ESP of the Year: Irene Matheis

In the dictionary, the definition of a powerhouse is "having great energy, strength, and potential for success," and Irene Matheis fits that description to a T. She brings authority and empathy to a sensitive job dealing with middle schoolers. 

She is an effective and tireless activist through her local, the Education Support Staff Association.   She campaigns on behalf of pro-education candidates. And she volunteers with the Alaska Ski Patrol and Fairbanks Youth Hockey.

As a school Safety Assistant at North Pole Middle School, she monitors and helps maintain discipline among 600 students. Irene is a keen observer of student behavior, and she assesses situations and intervenes if necessary to defuse a potentially violent confrontation. She also escorts disruptive students from classrooms to the office. She works with administrators, the nursing staff, and the police and fire departments to keep her school safe. But Irene does not stop there. 

She also takes the time to talk with troubled students and helps them make better choices. She shows them how to deal courteously with each other and how to be a team player. She celebrates each student's achievements, and this wins her a fan base among a number of the at-risk students she helps.

It's fair to say that Irene is passionate about all aspects of ESSA and tenacious in advocating for a fair and just workplace for everyone.  She served twice as ESSA president, and has chaired or served on virtually every committee, including Employee Rights, PACE (Political Action Committee on Education), the In-service and Training Committee, the Joint FNSBSD/FEA/ESSA Committee on Health Benefits, and most recently the Joint ESSA/FNSBSD Leave Review Committee. 

Irene also serves on the NEA-Alaska Board of Directors and on the Statewide ESP Committee. “If anything is done by ESSA,” said ESSA President Fred Landru, “it's likely that Irene's fingerprints are on it. She's so incredibly active and involved.”