Greetings IBEA members!

I hope you all had a wonderful summer with friends and family and are back into the swing of things for the 2024-2025 school year! It’s always nice to get back into a routine, and I hope you have saved some time for Professional Development as a part of your routine this fall. The IBEA Board and Committees have been hard at work developing new opportunities for you to make the most of your membership. This fall, I hope you will challenge yourself and expand your curriculum by attending Webinars, joining the IBEA Mentor Program, and, of course, attending our Annual Fall Conference. Watch the IBEA Facebook page for new PD opportunities; we have some exciting things in the works!

This summer, Heather Borowiak, IBEA President Elect, has been leading the fall conference planning committee to bring you a valuable and exciting program at the 62nd Annual IBEA Fall Conference. This year, we will return to The Abraham Lincoln Springfield - A DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel, November 6-8, 2024. This issue of the IBEA Reports Newsletter is full of details about our conference, hotel information, schedule, and featured speaker. Of course we have included time to visit exhibitors, network with colleagues from your affiliate and around the state, earn Industry-recognized Certifications through Certiport, and expand your curriculum and pedagogy! You will leave recharged, refreshed, and full of new things to try in your classroom to Motivate the Future! Registration is now open. Head over to ibea.org for all the details!

I wish you the most well behaved students, no cell phone problems, and excitement as you get into the daily grind this semester. I can’t wait to see all of you again in Springfield in a few short months. Thank you for being a member of IBEA. Thank you for working with students. Thank you for your support of Business Education in Illinois!

Lacy Bugielski
2023-2024 IBEA President