Tami Wade. Tami has joined the IEA team as an associate in the Eastern Idaho Organizing Center, and will be based in the Idaho Falls office. She has a wealth of experience as an administrative assistant in the fields of payroll, tax and banking. Tami recently moved to Idaho Falls after spending most of the last 10 years in St. Anthony and Rexburg. She is an active community volunteer and looks forward to furthering the goals and mission of the IEA.
Cassie Shelton and Heather Ohrtman-Rogers. A pair of IEA members received recognition as Idaho’s Foreign Language Teachers of the Year during a conference this fall. Cassie Shelton teaches German at Mountain View High School in the West Ada School District. Heather Ohrtman-Rogers teaches Spanish, English and Graphic Production at Jenifer Junior High School in Lewiston.
Jerry Helgeson. A former president of the Meridian Education Association, Jerry Helgesen passed away in September at the age of 74. Jerry moved to Idaho from Minnesota after earning his teaching degree from St. Cloud State College, and he and his wife, Kay, began their teaching careers in Wallace. They later moved to the Boise/Meridian area, and he went on to teach in the Meridian School District for more than 40 years, starting at Meridian High School and ending at Centennial High School. Jerry was also a baseball and wrestling coach and served as a high school referee for many years. He earned a Master’s degree from the University of Idaho and was named Idaho’s Teacher of the Year in 1985.
Jan Lang. Longtime IEA member and Idaho Falls EA leader Jan Lang passed away in November.
