News Release

November 14, 2019

NEBRASKA COMMISSIONER CHOSEN AS CCSSO PRESIDENT-ELECT

The Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) announced its 2019-20 Board of Directors this week, following elections at the 2019 Annual Policy Forum in Atlanta, GA.

Jillian Balow, Superintendent of Public Instruction in Wyoming, assumed the presidency and Matthew L. Blomstedt, Nebraska Commissioner of Education, was chosen as president-elect.

CCSSO is a nonpartisan, nationwide, nonprofit organization of public officials who head departments of elementary and secondary education in the states, the District of Columbia, the Department of Defense Education Activity, Bureau of Indian Education, and five U.S. extra-state jurisdictions. CCSSO provides leadership, advocacy, and technical assistance on major educational issues. The Council seeks member consensus on major educational issues and expresses their views to civic and professional organizations, federal agencies, Congress, and the public.

CCSSO’s Board of Directors manages the overall business affairs of the Council and is the governing body of the organization. The board is composed of the president, the president-elect, the past president, and six directors elected by the members from the CCSSO membership.

“The state chiefs elected to CCSSO’s board share a steadfast commitment to ensuring every student thrives in school and graduates high school ready for college and career. Equity is at the heart of the work America’s state chiefs do every day, and I look forward to working with this board to continue that responsibility,” said Carissa Moffat Miller, executive director of CCSSO.

The following is a list of CCSSO’s 2019-20 Board of Directors:

  • President: Jillian Balow, Wyoming
  • President-Elect: Matthew L. Blomstedt, Nebraska
  • Past President: Pedro Rivera, Pennsylvania
  • Board Member: Kirsten Baesler, North Dakota
  • Board Member: Sydnee Dickson, Utah
  • Board Member: Michael Johnson, Alaska
  • Board Member: Christina Kishimoto, Hawaii
  • Board Member: Molly Spearman, South Carolina

Board Member: Carey Wright, Mississippi

####
David Jespersen
Public Information Officer, Nebraska Department of Education
402-471-4537
david.jespersen@nebraska.gov
@NDE_News