Overnight travel approved for East Valley Institute of Technology staff members

By Richard Dyer
Mail | X: @RHDyer

Up to two East Valley Institute of Technology staff members will travel to Flagstaff for the June 7-10 Arizona School Public Relations Association summer conference.

The EVIT board voted unanimously April 14 as part of a consent agenda with other items to approve the $932-per-person trip for the marketing staff members.

The cost includes $75 for a registration fee, $75 for gas for an EVIT vehicle, $537 for three nights lodging at Little America Hotel in Flagstaff and $245 for meals, it states in a approval for expenditures for professional travel form.

The conference is to be called The Storybook Summit, according to an email from Yardley Zamorano, ASPRA vice president of programming, which was forwarded by Mat Droge, ASPRA vice president of programming, according to an email included with the travel request.

“Unlock your district’s story at The Storybook Summit. Join us for an immersive experience designed to equip you with essential tools and insights to craft your district’s next chapter in the ever-evolving world of public relations for school districts and schools. Dive into a pre-conference, breakouts and keynote presentations, and discover innovative strategies that will empower you to turn the page and write your own success story,” it states.

The Arizona School Public Relations Association is a professional organization that provides support to educators involved in school public relations as well as professional development activities for school public relations specialists, it states at https://www.azspra.org.

East Valley Institute of Technology is a public trade school providing 50 career training programs for East Valley high school students and Phoenix-area adults at two central campuses in Mesa. East Valley school districts include Apache Junction, Mesa, Queen Creek, Cave Creek, Chandler, Fountain Hills, Gilbert, Higley, J.O. Combs, Scottsdale and Tempe. Classes are 8-10:35 a.m. or noon-2:35 p.m. Monday through Friday. Classes with four-hour blocks are 7-11 a.m. or noon-4 p.m. Monday through Friday. Classes are also held at satellite campuses, according to https://www.evit.edu.

Richard H. Dyer can be reached at rdyer@iniusa.org, or on X @rhdyer. To voice your opinion on this story, connect with us at AzOpinions@iniusa.org.

Richard Dyer
Managing Editor | East Valley

rdyer@iniusa.org

Meet Richard
Richard Dyer has worked at Independent Newsmedia Inc. USA since 1987, starting his career in Apache Junction as a copy editor and being promoted over the years to work as the editor of the Mesa Independent, news services editor for the East Valley office in Apache Junction, managing editor for the East Valley office, news services editor for the East Valley office and eventually also for the newspapers at INI’s then-Chandler office, managing editor again and as a news editor covering Apache Junction/Gold Canyon and Queen Creek. He helped start the Florence Independent while the news editor covering Apache Junction and Mesa news. In January 2023, he became associate managing editor for the East Valley newspapers and in August 2023 became managing editor for the East Valley newspapers of Chandler/Tempe, Gilbert, Queen Creek, Florence, Mesa and Apache Junction/Gold Canyon, while also reporting on Mesa and Apache Junction/Gold Canyon.  

Community: Since 2009, he has worked as a volunteer to design The Blue Guitar Magazine, Blue Guitar Jr. magazine and Unstrung magazine, which are projects of The Arizona Consortium for the Arts; and since 2014, has been overseeing the art submissions. 

Education: University of Arizona with a master of arts in journalism and a bachelor of science in agricultural communication. Also continuing education at Mesa Community College in welding in a metal art sculpture class.

Random fact: Saw his first tornado on May 31, 2010, which was classified as an EF-2, as part of a stormchasing tour group.

Hobbies: He is an artist of welded-steel sculptures, selling his artwork at juried and non-juried art shows.