Kevin Kirby for President-Elect

I am asking for your vote for President elect of ADTSEA. The following is some information that may make you feel better about making that decision. I have been married to my wife Susan for 29 years. We have two offspring, Shannon (daughter), age 26, is a house manager for Stepping Stones, Duluth MN and Scott (son), age 24, singer, songwriter Rhinelander, WI.

After graduating from UW Stevens Point in May of 1980, I took a job in Green Bay WI, with Midwest Industrial Services (later changed name to G & K Services — parent company) as a route salesman. After 9 years of route sales, I started training in the production facility and was the 2" `r shift production manager for a couple years. After deciding I didn't want to become a weekend dad, I reinstated my teaching certification; we moved the family to Rhinelander, WI where I started substitute teaching. After a year and a half of substitute teaching, I was hired by Forward Services Inc. to work with out of school youth. My job was to help eliminate the barriers that stood between them and their HSED or high school diploma. At this time, I also worked with job placement for clients eligible for Division of Vocational Rehabilitation services. While employed at Forward Services, I received training from Project Adventure (Covington, GA) in Low and High Ropes course facilitation. If you have experienced a "ropes course" adventure, hopefully your group grew stronger in the area of team building, confidence, communication and self esteem.

Two days before the start of the '97 school year I was asked to teach technology education at the high school. Evidentially, my previous long term substitute job in this department was good enough to get my foot in the door. The following summer I started taking classes towards certification in technology education, was rehired under an emergency certification for a second year. Spring of '99 brought the retirement of George Baksic, driver education teacher extraordinaire. The summer of '99 was my reawakening, as it had been 21 years since my last behind the wheel teaching experience. In September I attended my first fall workshop that the WDTSEA and Wisconsin DPI co-sponsored and it was very informative. By the time the spring conference came, I wasn't sure what to expect. The program stated we were going to learn "Drivers education the cowboy way!" Syd Muzzy was the keynote speaker. I was hooked or should I say roped. Later that year I was appointed to fill WDTSEA's Delegate at Large position and I have served on the board of directors ever since. Positions held include: President elect, President (4years), past President, and Secretary (currently).

My involvement in ADTSEA began with the conference in Charlotte NC in 2003. At the 2006 conference in Kalamazoo, MI, I was nominated to represent the North Central region and have been on the board of directors since 2007. My election to the executive board in 2008 has allowed me to seek the position of president elect.

Our profession is a curious one. While everybody is an expert driver and/or critic, many wonder how we can do this on a daily basis. As much as some things have changed, many have stayed the same. In the mid 70's when I was working on my under grad, the big three were "Belts, Booze, and Speed." Forty years later, we are still concerned with "Belts, Booze, and Speed"...only now we have added another... "Distractions. - I see the American Driver Traffic Safety Education Association as an entity that facilitates the search for and the sharing of the best practice in the classroom as well as behind the wheel. What can we change or do, to help our kids grow old?