February 26, 2001, Washington, DC - Michael D. Usdan, President of the Institute for Educational Leadership (IEL), announced today his retirement, effective July 1, 2001. Chairman James Renier, Chairman of IEL's Board of Directors and retired Chairman & CEO of Honeywell, also announced the appointment of Elizabeth L. Hale, currently IEL Vice President, to be Usdan's successor:

"Under Mike Usdan's leadership, IEL's programs and services have diversified in important ways and have helped break down the isolation of education from other groups and agencies serving children and youth. IEL is indeed fortunate to have the continued expertise and guidance of another strong leader-Betty Hale-who espouses a similar philosophy. The combination of Hale and Usdan, in new and different roles, will provide excellence and continuity at a unique time, when education is the nation's highest domestic priority."

Usdan, who served 20 years as president of IEL, a D.C.-based "hands on" think tank, began his long career in education more than 40 years ago as a teacher. He worked on the staff of the late Dr. James B. Conant, famous for his studies of American education. Usdan also has taught at Teachers College, Columbia University, City University of New York, Northwestern and Fordham Universities, and in schools in New York City and White Plains. He also has served as Connecticut's Commissioner of Higher Education, and President of the Merrill Palmer Institute in Detroit (MI). From 1969-1974, he served as a member and president of the School Board of the city of New Rochelle, NY. He has been a consultant to local and state boards of education and educational organizations throughout the country and has served as a speaker and participant at numerous national and international meetings, including China, India, Nepal, Hungary, Russia, and Japan.

Usdan has written and published many articles and books on various aspects of education, with a special focus on problems related to urban education and the relationship of government and politics to education. He is currently spearheading IEL's School Leadership for the 21st Century Initiative, a project that is examining the crisis in educational leadership.

As for his future plans, Usdan says, "I have every intention of 'flunking' retirement and staying quite busy. I will remain involved in several IEL projects on a part-time basis as a Senior Fellow. In addition, I expect to be engaged in other teaching, writing, and consulting activities. During my tenure at IEL, I have seen the organization develop as a unique connector between schools and the larger society at the local, state, and national level, and as a resource for programs and initiatives focused upon improving the chances of all of America's children. It has been an honor and a privilege to have been of service in this endeavor, and I look forward to IEL's continued success under the superb leadership of Betty Hale."

Hale began her association with IEL as a fellow in its flagship year-long leadership development activity, the Education Policy Fellowship Program (EPFP), in 1973-74. Eventually, she became the national director of EPFP in 1981 and the Vice President of IEL in 1987. Under her watch at IEL, Hale said, "I want to work with staff to nurture seeds that have already been planted and that will enhance IEL's capacities - as a bridge builder, as a leadership developer, as an impartial convener, and as an incubator for people and ideas. I believe that strengthening these organizational capacities will increase IEL's ability to improve outcomes for children and young people."

Prior to joining IEL, Hale's various professional experiences included serving as an education budget analyst in the Governor's Office, State of Illinois, as director of training programs for Head Start in the regional office of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and at the state level in West Virginia. She began her career as a public school teacher in Springfield, Ohio and taught with the Department of Defense Education Activity-including tours of duty in Japan, Ethiopia, Turkey and Italy. Hale's work has always focused on trying to create and implement initiatives that build bridges among the research, policy and practice worlds and that connect policy and practice leaders and their networks. Through her work with the Education Policy Fellowship Program (EPFP) and other ongoing IEL activities, she has stayed connected to a growing network of policymakers and practitioners across the country. She also is involved in the work of the National Clearinghouse for Comprehensive School Reform, a partnership of three organizations: IEL, the Council for Basic Education and The George Washington University; with the U.S. Department of Education and its efforts to create a national network of school-based leaders to advise the department on policy and program issues, and with AEL, the regional educational laboratory serving Virginia, West Virginia, Kentucky and Tennessee, and its efforts to develop individuals external to schools who can help schools engage successfully in comprehensive school reform. A graduate of the University of Kentucky, Hale holds graduate degrees from Harvard University's Graduate School of Education (Ed.M.) and John F. Kennedy School of Government (M.P.A.). She has served as a member and as president of the School of Education's elected Alumni Council. Currently, Hale is a member of the Board of Directors of Gryphon House, Inc., an early childhood publishing company, and serves on the Stakeholder Committee of the Laboratory for Student Success, the Mid-Atlantic Regional Educational Laboratory; the Board of Overseers of the National Youth Employment Coalition's New Leaders Academy; and the College of Education's Dean's Council at the University of Kentucky.

Established in 1964, the Institute for Educational Leadership (IEL) - a non-profit, nonpartisan organization based in Washington, D.C. - works to achieve better results for children and youth. At the heart of IEL's effectiveness is its unique ability to bring people together to identify and resolve issues across policy, program, and sector boundaries. Today, IEL is working to help individuals and institutions increase their capacity to work together. IEL builds and supports a cadre of diverse leaders, strengthens the capacity of education and related systems, and informs the development and implementation of policies. Our efforts are focused through five programs of work: Developing Leaders; Strengthening School-Family-Community Connections; Governing; Connecting and Improving Systems that Serve Children and Youth; Improving Preparation for Work.