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 five new members to its board of directors during its Annual Conference last month in Denver. Rachel Wise, a member of the Nebraska State Board of Education, became NASBE’s chair of the board at the close of the conference. Brooke Axiotis, president of the Iowa State Board of Education, was voted NASBE’s chair-elect and begins her term on the board immediately. She will begin to serve as chair of NASBE’s board at the close of its 2019 Annual Conference. The membership also elected regional officers, each serving two-year terms.

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

  • Karen Williams, District of Columbia, (Northeastern Region)
  • Stephanie Bell, Alabama (reelected to the Southern Region)
  • Vic Lenz, Missouri (reelected to the Central Region)
  • Janet Cannon, Utah (Western Region)
  • Jason Dean, Mississippi (New State Board Member Representative)
  • Todd Allen, Kentucky (NCOSEA Representative, serving one year)

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

  • John Kelly, Mississippi (serving as immediate past chair)
  • Byron Ernest, Indiana (serving as secretary-treasurer)
  • Estela López, Connecticut (Northeastern Region)
  • Kevin Boyd, Georgia (Southern Region)
  • Lupe Ramos-Montigny, Michigan (Central Region)
  • Angelika Schroeder, Colorado (Western Region)
  • Ronald McNinch, Guam (New State Board Member Representative)
  • John-Paul Hayworth, District of Columbia (NCSBEE Representative)

 “Our new strategic plan is focused on empowering state boards to fully embrace their role as citizen leaders while continuing to offer combined decades of expertise to meet boards’ ongoing needs and ensuring sustainability,” says NASBE President and CEO Kristen Amundson. “Members of NASBE’s board of directors will lead our organization in this important work.”

For 60 years, NASBE has served as the only membership organization for state boards of education. A nonpartisan, nonprofit organization, NASBE elevates state board members’ voices in national and state policymaking, facilitates the exchange of informed ideas, and supports members in advancing equity and excellence in public education for students of all races, genders, and circumstances. Learn more at www.nasbe.org.

Featured

  • Designing Third Spaces That Do What AI Can't

    In 2026, education is evolving faster than ever. With AI reshaping everything from lesson planning to personalized instruction, schools and universities are turning their attention to what AI can’t replicate: spaces that foster collaboration, community, and creativity.

  • Quattrocchi Kwok Architects Opens New Office in Denver

    Education planning and design firm Quattrocchi Kwok Architects (QKA) recently announced that it has opened a new office in Denver, Colo., the firm’s third overall. QKA is headquartered in Santa Rosa, Calif., and runs an East Bay Area office in Oakland.

  • Virginia Tech Tops Out New College of Engineering Building

    Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Va., recently celebrated the topping out of Mitchell Hall, which will soon stand as the largest College of Engineering building on campus, according to a news release. The university partnered with Skanska on the 285,500-square-foot facility, which has an expected completion date of winter 2028.

  • Academy of Classical Education Breaks Ground in Louisiana

    Charter Schools USA (CSUSA) recently announced the groundbreaking of a new public charter school in Covington, La., according to a news release. The Academy of Classical Education at Covington will enroll students in grades K–8 and is scheduled for completion in August 2026, just in time for the new school year.