Staff
Paolo DeMaria is president and CEO of the National Association of State Boards of Education. He recently retired as the State Superintendent of Public Instruction in Ohio after five years of service. In that role his proudest accomplishment was the collaborative development of Each Child, Our Future, Ohio’s strategic plan for education that continues to […]
Staff
Celina Pierrottet manages NASBE’s work on student wellness. She oversees grant projects and member services that provide state policymakers with evidence-based practices and technical assistance to ensure all students can learn and thrive in healthy school environments. After earning a Master of Arts in Education from the College of William and Mary, Pierrottet spent six […]
Board Members
Fern Desjardins was nominated to the Maine State Board of Education by former Governor Paul LePage and was confirmed by the Maine Senate in April 2018 for a term of 5 years. She currently serves on the state board’s construction committee and sits on the Maine Charter School Commission. In the past, Desjardins has served […]
Board Members
Sarah Moore was appointed to the Arkansas State Board of Education in 2018 by Governor Asa Hutchinson to represent Arkansas’ first congressional district. A resident of Stuttgart, Moore taught elementary school in the Stuttgart School District and then worked at the Office for Education Policy at the University of Arkansas. In addition, she has worked […]
Staff
Joseph (Joey) Hedger supports the writing, editing, and production of NASBE’s publications, including the State Education Standard. He also works on the health and wellness and early childhood education policy areas, staffs NASBE’s Public Education Positions Committee, and has written on topics such as early literacy, lead in drinking water, and substance abuse. Previously, he […]
Staff
Abigail (Abby) Potts works to engage and empower members to lead and advocate in federal and state policy in the best interest of students, educators, and families. She tracks key policy issues where state boards will play a critical leadership role, synthesizes research and evidence on member policy priorities, and facilitates the work of NASBE’s […]
People
Brooke Axiotis is president of the Iowa State Board of Education. She works at Drake Law School as the director of academic success programs and is a member of the Iowa State Bar Association. Her community activities involve participating in the Goodwill of Central Iowa board, the Urban Ag Academy board, and most recently, chairing the […]
Staff
Winona Hao, manages NASBE’s Early Childhood Education (ECE) work. She provides state policymakers with ECE policy trends, analyses, and technical assistance. Hao oversees NASBE’s ECE State Network where she supports state teams and works with national partners to advance the workforce for children from birth through age eight. For eight years, Hao taught children from […]
