CADA Area Award

The Area Award is presented each year for overall contributions to CADA. These people should have been active on the Area Council, summer camp program, as a state officer, as a presenter at area conferences or state conventions.

2008 CADA Area Award Recipients:

AREA A: Bill Battaglia teaches at Bidwell Jr. High School and has been involved in CADA for 11 years. He has served as an excellent mentor for his peers on council, at CADA Summer Leadership CAMP and as a presenter at CADA. He also has been published in Leadership Magazine twice.

AREA B: Bonnie-Kay Calder is a Past President and has been in CADA for 30 years. During her tenure as Area Coordinator, she and her area council started the Area Student Leadership Conference. Bonnie has also presented at many area, state, national and international conferences. Bonnie also served on the State Board for 7 years. She helped organize student participation at NASC, wrote the CADA Activity Director's Handbook, and currently co-hosts our out-of-state guests while at the CADA Convention. After 36 1/2 years in education, Bonnie-Kay retired in 2003 from Bret Harte Middle School and now lives in Hawaii with husband Bill Calder, another Past President.

AREA C: Teresa Hutson has been an Area Council member for 5 years and a CADA member for 12. She presents on rallys at Area Conferences and at the local Kern County Student Council Association Conference. Furthermore, Teresa teaches Special Ed and coached volleyball (17 years), girls golf (5 years), cheer advisor (5 years) and was her CIF representative (5 years). She was voted Foothill High School teacher of the year 1995 and her program was awarded a CASL Outstanding Activities Program.

AREA D: Jennifer Duston has been a CADA member the past 7 years. She is an Administrator at Foothill Technology High School in Ventura and has also held the position of Activities Director. Jennifer's commitment to CADA has been evident since the beginning of her association with the organization. She has been an active member of the Area Council, attending meetings, assisting to plan the advisor's conference and volunteering at Convention. Jennifer's expertise is Renaissance and has shared her knowledge at both middle and high school area conferences. She created the job-a-like session at the high school leaders conference, which was a huge success. Look on any CADA convention schedule, and you will see Jennifer's name. Whether a traditional workshop, meet the pros, or curriculum round table presentation, Jennifer has done it. She is truly deserving of this award.

AREA E: Dee Varela has been involved in Area E for the last 15 years. She runs the students store at Baldwin Park High School and has recently become the 1st VP for Chapter 28 Area Union. She enjoys helping students become better leaders and enjoys traveling. She also enjoys all kinds of music, and spending time with family and friends. She has been married to Arnold for 19 wonderful years. She always helps with registration at the New Advisor's Conference, Student Leadership Conference and STARS. At the CADA Convention, you'll find her in the CADA Bookstore.

AREA F: Ron Inman has been a member of CADA for the last 20 years as the the Activity Director at Bolsa Grande High School in Garden Grove. For the past 6 years and continuing this year, Ron has served as the Coordinator for the Orange County Leadership Camp held in August at the University of Santa Barbara which brings together over 1000 CADA and CASL student leaders each year. Ron is also a current participant in the CADA Area F mentoring program. In addition, he is a popular workshop presenter including working for the Orange County Human Relations Department on the successful International Week program developed out of the highly diversified student body of Bolsa Grande. Ron has also served as Athletic Director and has coached both boys and girls basketball during his 35 year tenure at Bolsa.

AREA G: Laurie Norcross is a builder of Leadership. Not only did she establish the culture and climate at a powerful new high school in Poway, she has contributed much to the CADA/CASL organization along the way. She is on the Area G Council, presents at state convention and works towards connecting the CADA State Standards to her curriculum and in her published books.

Past CADA Area Award Recipients: