General Assembly January 25
School administrators would like another year to deal with the issue of mandating epipens in schools to address emergency situations due primarily to the recent student death in Chesterfield. In a meeting with health department and education department personnel, private practitioners and liaisons for health concerns and education (including VASSP and VASS), it was the consensus of the group to attempt to have the bills carried over in order to address the many concerns and complicated medical issues inherent in such a change in protocol. The group asked representatives of the Department of Education to alert school superintendents and principals through department memos about the bill and about events that prompted it in an effort to remind administrators to continue to ask parents to provide the necessary information and medical directives for students who have medical problems that could require epinephrine.
To date, efforts to have the bills carried over have not been successful; however, several patrons have agreed to look at amendments to bring in the Department of Education to look at promulgating guidelines and outlining training options.
Bet Neale
ELIZABETH HARRELL (“Bet”) NEALE
CAREER HISTORY: Twenty-five years of legislative experience in the Virginia political arena.
Bet began her career in the political arena as a Legislative Research Associate at the Division of Legislative Services, having first been mentored by her father Delegate Lyman Harrell, who served 12 years as a member of the House of Delegates. After moving with her family to West Point, where her husband Mark practices dentistry and where they raised their three children Nancy, Cheryl and Mark, Bet remained active in state legislative work as a consultant for a state commission and as a legislative assistant to Delegate Mary Marshall and Delegate Dorothy McDiarmid, Chair of the House Education and House Appropriations Committees. Beginning in 1990, Bet represented VASS as their lead lobbyist for 8 years, after which she served as executive director of the Henrico Education Foundation for HCPS.
Bet came on board with VASSP in 2000 as Director of Government Relations and lobbies on behalf of Association members during all General Assembly sessions and at meetings of legislative education committees and subcommittees. In her capacity as Director of Government Relations/Lead Lobbyist for VASSP, Bet also represents middle and high school principals and assistant principals at statewide education meetings, seminars and special commissions as well as at meetings of the State Board of Education.
Bet is a graduate of the University of Richmond with a BA in English and a Collegiate Certificate in Secondary Education. She has been a guest lecturer at the College of William and Mary and the University of Virginia as well as a presenter at various state meetings and seminars.
