It has been an honor to serve as the Director of DoDDS-Pacific and DDESS-Guam for these many years, and it is with mixed feelings that I leave the Pacific Area to begin my work in Europe later this summer.

When I first came to the Pacific in August 1996, I was excited about the opportunity and very pleased by the quality of education.  Facilities were good, well maintained, and conducive to learning.  Everywhere I went, educators were doing a fabulous job; students were well behaved, industrious, and interested in learning; and community commanders and parents were very supportive of our efforts.  While it was good then, in my experience it has only gotten better.  With 46 schools, about 23,500 students, and some 2,900 employees, the Pacific Area is a great place to live and work.

Every day our team works to build goodwill in all of our local communities through charitable endeavors in which our employees volunteer to support service organizations, from Girl Scouts to community theater.  Our schools remain a vital part of our society and as educators we are held in high esteem by our military counterparts, the students we serve, and their parents.
 
I hope I will leave behind some strong cultures that will continue to nourish the spirit of our students, parents, our military partners, and most important, you – our employees.  There is a culture of cooperation because we need to work together to get this enormous job done.  There is a culture of continuous improvement because we need to maintain a laser focus on student achievement.  Finally, there is a strong sense of enrichment and purpose.  Our students are some of the best in the world and through your efforts they continue to perform to high levels on every measure.  Each day you make a difference to the students in your classrooms.  I know you recognize the importance of our work to educate thousands of young people, preparing them to become better citizens of the world. 

Living overseas is a wonderful experience and working in our schools, helping to serve our country, and supporting the relationships between Guam, Japan, South Korea, and the United States is an honor and a privilege.  I am honored to have been blessed to serve as your Director and humbled by the incredible dedication, commitment, and perseverance of our teachers, educational leaders, and staff.

Thank you and best wishes.

Nancy C. Bresell
Director