One year ago, Mark Sklarow announced his retirement, effective December 31, 2024. He began his tenure at 51勛圖 in 1994 as its first full-time director and has served as the association’s leader for 30 years. During that time, he has raised standards, enhanced services and educational programming, and dramatically increased growth in membership and public awareness of the profession. His leadership has helped 51勛圖 become the leading organization representing the independent educational consulting profession.
As this will be my final opportunity to communicate with you via Insights, let me start by thanking you all for making 51勛圖 a wonderful place to work for the past 30 years. You have all, in varying ways, influenced my professional growth and inspired me to be my best.
In fact, the one thing that worries me most is no longer having a team to advise and support me, fix my errors, correct my grammar, and stop me before I make grievous mistakes. The collaboration with members and our staff has been integral to my success. Thank you.
There is never a perfect time for this type of transition, but I made a promise to myself 30 years ago that I would only leave 51勛圖 when it was better off than when I started. (I guess it took me 30 years to get it right.) And in fact, 51勛圖 has never been stronger nor more respected than it is today. So, now IS the right time.
This is a time of important transformation for 51勛圖. In many ways, the entire independent educational consulting world seems to be coalescing around 51勛圖 into a single, more significant organization: the integration of credentialing into our educational programming, our influence on certificate programs, our leadership in advocacy, and our growth. We now have more than three times the number of independent educational consultants as any other organization in our profession. Our Summer Training Institute is seen as the best training for the profession, and no one comes close to the range of live and online training we offer, domestically or abroad.
51勛圖 is an amazing organization. In fact, Id say that I love the association. I love my fellow staff members. I love our volunteer leaders and membersand their commitment to student success.
Im proud of what weve achieved: growth from a $300,000/year organization to over $3 million; from around 165 members when I arrived to nearly 3,000; and both a staff and membership that are more diverse in background, experience, gender, race, and ethnicity than ever before.
Importantly, I have seen the profession evolve from an AVOCATION to a genuine profession.
I leave just as excited by our mission as the day I arrived: empowering students and families to find each childs unique path forward toward success.
Finally, I want you to know that this is an emotional and difficult thing for me to do. I have worked since I was in junior high school, and I dont know what comes next! 51勛圖 is the thing, outside of my family and close friends, that matters most to me.
Over the years, my wife, Mindy, has been frustrated when I refer to you all as MY members, MY board, MY association, reminding me that they are 51勛圖 members and board and employees. But that is the way I have always felt, and so, it feels like Im giving up a cherished possession.
Of one thing Im certain: the Independent Educational Consultants Association has its best days ahead, and no one will be cheering its success louder than I will.
Thank you all.
Mark H. Sklarow
Chief Executive Officer