Today we announce with great sadness to all of our members, councils, and affiliates the passing of Kent Williamson, Emeritus Executive Director of the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE). We extend our sincerest condolences to the Williamson family and to everyone at NCTE.

Kent was a gracious person, a great colleague, and a tremendous leader. Many of our board members and staff had occasion to work with him on various projects over the years. His was a strong commitment to the collaborative action that unites literacy professionals in finding new ways to enhance classroom instruction and advocate for the resources to reach the most needful students and school districts.

Kent believed that capacity building was critical to our common efforts. He saw a future in which local professional learning communities disseminated and digested the latest literacy research, and in which mentoring drove pedagogical enhancements that have the greatest impact on student learning. He also understood that professional development must be ongoing.

Under Kent’s leadership, NCTE launched initiatives in mentoring, online learning, and collaborative advocacy, including the National Center for Literacy Education (NCLE). He had a great appreciation for the work of other literacy associations and thrived on communal exchanges. He was always happy to share the insights of his experience and to make connections for others, and he did so with great generosity.

In this mournful moment, we offer our condolences to Barbara Cambridge, NCTE's Interim Executive Director; Kathy G. Short, President, NCTE; the NCTE Board of Directors; and to all the staff at NCTE. Our hearts are with you all. We share your loss, and we stand ready to assist you in any way we can in the days to come.

Great challenges lie ahead for literacy professionals, as do important opportunities. We know that Kent would be counting on us to keep our collaboration strong.

In Grateful Memory,
The International Literacy Association Community