In his own words Luke Davis, RISD Board of Trustees member and longtime Lake Highlands resident, says he's not sure if it's really "news."

For those who know him, however, and are aware of his 12-year tenure on the school board, it really is.

Davis made the announcement yesterday that he will not seek reelection in May of this year when his current term expires.

When I asked him what he'll miss most about serving, he told me it's an impossible question to answer.

Which of course makes sense, considering more than a decade's worth of people, events, elections and much more.

"Let me try to be succinct," he said.

"I will most miss [number one], the RISD 'family' – from students, to staff, to community."

"We live in a wonderful school district, and [number two] being part of a team that worked tirelessly to make decisions in the best interest of all children based upon our common and bold vision, mission, and goals."

Davis said he feels sure more will surface as he begins to process the memories and emotions of his 12 years of service.

Dr. Kay Waggoner, RISD Superintendent, described him as a valuable pillar of the RISD community.

"His dedication, experience and thoughtful leadership have helped the district maintain its tradition of educational and operational excellence through changing demographics, increasing accountability standards and uncertain state finances," said Waggoner.

"On behalf of Richardson ISD, we thank Mr. Davis and his family for his thousands of hours of service, freely given in support of the students, teachers, staff and taxpayers of our district."

For Lake Highlands specifically, the decision made by Davis is an important one.

That's because the seven members of the board are "at large" trustees, meaning they do not represent specific or defined areas of the school district.

So unlike the City Council, for example, which divides Dallas into defined districts and elects members to represent geographical areas (like District 10, Lake Highlands) each RISD trustee serves the entire district, hence the "at large" designation.

In short, there is no "Lake Highlands seat" or "Lake Highlands district."

An argument is easy to make, however, that Lake Highlands has a vested interest in working to make sure at least one representative from our community serves on the board.

In the 2010 election, Lake Highlands resident Darryl Smyers made a run at the Place 3 seat, which was ultimately won by Richardson resident, Kris Oliver, who currently serves as the board's treasurer.

Kim Caston, who has served as Place 2 trustee since 2007, will also see her term expire in May of this year.

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For a complete listing of the RISD Board of Trustees members, along with biographies, visit the Richardson Independent School District website here.

Lead photo courtesy of RISD, 400 S. Greenville Avenue, Richardson, Texas