5/12/06

Cross Country Coaches of Washington State,

At our Executive Board meeting on Sunday, April 30, Joe Clark (Lakes) became our new president, Phil English (Eisenhower) our new vice-president, Bruce McDowell (Cedarcrest) our new treasurer, and Patty Ley (Gig Harbor) began her second term as secretary. In addition, our newly-elected Advisory Board began its term of office as well.

Congratulations to such a fine group of leaders; I have full faith and confidence that our association is in excellent hands.

I want to thank all the cross country coaches of Washington State for entrusting me with the presidency of our organization these last six years. As someone who began coaching in 1981 in what was then one of the smallest B schools in the state, being asked to do this job on behalf of our coaches is something I never expected. I have done my best to honor the trust you’ve placed in me, and will miss most the relationships I’ve been privileged to establish with so many of you.

This is a time of even more change for me, as I will step down as University Prep’s athletic director after 21 years at the helm and will return to teaching Middle School history and geography next fall. I will continue to coach varsity cross country, so I look forward to remaining in contact with all my XC friends around the state as much as possible.

I’d like to close with just a few thanks: to Tom Campbell for his early and ongoing encouragement, to Steve Bertrand for this opportunity, to Doug Fulton for being the hardest working person in our association, to Mike Colbrese for teaching me the value of patience even – and especially - when I wasn’t, and to Craig Bowen for his superlative work and support these last six years especially, and for the over 20 years that he has devoted to our association. And to Sally Revere and Leo Genest for, well, being Sally and Leo and my dear cross country friends.

Edward S. Curtis turned out to be as fine a writer as he was a photographer. Said he, “Great is the satisfaction the writer enjoys when he can at last say to all whose faith has been unbounded,

‘It is finished.’ “

Thank you all for your unbounded faith.

Respectfully, and with much appreciation,

Mark Cullen

University Prep