Indianapolis – Governor Mike Pence today appointed members to the State Board of Education (SBOE), following the passage of Senate Enrolled Act 1, which reconstituted the SBOE and changed its composition.
“Today marks a fresh start for the State Board of Education,†said Governor Pence. “Ensuring a quality education for every Hoosier student remains of the utmost importance to our administration, and I commend the tireless efforts of the men and women who have devoted their time and expertise by serving on the Board. Hoosiers can be assured that the individuals appointed today to the State Board of Education bring to the table a wealth of unique educational experiences and remain wholeheartedly committed to serving our kids, our families, our teachers, and our schools.â€
Appointments and reappointments to the Board represent a range of urban, suburban, and rural school districts. The newly-appointed SBOE is comprised of individuals who have served at all levels of education – from teachers to superintendents. Other members are active in their communities and serve in leadership roles personally and professionally. Board members Andrea Neal and Dan Elsener asked not to be considered for reappointment.
Governor Pence appointed the following individuals to the State Board of Education:
Representing the First Congressional District, Eddie Melton has been appointed to serve on the SBOE through June 30, 2016. Melton, of Merrillville, works as Manager of Federal Governmental Relations and Community Relations at Northern Indiana Public Service Company (NIPSCO). Melton currently serves on the Commission on the Social Status of Black Males after being appointed by Governor Pence.  He also currently serves as Midwest Regional Director on the American Association of Blacks in Energy. He received the “20 Under 40†Young Professionals Award from The NWI Times Media Company in 2011, and received his bachelor’s degree from Calumet College of St. Joseph.
Dr. Vince Bertram, of the Fifth Congressional District, has been appointed to serve on SBOE through June 30, 2017. Bertram,of Zionsville, currently serves as President and Chief Executive Officer of Project Lead The Way (PLTW), headquartered in Indianapolis. He has also served as superintendent of Indiana’s third-largest urban school district and, in 2014, he was appointed by the U.S. Department of State to serve as the STEM education expert for the United States Speaker and Specialist Program. Bertram became a New York Times bestselling author in November 2014 with the release of his book, One Nation Under-Taught: Solving America’s Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math Crisis. He received his undergraduate, master’s, specialist, and doctorate degrees from Ball State University, a master’s degree in education policy and management from Harvard University, and an executive certificate in strategy and innovation from the MIT Sloan School of Management.
Lee Ann Kwiatkowski, of the Ninth Congressional District, has been appointed to serve on the SBOE through June 30, 2016. Kwiatkowski, of Greenwood, currently serves as Assistant Superintendent for School Improvement M.S.D. of Warren Township in Indianapolis. Previously, she held a variety of positions at the Indiana Department of Education, including Director of School Turnaround, Director of Differentiated Learning, and Director of the Title I program. She received her undergraduate degree from Indiana State University, her master’s degrees in elementary education and educational administration from Indiana University, and her educational specialist degree from Indiana Wesleyan University. She is currently working on her doctorate degree in education from Oakland City University.
In addition, the Governor reappointed the following individuals to the State Board of Education:
Dr. David Freitas, serving as the Second Congressional District appointee, has been reappointed to serve through June 30, 2018. Freitas, of Granger, has served on the SBOE since he was appointed by the Governor in June 2013. He has a vast array of experience and has served as a University Vice Provost, a College Dean of Education for more than 20 years, a professor of graduate-level university courses in educational leadership for more than 30 years, an elected city school board member, a State Department of Education official, a national and international invited speaker on education issues, a consultant for the U.S. Department of Education, and a public school teacher and administrator.
Cari Whicker has been reappointed to serve through June 30, 2019, representing the Third Congressional District. She has served on the SBOE since her appointment in April 2012. Whicker, of Uniondale, currently serves as a sixth grade language arts and social studies teacher at Riverview Middle School in Huntington.
Representing the Fourth Congressional District, Sarah O’Brien has been reappointed to serve on the SBOE through June 30, 2019. She has served on the SBOE since her appointment in April 2009. O’Brien, of Avon, currently works at River Birch Elementary School and will teach fourth grade next year.
Gordon Hendry, of Indianapolis, has been reappointed to represent the Seventh Congressional District on the SBOE through June 30, 2017, after first being appointed in September 2013. He is First Vice President of CBRE, Inc., where he serves as the Midwest regional leader of the company’s Public Institutions and Education Solutions Group.
Representing the Eighth Congressional District, BJ Watts has been reappointed to serve through June 30, 2018. He has served on the SBOE since his original appointment in 2012. Watts, of Evansville, has taught at the Evansville Vanderburgh School Corporation (EVSC) since 2001, is a member of the Evansville Teachers Association and the Indiana State Teachers Association, and currently serves on the National Association of State Boards of Education.
Under this reorganization, the Governor has eight appointments with staggered terms. They will serve alongside two legislative appointments and the Superintendent of Public Instruction. Of the Governor’s eight appointments, no more than five can be from the same political party, at least six must have professional experience in the field of education, and only one member can be appointed from a particular congressional district.
The next SBOE meeting is June 3, 2015 in West Lafayette.
