepresentation of the flags by theWestlasting impact. (And yes, Ill admit had at ourWAMOA AnnualValley School District JROTCsettingI failed miserably in my attempt to Fall Conference in Yakima! the tone with such pride andfind all the Fs!) It wasnt my finest Our theme this year,Buildingprofessionalism, priming us for a fullhour but a good lesson indeed and the Future,is a good reminder thatday of productivity and growth. some reflection on how I see and read creating and sustaining great schoolsOurkeynote speaker, Courtneyinto things. A good reminder that takes teamwork. Its not just aboutClark, delivered a powerful andsometimes the best lessons come bricks and mortar, its about people.heartfelt message about resilience infrom the unexpected.From planning and construction toovercoming challenge after challengeThis year, we were thrilled to see daily maintenance and long-termand still finding light and hope throughone of ourbest turnouts yet from stewardship, it truly takes a villageit all. Her words reminded us thatschool district members, a true to build and care for the spaceswhile we cant always control whattestament to the value and growth of where our students learn and grow.happens, we can always control howour organization.That spirit of collaboration was feltwe respond to keep moving forward. I look forward to seeing you all throughout the entire conference. FromWednesday through Thursday,inLeavenworthfor ourLeadership We kicked off with ourEd Partnerattendees experienced two fullSeminar, where well continue Golf Tournament, where, for only thedays ofimpactful workshops, anlearning, growing, and becoming second time in my life, I managed toengaging trade show, and countlessbetter leaders for our schools, our hit more golf balls than grass! It wasmoments of connection. Theseteams, and ourselves.a great way to start the week tryingexperiences reinforced the whyA heartfeltthank youto all something new. Not only am I left- behind WAMOAs principalsourEducational Partnersfor your handed but participating in somethingofKnowledge, Networking, Leadership,continued support, and to everyschool I am terrible at is part of any growthand Advocacy, and how each of usdistrict leaderwho makes WAMOA one must go through when trying tocontributes to the strength of thiswhat it isa community dedicated to improve skills and patience. community. All of this made possiblebuilding the future together. Tuesday evening brought ourfirst-everby our members, educational partners, School District Welcome Social,a funand a team of committee membersWith gratitude and enthusiasm,event that helped everyone break thethat work so hard to ensure a great ice and get ready for days filled withexperience for all. Ciscoknowledge, networking, and the sense ofWe closed the conference with belonging that makes WAMOA special. the dynamicJahmad Canley, whose OnWednesday morning, weenergy, humor, and insight challengedCisco Gomez opened our conference with a movingus to think differently and left aPresident, WAMOA The WAMOA Journal COLIBRI NorthwestPUBLISHERADVERTISING SALES is published by PO Box 13130Peter PhilipsKatie HigginsCOLIBRI Northwest Des Moines, WA 981981003 206-779-2746206-914-4248 for WAMOA. peter@colibrinw.com katie@colibrinw.com6 WAMOA JOURNALFALL 2025'