A former teacher and current Austin School Board member received a high honor for several years of hard work.

Don Leathers, a retired teacher from Austin, was awarded the 2015 Educator Award by the Retired Educators Association of Minnesota (REAM) at their state convention in St. Cloud on Set. 28. This award is presented to noteworthy members who have contributed to the growth of REAM or a local unit and have made significant contributions to their school, church and/or community.

“I’m humbled, there’s a lot of good retired educators,” Leathers said. “I’ve been involved with the legislative aspect of REAM, so that’s a big reason why I got it. And I stay on top of the pension issues that effect the retired teachers and potentially effect active teachers as well.”

Leathers graduated from Austin Community College in 1972 with an associate’s degree, then went on to earn his Bachelor’s Degree in English from the University of Minnesota in 1976 and a Bachelor of Science Degree in Secondary Education from the U of M in 1977.

His first year of teaching English was in Albert Lea. The remainder of his career was spent with the Glenville-Emmons school district until her retired in 2010.

Leathers has been active in Austin by serving on the Board of Trustees at Our Savior’s Lutheran Church from 1990 to 1994, as director of the Austin School Board from 2012 to the present, as negotiator for the Glenville-Emmons teachers for three contracts, as a member of the Austin Library Board for two years, and as a driver for Austin Meals on Wheels from 2010 to the present. He has also been the Austin Basketball Assignment Secretary for the past 20 years and the Austin Baseball Umpire Assignment Secretary for the past five years.

On the legislative level, Leathers served as Austin’s representative to SEREAM (Southeast Retired Educators’ Association of Minnesota) and is currently the SEREAM health chair and legislative chair. He has been diligent as a testifier at the Legislative Commission on Pensions and Retirement and has attended meetings of the Teachers Retirement Association Board, the Investment Advisory Council and the State Board of Investment.

Leathers has one main goal in mind while being involved with each of these groups and causes.

“To keep our members informed and try to influence legislatures to support defined benefit pensions,” Leathers said. “Not only for retirees but for the people just coming into the system.”

He lined up the slate of speakers for the joint mid-winter REAM/Ed MN Retired Conference. He attended the NRTA (National Retired Teachers Association) Convention in Washington, D.C., in 2013.

In 2014, Leathers was awarded the John Moriarity Government Involvement Award from REAM. In the spring of 2015, he received the SEREAM Educator Award.

Leathers has represented his fellow retired educators with a passion and with endless enthusiasm and plans to continue being involved in the future.