Iris Hawkins
Iris Hawkins
Iris recently joined the IEA staff as an Eastern Idaho Organizing Center associate working in the Twin Falls office, but IEA work is certainly not new for her. She was an elementary and middle school teacher and IEA member for 33 years, working in Meridian (now West Ada), Jerome, and Twin Falls. Iris retired from classroom teaching in 2018 but is thrilled about staying involved in education through her work for the IEA. “This is just a perfect fit,” she says. “I get to be around some amazing people and do work that is both important and gratifying.”
A native of Twin Falls, Iris has a bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education from the University of Idaho and a master’s degree in Curriculum and Instruction from Boise State University. She has two adult daughters and four granddaughters and enjoys golf, kayaking, gardening, camping, and crafts.
Anneabelle Lerch
Anneabelle Lerch
A longtime IEA member and local association leader, Annabelle passed away recently at the age of 84. She was the President of the Pocatello Education Association in the 1970s and was honored as the Pocatello Teacher of the Year and received the Presidential Science Teacher Award for the state of Idaho. She graduated from Goshen College with a degree in chemistry and later earned a master’s degree from Idaho State University. In addition to teaching at Pocatello High School, she also worked in South Dakota and New Mexico. Annabelle is survived by her husband of 62 years and four children.
