Alaska State Legislature
News from the Office of Representative Con Bunde

716 W 4th Avenue, Suite 410
Anchorage, AK 99501
Phone: (907) 258-8168
web site: http://www.akrepublicans.org/pastlegs/Bunde.htm

Rep. Con Bunde Named Vice Chairman of Education Commission of the States

For Immediate Release July 7, 1998 Contact: Rep. Con Bunde at (907) 258-8168.

Portland, Oregon -- Alaska State Representative Con Bunde today was named 1998-99 vice chairman of the Education Commission of the States (ECS), during the 1998 ECS National Forum and Annual Meeting in Portland, Oregon.

ECS is a national policy organization committed to working with policymakers across the nation to improve education quality and increase student achievement.

As vice chairman, Bunde will work closely with newly appointed 1998-99 ECS Chairman Kentucky Governor Paul E. Patton to guide the commission's work. He also will perform duties of the chairman whenever Patton is unable to perform them.

"It's my privilege to work side-by-side with Representative Bunde in the coming year," says Patton. "He is an experienced legislator who's been at the forefront of many successful education initiatives in his state. He brings a wealth of policy expertise and know-how to this position."

"Being that Alaska is remote with a small population, it's gratifying and energizing to serve in this role for a national organization," says Bunde. "Even though Alaska's on the far edge of the world, we haven't been overlooked."

Bunde has served as an ECS commissioner since 1993. Since that time, he has been very active as a member of the ECS Steering, Nominating and By-Laws Committees. He also arranged for ECS to co-sponsor a workshop in Alaska where experts shared with that state's policymakers how brain research findings can improve early childhood education.

# # #

Notice to the media: For more information, contact Christie McElhinney, ECS public relations director, at 303-299-3695 or cmcelhinney@ecs.org, or Kim Moyer, ECS public relations associate director, at 970-204-1795 or kmoyer@ix.netcom.com. Forum highlights and other information about ECS are posted on the ECS website at www.ecs.org.