Posted by Lisa
I can’t quite bring myself to write about Mike Riley in the past tense. Doing so has me fighting back tears.
Wednesday’s news of his death was devastating. Besides being incredibly sad, I am mad. Not Mike. He was too young and too talented.
Mike Riley had a profound influence on many of us in the education policymaking and political world because he was so accessible and so willing to invest time in those of us who were wet behind the ears. I will always be grateful to Mike for all the support he gave to me personally and to the League of Education Voters as a fledgling organization.
The morning after I-884′s massive defeat at the polls four years ago, I was a rather large mess. I will never forget opening my email and finding the most beautifully written 5:00 am thank you email from Mike. What is making me so sad now is that I never properly thanked him for all his years of leadership and wise counsel.
