Board member bids farewell

Leadership. Innovation. Compassion.

These are the words that come to mind when Superintendent Dee Fowler thinks of parting school board member Sue Helms.

Helms

A party was given Wednesday in honor of Helms leaving the school board. Helms worked with the Madison County School Board for five years, and then she worked for 13 years for the Madison City School Board. During her career, she has served as both vice president and president of the school board.

“I served with the most amazing people,” Helms said.” I mean, this is one set of them. But for 18 years board members from Madison city, since we’ve been Madison city, have been remarkable. Every board member came on this board to do good things for children.”

Helms said she doesn’t like to think of this as a retirement, but as a graduation.

Quoting the famous saying, “When one door closes, another one opens,” Helms said she would like to stay in the K-12 arena somehow, but she isn’t sure how that will be at the moment.

Aside from her ability to make tough decisions with a compassionate heart and her knack for trying to think outside of the box, Fowler said he will miss Helms because she is a trusted confidante.

Helms will be staying in the Madison area. She said she plans to take the summer off and enjoy herself. Part of that enjoyment will include seeing her daughter get married June 4.

Her parting advice to peers is a reminder to, “Always put kids first.”

“We have such an opportunity in Madison,” Helms said. “The sky’s the limit. We have not peaked.”

While she said Madison has a great school system, it’s not ‘there’ yet.

“We’re going to shine,” Helms said. “And this group of people that I’m leaving behind will be the ones that take us there.”

Of her replacement Renae Bartlett, Helms said, “They couldn’t have picked a better person. Renae is going to be just an advocate for kids and an asset to this board.”