Janet Burgess

Janet Burgess BA ’71 writes: “I’m amazed at how fast the years fly by! Now, after 32 years in education and 10 years in consulting, writing, and working with teaching teams, I face another retirement. When I retired the first time, I wondered, ‘What should I do with all of this professional knowledge?’ Retirement has allowed me to control my time and find ways to share with others. Ten years later, after consulting, working with teacher teams, mentoring several aspiring leaders, and collaborating on two writing projects with a teacher colleague, four books on leadership were published. What a fabulous second career that has been! This latest edition, Leading the Parade! Teachers Connecting People, Purpose and Practice begins with a favorite William Stafford poem, ‘A Ritual to Read to Each Other.’ Writing aside, my husband, Pete Lorain, a retired administrator and author himself, and I raised his two sons in Beaverton, Oregon, where we now enjoy watching our one grandson tackle first grade and all that entails! I’m a devoted yoga enthusiast, an avid reader, and a dedicated volunteer at the Tualatin Community Warehouse, a furniture bank that makes good use of used goods, supporting those in need as they set up a home. There’s another truth about retirement: I can contribute to my community and the people in it by being an enthusiastic volunteer who cheers on and supports others who are making a difference. As I move into this third stage of life, the age of contentment, that’s a delicious discovery!”