<html xmlns:v="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:vml" xmlns:o="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" xmlns:w="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:word" xmlns:m="http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/2004/12/omml" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40">
<head>
<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=us-ascii">
<meta name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 14 (filtered medium)">
<!--[if !mso]><style>v\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
o\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
w\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
.shape {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
</style><![endif]--><style><!--
/* Font Definitions */
@font-face
{font-family:"Cambria Math";
panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4;}
@font-face
{font-family:Calibri;
panose-1:2 15 5 2 2 2 4 3 2 4;}
@font-face
{font-family:Tahoma;
panose-1:2 11 6 4 3 5 4 4 2 4;}
@font-face
{font-family:"Comic Sans MS";
panose-1:3 15 7 2 3 3 2 2 2 4;}
/* Style Definitions */
p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal
{margin:0in;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";}
a:link, span.MsoHyperlink
{mso-style-priority:99;
color:blue;
text-decoration:underline;}
a:visited, span.MsoHyperlinkFollowed
{mso-style-priority:99;
color:purple;
text-decoration:underline;}
p.MsoAcetate, li.MsoAcetate, div.MsoAcetate
{mso-style-priority:99;
mso-style-link:"Balloon Text Char";
margin:0in;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
font-size:8.0pt;
font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif";}
span.BalloonTextChar
{mso-style-name:"Balloon Text Char";
mso-style-priority:99;
mso-style-link:"Balloon Text";
font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif";}
span.EmailStyle19
{mso-style-type:personal;
font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:windowtext;}
span.EmailStyle20
{mso-style-type:personal-reply;
font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D;}
.MsoChpDefault
{mso-style-type:export-only;
font-size:10.0pt;}
@page WordSection1
{size:8.5in 11.0in;
margin:1.0in 1.0in 1.0in 1.0in;}
div.WordSection1
{page:WordSection1;}
--></style><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:shapedefaults v:ext="edit" spidmax="1026" />
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:shapelayout v:ext="edit">
<o:idmap v:ext="edit" data="1" />
</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]-->
</head>
<body lang="EN-US" link="blue" vlink="purple">
<div class="WordSection1">
<p class="MsoNormal">Friends and colleagues, <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I’ve worked on this note for weeks but it is past time to hit send.
<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I taught in <span style="color:#1F497D">4</span> elementary schools and 1 middle school from 1969 to 1987, worked at the OK State Department of Education for 13+ years and the State Regents for 15+ years. I am not walking away entirely
but the time is right for a number of reasons to take a step back. I will be retiring from the State Regents on June 30.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I believe that the Student Preparation Team has and will continue to make a difference in the lives of thousands of Oklahoma young people. I have full faith in Matt (<a href="mailto:mhigdon@osrhe.edu">mhigdon@osrhe.edu</a>) and Lisa (<a href="mailto:lnelson@oshre.edu">lnelson@oshre.edu</a>)
to continue our very important mission and I believe their passion for our work is strong. I will continue to be available to assist them in any way needed.
<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">We truly do mean it when we say “ALL young people should be ready to make their own choice of college or career”. We believe this is the mission of public education. If I can be of future service to you in furthering this mission, you may
contact me at <a href="mailto:drcnebrown@gmail.com">drcnebrown@gmail.com</a> after July 1.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I appreciate the commitment of the Chancellor and State Regents to the mission of preparing ALL students for life’s most important decisions.
<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Thanks for all you do and all you are for Oklahoma’s young people,<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Comic Sans MS";color:#17365D">Cindy<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#17365D"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#17365D">Cynthia Brown, Ed.D.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#17365D">Director, Student Preparation<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:#17365D"><img border="0" width="377" height="83" id="Picture_x0020_1" src="cid:image003.jpg@01D1B74D.B0724A60" alt="Description: RegentHighEdu-2c-horz-lr"></span></b><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:#17365D"><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Comic Sans MS";color:#111111">“The task of the modern educator is not to cut down jungles, but to irrigate deserts.”</span><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:#111111">
</span><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Comic Sans MS";color:#111111">– C. S. Lewis</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
</div>
</body>
</html>