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NCSL Task Force on Federal Education PolicyCO-CHAIRSSENATOR ROBERT H. “BOB” PLYMALE (D – WEST VIRGINIA)Chair, Senate Education CommitteeBrief Bio: Senator Plymale is Director of the Rahall Transportation Institute. He was born in Huntington, West Virginia and attended Marshall University.Senator Plymale and his wife Jennifer have three children Lauren, Allison and James. Plymale is a member of the Huntington Regional Chamber ofCommerce, Huntington Museum of Art, Wayne County Economic Development Authority, Co-President Keith Albee Theater Performing Arts, Inc. SenatorPylmale serves on the South Regional Education Board Executive Committee and Advisory Council, Education Commission of the States, National CoalHeritage Authority, Vice-Chairman, NCSL Education Committee and NCSL Blue Ribbon Commission on Higher Education Finance. Member of the NCSLNational Task Force on “No Child Left Behind”, NCSL Blue Ribbon Commission for Higher Education and Co-Chair of the NCSL Federal EducationPolicy Task Force. He has been a member of the West Virginia Legislature since 1992 and is Chairman of the Senate Committee on Education, prior to thathe was Chairman of the Senate Committee on Pensions. He has also served as Vice Chair, Committees on Education and Health and Human Resources,Chairman of Committee on Transportation, Co-Chairman, Forest Management Review Commission, member of the Infrastructure & Jobs DevelopmentCouncil and Chairman of the Select Committee on PEIA.
SENATOR STEPHEN M. SALAND (R – NEW YORK)Former President, NCSLBrief Bio: Stephen M. Saland is a graduate of Poughkeepsie High School, the University of Buffalo, and Rutgers Law School. Senator Saland is a member ofthe Dutchess County Bar Association and the New York State Bar Association. He presently maintains a law practice at 75 Washington Street inPoughkeepsie, where he is of counsel to Gellert & Klein, P.C.He has previously served as a Town Councilman in the Town of Wappinger. Prior to winning election to the New York State Senate in the 1990 GeneralElection, Senator Saland served in the State Assembly from 1980 through 1990. Senator Saland represents the 41st Senate District which includes all ofColumbia County and most of Dutchess County.Senator Saland currently serves as Assistant Minority Whip and Ranking Member of the Senate Consumer Protection Committee. He has served as theChairman of the Senate Education Committee, Chairman of the Senate Children and Families Committee, Chairman of the Majority Steering Committee andDeputy Majority Leader for State/Federal Relations. He was responsible for reforming New York State's domestic violence law by drafting the "FamilyProtection and Domestic Violence Intervention Act," completely revamping the way in which the state of New York combats domestic violence. In 2000Senator Saland won a major victory for school children and their families, when he authored legislation to protect children from abusive school employees.This legislation requires employees of public school districts to submit fingerprints allowing for extensive criminal history background checks.Saland is the author of more than 350 laws affecting a wide variety of areas including criminal justice and victims' rights, domestic violence and child abuse,protecting the rights of those with autism and other disabilities, economic development and environmental protection, including the legislation creating theHudson River Valley Greenway.Senator Saland served as President of the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) from 2001-2002. He also served as President of the NCSLFoundation for State Legislatures and currently serves as a member of the Board of Directors. He was appointed by former United States Attorney GeneralReno to the Working Group on Principles for the Federalization of Criminal Law. The Senator has been a featured speaker at the Brookings Institutiondiscussing the impact of federalism on our criminal justice system. In April 2004 he was appointed Co-Chair of the National Conference of State LegislaturesTask Force on No Child Left Behind. In May of 2008, he was appointed Co-Chair of the National Conference of State Legislature’s Task Force on FederalEducation Policy. He also served as a member of the Board of Directors of the Forum on Democracy and Trade.During his service in the legislature he has received awards from numerous organizations, including the New York State School Boards Association (an2
unprecedented two-time recipient), the Metropolitan Police Conference, the New York State Corrections Officers, the New York State Association ofCounties, the New York State Farm Bureau, the Federation on Child Abuse and Neglect, the National Federation of Independent Businesses (NFIB), Friendsof Manufacturing Award, the Dutchess County Medical Society, Columbia Memorial Hospital, Columbia County Sportsmen's Federation, the American LungAssociation of Northeastern New York, Association of New York State Youth Bureaus, Anderson School Community Service Award, the American HeartAssociation, the New York State Coalition for Children's Mental Health Services, the Child Abuse Prevention Center of Dutchess County and the St. CabriniHome Gold Medal Award. He has also received St. Francis Hospital's Franciscan Award, and the Marist College President's Award for his dedication andservice to the people of the Mid- Hudson Valley. Senator Saland has also received an honorary Doctor of Laws degree from Marist College and the GeminiAward from Columbia-Greene Community College. Senator Saland, his wife Linda and their family were named "Family of the Year" by Family Services, Inc.Senator Saland and Mrs. Saland have received the Poughkeepsie Area Chamber of Commerce's Community Spirit Award.He and his wife reside in the Town of Poughkeepsie and have four sons and four grandchildren.ROBIN JOHNSON (NORTH CAROLINA)General Counsel, Speaker of the HouseBrief Bio: Robin Johnson is General Counsel for the Office of Speaker Joe Hackney, North Carolina House of Representatives. For 15 years, she was alegislative analyst and lead attorney for the education committees of the North Carolina General Assembly. Robin has been active in NCSL, serving as staffchair of NCSL’s Federal Role in Education Task Force, staff chair of its No Child Left Behind Task Force, staff chair of its Education Committee, and cochair of the Legislative Education Staff Network. Before law school, she was a learning disabilities teacher for five years in NC and five years in the Chicagosuburbs. Robin earned a BS in Special Education from Illinois State University and a JD from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.3
MEMBERSREPRESENTATIVE RAE ANN KELSCH (R – NORTH DAKOTA)Chair, House Education CommitteeFormer Chair, NCSL Education CommitteeBrief Bio: Director, Upper Midwest Region, State Government Affairs, Alltel Mayville-Portland High School BS, UND 2007-08 NCSL Chair,Education Committee 2008-09 NCSL Vice-Chair, Overall Standing Committees Education Commission of the State, Steering, Nominating and ExecutiveCommittees GNDA Community Leadership Award Married Husband’s name Thomas 3 children House Member since 1991.Representative Betty Komp (D – OREGON)Vice-Chair, House Education CommitteeVice-Chair, NCSL Education CommitteeBrief Bio: Fewer than one in five students at French Prairie Middle School could read at their grade level when Betty Komp accepted a job as the school’sprincipal. It would have been easy to turn down the job and keep looking for a school with more promising prospects, but Betty felt a kinship with thestudents. Betty started behind the curve from the outset of grade school. “We didn’t have anything to read in the house until I reached the sixth grade,”Betty said. “When I started school, I didn’t understand the concept of letters, much less how they combine to make sounds.” As the third of what wouldeventually be 14 children and growing up on a dairy farm, education came second to work. Betty quickly became the primary caregiver for her youngersiblings. It imbued in her a sense of fierce independence and self-sufficiency. She married at 18 and started a family, but later found herself raising fourchildren on her own, using skills she’d learned on the farm like tending her own garden and sewing clothes for the kids. Betty was 35 and looking for a lifechange when she began investigating college. She enrolled at Chemeketa Community College, transferred to Western Oregon University and graduated in1990 with a bachelor’s degree. She took a job teaching at Woodburn High School and began working on a master’s degree, which she received in 1992. In4
1994 Betty was hired as an assistant principal at Woodburn. It was a time of intense gang activity and violence at the high school. She was part of anadministrative team that created a zero-tolerance plan for gang activity in the school. By advocating for high standards of discipline, Betty gained the respectof students, staff, and the community by lowering the dropout rate, improving the attendance rate and cracking down on gang activity. Every staff andfaculty member was retrained to teach reading at the most basic levels and progress came rapidly. Within four years, significantly more students at the schoolwere reading at their grade level and the school’s performance rankings improved from “low” to “strong.” Basing her campaign on the strength of herexperience, Betty was elected to the Oregon House of Representatives in November 2004 and sworn into office on January 10, 2005.REPRESENTATIVE MARVIN W. LUCAS (D – NORTH CAROLINA)Chair, House Education CommitteeBrief Bio:Terms in House: 5District: 42Counties Represented: CumberlandRetired - Principal5
REPRESENTATIVE RICK MIERA (D – NEW MEXICO)Chair, House Education CommitteeBrief Bio:District: 11County: BernalilloRepresentative Since: 1991Occupation: Therapist & ConsultantREPRESENTATIVE GREGORY W. PORTER (D – INDIANA)Chair, House Education CommitteeBrief Bio: State Representative Gregory W. Porter is a member of the Indiana General Assembly. He is now serving his 9th term for Indiana House District96 in Indianapolis, Indiana. Porter is also vice-president of External Affairs for the Health and Hospital Corporation of Marion County.During his tenure as chairman of the House Education Committee, he has been a strong advocate for early education, public education, higher education andproprietary schools. He is the education chairman for the National Black Caucus of State Legislators, Indiana House Education Committee and the Councilof State Government. He has authored legislation, which established accountability and standards for all K–12 school districts in the state, culturalcompetency and addressing educational disparities. Representative Porter is past chairman of the Indiana Black Legislative Caucus and has also authored andsponsored some of the most significant education, small business, economic development and health legislation. Porter also serves on the Courts & CriminalCode Committee and the Insurance Committee.6
Porter currently holds a number of board positions and other leadership roles nationally. Porter is affiliated with the National Black Caucus of StateLegislators, the National Conference of State Legislatures, Governor's Education Roundtable, Independent Colleges of Indiana, Earlham College African–American Advisory Board, National Commission on Teach America's Future, National Conference of State Legislatures Task Force on Federal EducationPolicy and co–chairs the State Legislators’ Drop Out Prevention Task Force and is a former member of the National Task Force on No Child Left Behind.Greg is an Indianapolis native. He serves on a variety of community– and neighborhood–based organizations, including: Mapleton Fall Creek CommunityDevelopment Corporation, Indianapolis Urban League, Martin Center, Indiana School for the Deaf, Indiana Minority Health Coalition, St. Vincent NewHope, NAACP, Fay Biccard Click Neighborhood Center at Crooked Creek, and is co–chair of the United Negro College Fund "Evening of Stars Gala."He is a recipient of numerous awards and honors not limited to: National Black Caucus of State Legislators; Eli Lilly Legislator of the Year Award, BlackNurses Association Award, Indiana Early Care & Education Legislative Award, Mozel Sanders Drum Major for Justice Award, the Indianapolis EducationalAssociation Human Rights Legislative & Political Education Award, Indiana Legislator of the Year, Indiana Association of Private Career Schools,Mapleton–Fall Creek Development Corporation Award, Randolph Meadows Memorial Award, and Indiana Regional Minority Supplier DevelopmentCouncil Award.Representative Porter is a graduate of Shortridge High School and holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Earlham College, where he received the OutstandingAlumni Award. He graduated from Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government Executive Program in 2001 and was also a participant onHarvard’s Working Group on Early Childhood Science & Policy.He is a faithful member of Phillips Temple C.M.E. Church, where he serves as trustee and is on the usher board. Greg and his wife Yvette, have threechildren: Dewayne, Amann and Carmen Elizabeth.REPRESENTATIVE JAMES R. ROEBUCK (D – PENNSYLVANIA)Chair, House Education CommitteeBrief Bio: Representative Roebuck has served in the legislature since 1985. He was born in Philadelphia, Pa. and continues to live there today with his wifeCheryl. He graduated from Central High School, 1963, Virginia Union University, B.A. with honors, 1966 and the University of Virginia, M.A., 1969; Ph.D.,1977. Other office held include: PA Historical and Museum Commission Member, Black History Advisory Committee, PA Higher Education Assistance7
Agency Member, Board of Directors and PA Legislative Black Caucus Member.(FORMER) REPRESENTATIVE KORY HOLDAWAY (R – UTAH)Former Chair, NCSL Education CommitteeBrief Bio: Kory Holdaway recently retired from the Utah Legislature and now serves as government relations director for the Utah Education Association.A special education teacher at Taylorsville High School, he has represented Taylorsville and West Valley City since 1999. He has been a leading proponentfor public and higher education, including serving most recently as co-chairman of the Higher Education Appropriations Committee.REPRESENTATIVE ROB EISSLER (R – TEXAS)Chair, House Public Education CommitteeBrief Bio: Rob Eissler is the President of Eissler and Associates, an executive recruiting firm based in his hometown of thirty years, The Woodlands, Texas.He received a B.A. in Architecture from Princeton University, and then served his country as a carrier-based attack pilot on the USS John F. Kennedy in theUnited States Navy.Representative Eissler has spent twenty-five years dedicated to the public education system of Texas, 18 of which were on the Conroe Independent SchoolDistrict Board of Trustees, including two terms as President.In 1999, he was named one of 25 "Original Hometown Heroes" for The Woodlands by The Woodlands Villager/Courier newspapers and The Woodlands8
Operating Company, L.P. The Chamber of Commerce named him "Citizen of the Year" in 1999, where he served as the Chairman of the Board in 1988. Mr.Eissler has also served as the President of the Woodlands Rotary Club and as a board member of the South Montgomery Y.M.C.A. He coached youth sportsfor twenty years and is well known as one of the voices of High School Football on the local radio broadcast of area games.Mr. Eissler was elected to represent District 15 as State Representative in November of 2002. He was appointed to serve as Chairman of the PublicEducation Committee in his third and fourth session. Among many other honors, Representative Eissler was recently named one of Texas Monthly s "Top10 Legislators" of 2009. He received Honorable Mention for this in 2007. His work on reforming the public school accountability system during the 81stLegislative Session helped place Texas at the nation's forefront in public education. In 2005, he was named one of the Top Texas Legislators of the 79thLegislative Session by Capitol Inside. Rep. Eissler has also been named Legislator of the Year by the Texas Council of Special Education Administrators,received The Texas Foreign Language Association's Distinguished Public Service Award, The Texas Art Education Association's Governmental Award forMeritorious Service in the Arts, The Texas Music Educators Association Distinguished Service Award and the Champion for Free Enterprise Award by theTexas Association of Business three times. He is currently the Director of Texas Education Reform Foundation.He was presented with the Star Award by Texans Standing Tall in recognition of his efforts during the 79th Legislature to reduce and prevent theconsequences of underage alcohol use and binge drinking. He has served on committees for the Southern Regional Education Board comprised of 16 statesand was appointed by the Governor to their Board. He has received the STAR award from the Texas Classroom Teachers Association twice. Governor Perryappointed Representative Eissler to the Education Commission of the States in October of 2007 where he will represent Texas as one of 7 Commissioners.In February, 2008, he was awarded Legislative Advocate of the Year by the Texas PTA and the 2008 Friend of Texas Children Award from United Ways ofTexas. He was also awarded Legislative Advocate of the Year by the Texas PTA again in 2009.Rob and his wife Linda have three adult children and are members of The Woodlands United Methodist Church.SENATOR JOHN VRATIL (R – KANSAS)Senate Vice PresidentVice-Chair, Senate Education CommitteeVice-Chair, NCSL Education CommitteeBrief Bio: Senator Vratil is the senior litigator in the Kansas office and has extensive litigation experience in matters involving securities, property taxation,contracts, employment claims, secured transactions, real estate, zoning and school law. He currently serves as a Kansas State Senator from the 11th SenateDistrict. Senator Vratil's community activities include: Kansas State Senator (1998- ); Senate Vice-President; Chrm., Judiciary Committee; Vice-Chrm.,Education Committee, Kansas Access to Justice Committee (1996-97), Overland Park Chamber of Commerce; President (1988), Board of Directors (19859
89), Legal Counsel (1990-93), Overland Park Convention and Visitors Bureau, Inc.; Board of Directors (1988), Shawnee Mission Medical Center Foundation;Board of Directors (1994- ), Johnson County Community College Foundation; Board of Directors (2000- ), Johnson County Republican Party; PrecinctCommitteeman (1996-99), Village Presbyterian Church; Elder and former Clerk of Session, City of Prairie Village; Planning Commission (1983-84),Recreation Commission (1982-83), Usher Mansion Historical Foundation; Vice-President, Coach of youth athletic teams.Education:University of Exeter, England, 1972University of Kansas School of Law, J.D., 1971University of Southampton, England, 1968University of Kansas, B.S., 1967AdmissionsKansas, 1971Honors:Distinguished Public Service Award, United Community Services of Johnson County (2009)Martindale-Hubbell "AV" RatingFriend of Children Award from the Kansas Children's Campaign (2005)Distinguished Government Service Award from the Kansas Bar Association (2004)Legislator of the Year recognition by the Kansas Silver Haired Legislature (2004)Kansas Public Service Award from the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence, KC Chapter (2003)Silver Helmet Award from the Kansas Association of Defense Counsel (2003)Council of State Governments; Toll Fellowship for Leadership (2002)Listed in Who's Who in AmericaListed in Who’s Who in American LawListed in Who’s Who in the MidwestListed in Who's Who in American PoliticsOutstanding Service Award, Kansas Bar Association (1984)Outstanding Young Men of America (1981)Recipient of University of Kansas Direct Exchange Scholarship (1971-72)Kansas Editor, Kansas Law Review (1970-71)Samuel Mellinger Leadership Award (1971)Phi Delta PhiRecipient of Rotary Foundation Fellowship (1967-68)Omnicron Delta Kappa, Outstanding Senior Award (1967)10
SENATOR JOHN W. GOEDDE (R – IDAHO)Chair, Senate Education CommitteeVice-Chair, NCSL Education CommitteeBrief Bio: Senator Goedde has served in the Idaho legislature for five terms. Senator Goedde was born in Chelan, WA and graduated from Chelan HighSchool in 1967. He has B.A. in Hotel & Restaurant Administration from Washington State University. Senator Goedde is an independent insurance agent,former trustee School District #271, past chairman Coeur d'Alene Chamber of Commerce, past president North Idaho Chamber of Commerce. He hasbeen honored as the Coeur d'Alene Volunteer of the Year 1996, Insurance Women of North Idaho-Insurance Industry Leader of the Year 1993, and theIdaho Insurance Underwriters/Agent of the Year 2000.SENATOR LETICIA VAN DE PUTTE (D – TEXAS)Former President, NCSLBrief Bio: Senator Leticia Van de Putte, a pharmacist for more than 30 years, represents a large portion of San Antonio and Bexar County. A former fiveterm state representative, she is now serving her fifth term as a Texas State Senator for District 26. Senator Van de Putte is a strong advocate for children,veterans, and quality public education. She currently serves as Chair of the Veteran Affairs and Military Installations Committee, and serves as a member ofthe Senate Committees on Education, State Affairs, and Business and Commerce. She is also the Chair of the Texas Senate Democratic Caucus.She has been honored by many national civic and community organizations for her tireless advocacy on behalf of the people she represents, including: theNational Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials' (NALEO) "Edward R. Roybal Award;" the Vietnam Veterans of America's "Legislator ofthe Year Award;" and the Center for Policy Alternative's "Arthur S. Fleming Leadership Award." Following the 81st Legislative Session, she was chosen asone of Texas Insider's Top Ten Legislators for her work on behalf of veterans and their families. She was also selected by Texas Watch for their LegislativeHonor Roll for her work on behalf of Texas consumers and homeowners.11
Nationally, Senator Van de Putte served as co-chair of the 2008 Democratic National Convention, joining the ranks of Texas women, such as Barbara Jordanand Ann Richards. She has been actively involved in the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL), serving as President from 2006 to 2007. SenatorVan de Putte is a member of the National Hispanic Caucus of State Legislators, where she served as President from 2003 to 2005. She also currently serveson the American Legacy Foundation Board, which oversees the settlements of 46 states with the tobacco industry, and she is the subject of a book written byDr. Sharon Navarro titled, "Latina Legislator: Leticia Van de Putte and the Road to Leadership."Senator Van de Putte received her Bachelor of Science from the University of Texas at Austin, College of Pharmacy, and she is a 1973 graduate of ThomasJefferson High School in San Antonio, Texas. She was also a Kellogg Fellow at Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government in 1993.Senator Van de Putte currently lives in San Antonio with her husband of 32 years, Pete, and has six children: Nichole, Vanessa, Henry, Gregory, Isabella, andPaul. She is also the proud grandmother of two adorable grandsons, Julian Claiborne and Jove Sebastian Stiles.SENATOR NANCY KING(D – MARYLAND)Immediate Past Chair, NCSL Education CommitteeBrief Bio: Senator Nancy King was born and raised in Niagara Falls, New York. She graduated from the Niagara Falls public school system and attendedNiagara County Community College. Upon moving to Maryland in 1981, King became involved in a number of civic organizations. In 1987 she becameVice-President and Chief Financial Officer of Trecor, Inc., a family-owned consulting and forensic engineering company. Senator King continues in thatposition today. King's children attended Montgomery County public schools, and it was during that time that she began volunteering in the school system.In 1993, she became President of the Montgomery County Council of Parent-Teacher Associations (PTAs). In 1994, King was elected to the MontgomeryCounty Board of Education representing District 1 and quickly rose through the leadership ranks, and served for two years as President. Mrs. King continuedto serve on the School Board until 2002, until she was elected to Maryland's House of Delegates representing District 39. As a member of the House ofDelegates, King served on the Ways and Means Committee where, in 2006, she became the Chair of the Education sub-committee. In August of 2007, Kingwas elected by the Montgomery County Democratic Central Committee to fill the seat left vacant by the retirement of Senator P.J. Hogan. Subsequently,Governor Martin O'Malley approved the appointment and she was sworn in as Senator for District 39 on September 6, 2007. Senator King was chosen bythe Senate leadership to serve on the Budget and Taxation Committee including the Capital Budget and Health, Education & Human Resources subcommittees. King is also a current member of the Joint Committee on Administrative, Executive & Legislative Review and is the Senate Chair of the JointCommittee on Children, Youth & Families.12
4 MEMBERS REPRESENTATIVE RAE ANN KELSCH (R - NORTH DAKOTA) Chair, House Education Committee Former Chair, NCSL Education Committee Brief Bio: Director, Upper Midwest Region, State Government Affairs, Alltel Mayville-Portland High School BS, UND 2007-08 NCSL Chair, Education Committee 2008-09 NCSL Vice-Chair, Overall Standing Committees Education Commission of the State .
