NASBE Membership Elects New Leaders to Its Board of Directors

Alexandria, Va. — The National Association of State Boards of Education is pleased to announce the election of seven new members of its board of directors during its 57th Annual Conference last week in Baltimore. Jay Barth, a member of the Arkansas State Board of Education, was voted NASBE’s president-elect. Barth will begin his term as president-elect in January 2016 and then serve as president of the association in 2017. Jim McNiece, the current president-elect and member of the Kansas State Board of Education, starts his term as NASBE’s president in January. Georgia State Board Member Scott Johnson was also appointed to a two-year term on NASBE’s board as secretary-treasurer. The membership also elected regional officers. Their two-year terms also begin in January.

Newly elected to the board for two-year terms were the following:

  • Mary Ann Stewart, Massachusetts (Northeast Region)
  • Mireya Reith, Arkansas (Southern Region)
  • Angelika Schroeder, Colorado (Western Region)
  • Brooke Axiotis, Iowa (Central Region)
  • Byron Ernest, Indiana (New State Board Member Representative)
  • Catherine T. Hickey (NCOSEA Representative, serving one year)

This group will join the following board members who are returning for their second year:

  • Mary Lord, District of Columbia (serving as past-president)
  • Madhu Sidhu, Maryland (Southern Region)
  • Samuel Henry, Oregon (Western Region)
  • Allan Taylor, Connecticut (Northeast Region)
  • Richard Zeile, Michigan (Central Region)
  • Gordon Hendry, Indiana (New State Board Member Representative)
  • Donna Johnson, Delaware (NCSBEE Representative)

“Now more than ever, states are playing a more robust role in determining how our nation educates its children, and state boards of education are central to this work,” says NASBE Executive Director Kristen Amundson. “I am thrilled to have such a strong board of directors to help lead NASBE during this exciting time.”

The National Association of State Boards of Education represents America’s state and territorial boards of education. Our principal objectives are to strengthen state leadership in education policymaking, advocate equality of access to educational opportunity, promote excellence in the education of all students, and ensure responsible lay governance of education.

Featured

  • Photo courtesy of Kraus-Anderson

    Minnesota District Completes $49.7M Addition, Renovation Project

    St. Paul Public Schools in St. Paul, Minn., recently announced the completion of a $49.7-million addition and remodeling project at two district schools, according to a news release.

  • St. John Fisher University

    Classroom Revitalization – Basil Hall Room 216

    Established in 1999, the Education Design Showcase is a vehicle for showing off innovative — yet practical — solutions in planning, design, architecture, and construction. St. John Fisher University's Basil Hall Room 216 Classroom Revitalization has been recognized with an EDS 2026 Project of Distinction award in the category of Spaces.

  • A digital silhouette works at a computer, immersed in a glowing, interconnected world

    How Will AI Transform Learning Space Design?

    For years, higher education has designed learning spaces around technology as a tool for display, capture, collaboration, and connectivity. AI changes that equation.

  • Wisconsin District Breaks Ground on New Elementary School

    The School District of La Crosse in La Crosse, Wis., recently broke ground on a new elementary school that will consolidate the students and staff of two existing schools, according to local news. Funding for the school comes from a $53-million referendum approved in 2024.