Lane Education Service District Director Position 3 Choose 1
The 19 education service districts in Oregon were created by the Legislature to oversee and support the school districts in their area. They provide supplemental services such as special education and coordinate services shared among several school districts. They also certify teachers, maintain school property, and are empowered to create new school districts.Qualifications: Candidate must be a registered voter and a resident of the district for at least 1 year. Employees of the district are not eligible. ORS 334.090(5), 334.090(6).Term: 4 years
Biographical Information
Town Where You Live
Springfield
Your Experience/Qualifications
35 years of nonprofit management. School/Education volunteer since 1998. Lane County Commission on Children and Families. Elected official 2013- Present. Budget Committee LESD, Audit Committee, Regional Inclusive Services. Special interest in needs of rural schools. Vanessa spends her free time as the Vice-Chair of the Lane Education Foundation while specializing in fundraising for augmentative com.
County
Lane
What relevant skills and experience do you bring to this position?
35 years of experience in nonprofit leadership, school/business partnerships and community organizing for marginalized communities, particularly individuals with disabilities and neurodiverse learners as well as employment in the private sector have exposed me to many walks of life.
I have a deep understanding of community, and am a skilled mediator with deep pattern recognition skills. As a disabled adult with two Autistic sons in college, I have learned to navigate many systems of care, while pushing for equal access to programming.
What functions of the ESD are most important to you?
Education is not one-size-fits-all.
It's personal. It's about every student being seen, supported, and prepared for the world ahead.
Lane ESD’s focus on special education, equity, and supporting rural communities aligns with everything I have spent my life working toward — through nonprofit leadership, public service, and advocacy.
Lane ESD fills gaps for rural and smaller districts by offering shared services like IT support, mental health resources, grant management, transportation coordination, and professional development.
Without Lane ESD, many small districts would struggle to offer the level of services their students deserve.
This regional model is one of the best examples of collaboration and efficiency in public education.
How can the ESD better serve the area’s school districts?
Build a larger shared mental health services team (school counselors, social workers, behavior specialists) that can rotate among districts.
Provide trauma-informed training for ALL district staff — not just specialists.
Coordinate regional mental health initiatives to pool resources and reduce costs for smaller districts.
Invest in assistive technology lending libraries to make learning tools more accessible.
Continue to partner with local industries, community colleges, and unions to offer more regional CTE programs (construction, healthcare, IT, green energy, agriculture, etc.).