MSEA’s 2025 Education Support Professional of the Year
Stephanie Patterson
CONGRATULATIONS STEPHANIE!
MSEA’s 2025 Education Support Professional of the Year is Stephanie Patterson—a union and civic leader in Calvert County. She is a member of the Calvert Association of Education Support Staff (CAESS). Stephanie is the secretary of Calvert County’s environmental education program CHESPAX, where she coordinates and manages logistics for more than a dozen different field experiences serving thousands of students across the district.
On a typical day, Stephanie might schedule field trips with school administrators and external partners; coordinate buses with the transportation department; communicate trip details to teachers, front office secretaries, chaperones, and site staff; prepare and organize instructional materials; and resolve any last-minute changes or accommodations. She accomplishes this all while serving as that all-important bridge between teachers, students, transportation staff, community partners, front office secretaries, and administrators.
And beyond her duties at CHESPAX, Stephanie is a committed union member with NEA and MSEA organizing and leadership trainings on her resume, including MSEA’s Summer Leadership Conference and Membership Organizing Workshop, as well as the NEA Zone 1 Institute. She’s a building rep, a member of the CAESS board of directors, chair of the elections and nominating committee, and a member of her local’s SPARKS committee.
“I take my role as a union building rep seriously by educating myself on contract language and policies so I can provide accurate guidance,” Stephanie says.
In her work on CAESS’s bylaws committee, Stephanie helped draft and revise internal governance documents and as chair of the secretary committee, she organized secretaries to review job duties in comparison to posted job expectations with a plan to revise the job descriptions and pay scales of all secretary positions.
“As chair of our elections and nominations committee, I modernized our election process to make it more transparent, inclusive, and user-friendly for all members,” Stephanie says.
“By documenting procedures and using consistent communication channels, my goal was to ensure that ESPs felt their voices were heard and their votes counted. Many members shared with me that they felt seen and respected through these improvements.”
“Stephanie’s love for her work is so obvious to anyone who comes across CHESPAX,” says MSEA President Paul Lemle. “She supports students, families, and colleagues. Her peers all benefit from her diligence and enthusiasm.”