We're Trying Something Different

President's Message

by Tim Royers, NSEA President

This year, I’ve been thinking a lot about the questions guiding our work as an organization:

What does an engaged member look like? What does an engaged local association look like? How can we increase engagement across the state? 

Our goal is simple: we want every member to feel they have meaningful opportunities to get involved and to make their voice heard on the issues that matter most to them. As we’ve listened to educators from across Nebraska, we’ve focused on expanding access to those opportunities and removing barriers to participation.

One of the big challenges is travel.  Nebraska is a big state! NSEA hosted its summer conference in Kearney this year.  Even though that was centrally located, we heard from members who said getting there just wasn’t an option.  

Looking Ahead 
Looking ahead to 2026, we will be trying something different. NSEA will be doing our best to bring the learning opportunities to you!  Rather than having one single conference, we will host six different training opportunities in each of our governing districts (see map). The exact locations and dates have not yet been confirmed.

By offering training opportunities by governance districts, we hope to increase member engagement and make it much easier for members to find a training that is closer to home. It will also allow NSEA to differentiate the trainings we offer so they better reflect your experiences in your own local association.  

Our Goal
Our goal is to provide training opportunities that will meet you where you are in your leadership journey.  If you are part of a veteran local leadership team, we want to provide you a chance to learn and grow.  If you are newly elected into a role—like a local treasurer—we want to give you the foundation in the summer so you can be successful.  We want to continue to provide training for those of you involved in negotiations.  And even if you aren’t serving in an official capacity within your local association yet, but want to figure out how you can get more involved, we’ll have opportunities for you as well.

Keep an eye out this spring for more details as NSEA finalizes dates and locations. As your NSEA president, I sincerely encourage you to set aside a day to get out, learn from the best, and grow as a leader within our organization. We need your voice, your energy and your leadership!