We are absolutely thrilled to announce that on July 1st, Liz Lang will officially transition into her new role as the Director of Macon-Piatt Special Education! Liz is already a familiar, deeply valued face around here, having spent the last three years serving our special education community – first as an SEA and most recently as our Assistant Director. As we gear up for another incredible school year, we couldn’t be more excited to have her leading the team!

To celebrate her transition, we sat down with Liz to get a glimpse into her 30-year journey in education, her proudest achievements, and a few fun facts you might not know about her:

🍎 A Lifelong Passion for Education: Liz has always known that she wanted to be a teacher. Over her incredible 30-year career, she has worn many hats, including working as a Special Olympics track and field coach.

🏆 A Lasting Legacy: At a former district in Champaign, Liz created the very first Essential Skills program – an achievement so impactful that there is a “founded by” plaque outside a classroom to commemorate her efforts!

🧩 The Big Picture: When asked what she wishes people knew about the Director role, Liz notes that it encompasses the whole system, not just individual parts. Her unique perspective helps bring everything and everyone together harmoniously.

🤝 Words of Wisdom: Liz lives by two great pieces of advice. For life: The Golden Rule (treating others fairly is key). For work: “I don’t know everything, and that’s okay.”

☕ Outside the Office: When she isn’t steering the ship at MPSED, you can find Liz tackling complex Saturday and Sunday crossword puzzles, getting lost in a great mystery like The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, or recharging with a walk and a solid cup of coffee.

🪂 Fun Fact: Behind her grounded leadership is a total thrill-seeker! Liz loves roller coasters, has been bungee jumping, and has even completed a solo skydive!

👉 Please join us in giving Liz a massive congratulations on her new role, and be sure to drop some love in the comments of the Facebook post!! We are so incredibly lucky to have her vision, experience, and heart guiding MPSED into this next chapter. 🚀 🎉#TeamworkTuesday #TeamAwesome #staffappreciation #mpsed #mpsedspotlight #mpsedfamily #employeeappreciation #SpecialEducation #thankyou