ESP Milestones in the IEA

  1. (1974) The first ESP Local Association to be chartered with the Illinois Education Association was the Transportation Employees of the Elgin School District.
  2. (1981) The first ESP Council Chairperson was established by the IEA-Representative Assembly. The first chairperson was Judy Brubaker of the District U-46 Transportation DUTU Association. Judy was the first ESP to serve on the IEA Board of Directors.
  3. (1982) The IEA-ESP membership was 1,289. The ESP membership in 2009 is 26,781.
  4. (1984) The first full-time IEA-ESP Director was created by the IEA Representative Assembly. Dr. Stacy R. Burroughs was the first person hired for this position on March 4, 1985.
  5. (1985) The first NEA-ESP Professional Conference was held in Washington, D.C.
  6. (1986) The first annual IEA-ESP Professional Conference was held at the Ramada Inn in Elmhurst, Illinois.
  7. (1990) The IEA Representative Assembly voted to add the three Sectional Representative positions to the IEA Board of Directors – for a total of four (4) ESP positions on the IEA Board of Directors
  8. (1991) Illinois was host to the NEA-ESP Professional Conference. The Conference was held at the Hyatt Regency on Wacker Drive in Chicago.
  9. (1993) Pat Sloat was the first ESP to Chair an IEA State Committee.
  10. (1994) Chuck Starke was the first ESP to serve on the IEA Executive Committee.
  11. (1995) The IEA Representative Assembly passed a New Business Item establishing the ESP of the Year Award. This award is meant to further emphasize the contributions of Education Support Professional to their association, their schools, and their communities. This NBI was sponsored by ESP Council members Ed Deprizio and Victoria Landin.
  12. (1996) Nancy Kallenbach was the first IEA ESP of the Year.
  13. (1997) Larry Brown was the first minority elected Chairperson of the ESP Council.
  14. (1999) Max Bochmann was the first IEA ESP member to the Board of Trustees of the Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund.
  15. (2000) Julie Newell was the first minority elected to the Board of Trustees of the Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund. The IMRF was founded in 1939.
  16. (2001) Region 63 became the first all ESP Region in the IEA. This Region is made up of all four (4) of the IEA ESP Local Associations in the Elgin S.D. #46.
  17. (2001) Jessye Skorich was the first ESP to be elected as a Region Council Chairperson.
  18. (2003) Max Bochmann was the first IEA-ESP elected as President of the Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund
  19. (2005) Kathie Lange was the first IEA-ESP to be selected as the NEA ESP of the Year.
  20. (2007) there were 331 ESP Local Associations of which 101 included both ESPs and teachers in the same association and working under the same contract.
  21. (2007) Jennifer Smith was the first minority ESP to be selected from The Illinois Education Association to participate in the National Education Association Ethnic Minorities and Women UniServ Training Program.
  22. (2011) Alex Wallace was the first ESP to be elected as a NEA director from IEA.