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

  • Rice University to Build New Student Life Complex

    Rice University in Houston, Texas, recently announced that a groundbreaking ceremony for the upcoming Moody Center Complex for Student Life (MCCSL) will take place on May 8, 2025, according to a university news release. The 75,000-square-foot facility was designed by architecture firm Olson Kundig with Page serving as executive architect, and it has an estimated completion date of fall 2027.

  • Mesa West Capital Provides Loan to Refinance University of Georgia Residence Complex

    Mesa West Capital recently announced that it has provided a $133.9-million, short-term, first mortgage loan to developer LV Collective (“LV”) to refinance a student housing complex near the University of Georgia, according to a news release. Rambler Athens, a 750-bed residence hall adjacent to the campus, was completed in August 2024.

  • ECM Technologies Wins ‘Most Innovative Business of the Year’ Award

    HVAC preventative maintenance and efficiency solutions provider ECM Technologies was recently named the “Most Innovative Business of the Year” at the 2025 Champions of Change Awards, according to a news release. The program recognizes Arizona business leaders and organizations taking steps to make a positive impact on the state through innovative thinking and philanthropy.

  • Lewis C. Cassidy Elementary School

    Established in 1999, the Education Design Showcase is a vehicle for showing off innovative — yet practical — solutions in planning, design, architecture, and construction. Lewis C. Cassidy Elementary School has been recognized with an EDS 2025 Grand Prize award in the category of New Construction.

Digital Edition