John Rumel, who has served the Idaho Education Association as its General Counsel since 1995, has accepted a teaching position at the University of Idaho College of Law. He will be joining the faculty this summer.
Rumel has served as an adjunct faculty member for the university’s program in Boise since 2007 and was previously a visiting professor at Santa Clara University School of Law before moving to Idaho in 1993. He began his search for a full-time law school position last summer.
“In many ways, I’ve had no higher calling than serving Idaho’s educators for the past 16 years,” he said. “But getting back into full-time teaching has long been a personal and professional goal of mine. I am eager to have an opportunity to pursue it.”
The IEA has begun a nationwide search for Rumel’s replacement and expects a transition period of several months to maintain seamless legal services to the organization and its members.
In other personnel news:
Sue Scott has taken the role of IEA Associate Executive Director. She works with IEA regional staff statewide as well as on special projects. Scott previously served as Region 9 Director, based in Meridian. Before joining the IEA in 1995, she taught in Nampa.
Hilaree Stephens, the new Region 9 Director, assists educators in the state’s largest school district (Meridian-based Joint District 1) as well as one of Idaho’s first IEA-affiliated charter schools, North Star Charter in Eagle. Stephens previously served as IEA Region 8 Director. She began her career as an elementary school teacher in Utah.
Jabari Smith is serving as interim Region 8 Director, working with educators in nine districts across Southwest Idaho. Smith previously worked for the Florida Education Association and taught math, science and music in Alabama, where he grew up.
