LYNNWOOD, Wash., October 10, 2023—After nearly 20 years serving the Edmonds School District, School Board Director Gary Noble is retiring. The district will honor Director Noble during a retirement celebration on Tuesday, December 12 from 5 to 6 p.m. at the District Office located at 20420 68th Ave W in Lynnwood.

Below is Director Noble’s retirement letter in its entirety:

After serving nearly 20 years on the school board, I am retiring. It has been my honor to be elected to serve as a board member for the district since 2004. In that time I’ve had the pleasure of working with five superintendents and seeing eight schools in the district be constructed or remodeled. I have served as the President and Vice President of the board during my tenure and am grateful for the many experiences I have had as a board member.

I began my involvement in the district as a parent and volunteer. I served as secretary of the Maplewood Co-op, was the parent representative on the Lynnwood High School Instructional Council, and served as Chair of the district’s Citizen’s Planning Committee. My time on the board was shaped and enhanced by my children’s experiences as students in the district. My children and I got to know five different elementary schools as the Parent Co-op (now Maplewood Co-op) expanded. They both graduated from Lynnwood High School and university (UW and WWU) and went on to work professionally in the area. Additionally, my wife’s service as a para-educator and later as a certificated teacher and department chair had a profound effect on my understanding of the district and my desire to serve our community.

I have a deep sense of gratitude to many people who have been a part of my work on the board. My family supported me as I spent the time necessary to engage in the work of the board. My board colleagues shared their wisdom and insights as we worked together to create a path toward excellence for our district. As the board representative on the Foundation for Edmonds Schools, I have had the opportunity to engage with donors and members of that group whose commitment to our schools is humbling. I have also had the opportunity to visit all of the schools during my years on the board and witness tremendous leadership and classroom teaching. Engaging with a wide variety of district staff has greatly aided my work. 

Finally, it has been a tremendous pleasure to meet and serve so many students, families and community members throughout my time on the board. It has been a profound honor to serve our Edmonds School District community.

Sincerely,

Gary Noble
School Board Director