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Dear Dave, Thank you for welcoming me into the open community. I learned SO much from you and your fantastic team starting in 2017 when I was just figuring this all out. Your clear approach to what works was exactly what I needed when OER seemed too big to get my arms around. I appreciated your in-person visits to Indiana, all my trips to Minnesota for the Summer Summit, learning leadership firsthand while on the Steering Committee, and all the little conversations in between. Again, thank you for making the community so approachable with your warm spirit and helping to shepherd us into the future with your vision. You have made quite an impact, and we will miss you! With much appreciation, respect, and well wishes,

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Dear Dave, THANK YOU for bringing me into your orbit way back at the beginning of the OTN. Your model of leadership has helped me grow in my role at Open Oregon Educational Resources. I appreciate all the practical and humane ways that you have found to respond to real and pressing needs in higher ed. Sending you very best wishes for your new chapter :)

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OEN would not exist in its current form without you, Dave. Thank you for your dedication to creating an open education community rooted in the standards of being welcoming and kind.

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Thank you, Dave! I appreciate your kind and generous leadership. You've been an inspiration to me and I wish you the best!

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Dave, I cannot imagine the OEN with all it's current progress and success without you, and you have created the foundation for movement. When people speak about 'standing on the shoulders of giants' you need to understand that you are one of those giants. Your enthusiasm is only eclipsed by your professionalism, fairness, generosity, and deep ethical core. I have learned so much from you - not just about open education, but about leadership. I've appreciated your willingness to think about the future, sustainability, inclusion, and most of all how accessible you have made yourself to the community. Your influence in open education, and legacy is undeniable, and I hope you understand that you have changed lives internationally - mine included.

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Dave,

It's been an honor, a privilege, and a joy to work with you. The Open Education Network has grown so much under your leadership. Thank you for your kindness, wisdom, enthusiasm, and vision. You will be greatly missed as Executive Director!

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Thank you, Dave, for being so wonderful to work with over the years. I have so many great memories of seeing you at events, creating OEN materials together, and talking about our shared love of Glenda & Ohio. :) You have been a model for me of how to follow your dream, lead with patience and kindness, and lift others up as a mentor. I am so grateful!

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We literally don't know the OEN without you, Dave, and you are the reason it's such a vibrant, vital organization, leading the way in open education! I have truly appreciated your ability to listen, understand various perspectives, and think about the big picture. I appreciate your trust in placing me on the Steering Committee and I was privileged to see you in that context, thoughtful and responsive to community needs and even competing ideas. It may seem minor in the grand scheme, but I am so grateful you wrote a letter in support of my soon-to-be-official promotion in rank. You spoke so kindly of my contributions, another example of your eagerness to share credit for what YOU have built--this community grounded in the values that ultimately benefits our students! Thank you isn't enough but it will have to do. :)

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Anne Marie Gruber, University of Northern Iowa

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Dave,

Thank you! I first met you in 2017 in Minnesota at the OTN Summer Institute and Summit. It was an incredible experience, and one that has changed the direction of my career. Your leadership and guidance has made the Open Education Network a vibrant community. I thank you for all your work. You've made a true difference in the world. All the best to you!

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Dave, you've made such an impact in Open that you've helped launch not just a network, but an entire field. Your knack for storytelling and your drive to organize guided our voices for well over a decade. Thanks so much!

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Dave, you are amazing! I'm not sure what to say, so I'll keep it short and just say: thank you for everything.

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Dave,

Your understanding of and dedication to the open movement has truly been a game changer not only to me but to higher education as a whole. Thank you for your tireless work to found and then run the Open Education Network. You have brought together people from around the globe and got them talking and sharing about the impact and importance of open education. Your influence will continue to be felt for years to come both in OEN and the open community in general.

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Thank you, Dave, for all you gave to creating the OEN with everyone. It has been clear from the beginning of my involvement that you wanted this network to truly highlight the strengths of member institutions while supporting the needs of new OER practitioners so that everyone could succeed. In doing this work you got to know members and I very much appreciate the encouragement you continued to provide as I slogged on with my own work. Best of luck with everything that comes next!

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Thank you, Dave, for being a remarkable and tenacious leader and advocate for open education! You have helped to shape the OEN into a thriving community that will both nurture and sustain itself far into the future. We are grateful for your work, and wish you all the best!

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Thank you, Dave, for all of your incredible work with OEN! It is because of OEN that I am an OER Librarian today since they introduced me to concepts and piqued my interest enough for me to pursue it further! Best wishes!

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Tim Sandusky, Bowling Green State University

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I began learning about OER in 2015 when UA Cossatot launched Arkansas’s first internal textbook rental and OER program. Through research, I learned about the Open Textbook Network. After I contacted them and we had some meetings, we formally joined the Network. I first met Dave Ernst in 2018 while attending the Summer Institute in Chaska, Minnesota. He was one of the first people I met in person, and he patiently let me ramble enthusiastically about all the plans I had for OER in Arkansas. He was so supportive and encouraging.

In 2019, I was selected to be a member of the six-person steering committee for the Open Education Network and Dave’s leadership made an indelible impression on me. Since then, I’ve shared our journey with OER both nationally and globally, joined more organizations and leadership roles, and most of all, continued to learn from a large network of fellow OER advocates, but in my presentations, I always mention our roots and how the OEN was so important to our success.

UA Cossatot leads Arkansas with 80% of its courses taught with open resources and I often credit Dave Ernst for helping us with that accomplishment because we wouldn’t be where we are without having joined the OEN nearly a decade ago. That summer in 2018 was my introduction to other OER advocates and as I was meeting Dave for the first time, I remember thinking, “If everyone here is as amazing and as passionate about OER as this guy, these are my people.” I wasn’t wrong.

I can’t talk about Open Education without mentioning Dave Ernst; he is a respected leader in the field and built a foundation that has supported such amazing growth. I wish you the best in all your future endeavors, Dave, and thank you for all your contributions to the world of Open Education. You were one of the early influencers to the field and you have impacted so many lives with your kindness and patient leadership. Thank you.

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Thank you Dave for your energy and enthusiasm in developing the OEN. The OEN was both a beacon of light and a treasure trove when I started exploring open education. I particularly want to thank you for being so supportive of the UK community, and for making it possible to establish the UK and Ireland OER Community of Practice. All of our progress and each of our achievements are down to you and your vision. I wish you all the very best for the future!

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Before I joined the world of Open, I didn't know Dave. Over the past year and a half, though, I've heard his name come up again and again, always with deep respect and gratitude. I've also had the chance to be in a few Zoom meetings with him, and it's been easy to see why his leadership has meant so much to so many. I'm deeply inspired by Dave's passion for Open Education and all his contributions to the field. As someone who hopes to return to teaching in the future, I carry his example with me. Thank you, Dave, for the path you've helped create for all of us and all the lives you have impacted through your work! 💖