Auburn School District No. 408
915 4th Street Northeast, Auburn, WA  98002

5/23/05

NEWS RELEASE
Jennifer Milks to be Recognized by
Auburn School District Board of Directors

On Monday, May 23, the Auburn School Board of Directors will recognize Jennifer Milks, technological service manager, for her outstanding years of service with Auburn School District. Ms. Milks has been working in the district’s Information Technology Department for over 17 years. In the fall of her senior year at Auburn High School (AHS), Ms. Milks became one of the first interns for the district after she initiated the conversation with Neil Vien, executive director of information technology. She needed to establish an internship through her high school mentorship class and she was very interested in computers. Ms. Milks worked for a few hours twice a week throughout the school year. After graduating from AHS in the spring of 1989, she began attending the University of Washington with the intention of becoming an engineer. She worked part-time during the summers for the district. In her sophomore year of college, Ms. Milks changed her major to business. By February 1991, Jennifer was working half-time at the district and going to the U. of W. full-time while commuting. In 1992, she transferred to Green River Community College to complete her associate arts degree. In 1992-93, she attended Central Washington University’s extended campus as a junior. In 1996, Ms. Milks graduated with her business degree after working three quarter time and attending college in the evenings. Ms. Milks serves as a role model of pursing goals. “My parents were great in their support of helping me to achieve my goal of a college degree,” said Ms. Milks. After college graduation, Ms. Milks began working full-time earning her Microsoft certification. Her current job responsibility is to give high-level technical resolution and review new and emerging technology. “I like that I am always exposed to emerging technology. I also like seeing the results of my work such as computers in classrooms,” said Ms. Milks. Neil Vien praises Ms. Milks, “I am grateful for Jennifer Milks’ courage, fortitude, expertise, sense of humor, and unflagging loyalty in leading our applied technology deployments. There is also a Texas-sized, technical capacity that caused me to hire her, half her life ago, and regret not one single day. Her contribution to this organization’s technological evolution is immeasurable and we all know it.” Ms. Milks’ fifth grade son, Kie, is her focus outside of work and is the “centering force in her life.”

For more information, contact Superintendent Linda Cowan at (253) 931-4914.