That’s Super, as in superintendent, but everyone attending Meg Van Dusen’s retirement party at the school district office agreed she was a super secretary and a super person.

After 19 years as an administrative assistant in the Oak Harbor School District, the last 10 as the superintendent’s executive assistant, Van Dusen is ready to move on.

She considers herself a life-long learner, and is mulling what classes to take at Skagit Valley College.

“My life is not over,” she said at the Feb. 27 party. “I’m looking forward to learning new things.”

Travel is also on her new agenda, and she’s already got a trip booked for the world figure skating championships in Washington, D.C. later this month.

A large group of Van Dusen’s friends, family and co-workers gathered at the school district headquarters to wish her well, and share their memories.

Vicki Harring, school board president, said Van Dusen is a wonderful person.

“We don’t want to let her go,” she said.

Part of Van Dusen’s job was to prepare the lengthy board packets, prod Superintendent Rick Schulte to get his superintendent’s report ready on time, and attend every board meeting to take minutes.

Schulte said the superintendent’s job can be a lonely job, and Van Dusen was the person he saw the most every day.

“She always anticipated what needed to be done,” he said. “She could almost read my mind.”

Schulte said he had such complete confidence in Van Dusen’s planning ability that he once went to a conference in Portland without checking where, or even whether, she had made hotel reservations for him. He confidently walked into the hotel where other school district members were staying, and his reservation was ready.

School board member John Dyer marveled at Van Dusen’s tenacity in leaving reminders for board members, including once leaving a handwritten note on his windshield.

In a neatly typewritten speech Van Dusen said she has been married 38 years, and considered herself lucky to be able to retire and say she had two jobs she loves.

“Years have gone by, and I really loved my job.”

Van Dusen met her husband William, known to all as “Van,” when they both worked for the CIA in Saigon. Van Dusen worked for the CIA for nine years right out of college, and served in Saigon, Taipei, and the Philippines.

Van Dusen is mum about her duties for the CIA, a quality which also made her a good school administrative assistant.

She started in the Oak Harbor School District as the receptionist at Oak Harbor Elementary, on the front line of contact.

Marv Seelye, retired Staff Services director, remembered Van Dusen’s sunny disposition in what can be a difficult job.

“No one went away from Meg in anything but an extremely happy mood,” he said.

Van Dusen’s last day on the job was March 3, and she had been training her replacement for the last month.

Naomi Hansen is new to school administration, but is no stranger to stress. She worked for State Supreme Court Justice Barbara Durham for 15 years, including 4 years when Durham was Chief Justice.

The superintendent’s executive assistant position brings Hansen full circle, as she has a degree in teaching and taught for two years before joining the legal field.

Hansen acknowledges it will be hard to replace Van Dusen, and doesn’t like to think of herself as “the new Meg,” as some have been calling her.

“Meg is a wealth of knowledge that can’t be replaced,” Hansen said. “People will have to be patient.”