Fresno School Board Member to Lead Council of the Great City Schools
WASHINGTON, July 2 – Valerie Florentino Davis, school board member for California’s Fresno Unified School District, becomes chair of the Council of the Great City Schools’ Board of Directors for a one-year term, effective July 1.
The 164-member board is composed of the superintendent and a school board member from each of the 82 big-city school districts represented by the Council.
Davis, a graduate of the Fresno Unified School District, has served on the Fresno school board since 2004, including four terms as board president, totaling six years.
She succeeds Sonja Brookins Santelises, former CEO of Baltimore City Public Schools. Alex Marrero, superintendent of Denver Public Schools, assumes Davis’ chair-elect post, while Stacey Woolley, school board member of Tulsa Public Schools in Oklahoma, was elected secretary-treasurer.
With Santelises no longer leading a school system, Marcia Andrews, a member of the school board in Florida's Palm Beach County School District and former Council chair, will assume the role of immediate past chair.
“Davis’ extensive experience as a school board member and her steadfast commitment to public education will be a tremendous asset to the Council,” said Council Executive Director Ray Hart. “As we celebrate the organization’s 70th anniversary this year, I look forward to working closely with the leadership team to advance the innovative strategies and reforms occurring in the nation’s largest urban school districts that are improving student achievement and expanding opportunities for millions of students.”
Watch a video of Valerie Florentino Davis as the new chair of the Board of Directors.
###
About the Council of the Great City Schools
The Council of the Great City Schools is the only national organization exclusively representing the needs of urban public schools. Composed of 82 large city school districts, its mission is to promote the cause of urban schools and to advocate for inner-city students through legislation, research, and media relations. For more information, visit www.cgcs.org