KATHLEEN SEBELIUS
Chair

Pledging fresh, new leadership to move Kansas forward, Kathleen Sebelius won election as the 44th Governor of Kansas in November 2002, becoming the first daughter of a
U.S. governor (John Gilligan, Ohio, 1971-75) to serve in that same position. She served four terms (1987-1995) in the Kansas House of Representatives and two terms (1995-2003) as the state's Insurance Commissioner. In her first three legislative sessions, Governor Sebelius placed the state on sound financial footing, steered the Kansas Economic Growth Act to passage, and restructured the existing comprehensive highway package, insuring the timely completion of all projects. Budget balances have been restored and safety net services secured, without a tax increase. Governor Sebelius also proposed sweeping educational reforms and has advanced several common-sense health care proposals to reduce costs and increase insurance coverage for Kansans. Sebelius was named one of Governing magazine's "Public Officials of the Year" and one of the "100 Most Powerful People in Healthcare" by Modern Healthcare Magazine. Governor Sebelius serves as policy chair of the Democratic Governors' Association.

Kansas Governor's Web site
Chair's Initiative: Great Teachers for Tomorrow

LUTHER S. OLSEN
Vice Chair

Luther Olsen was elected to the Wisconsin State Senate in 2004, after serving in the state Assembly for 10 years. He was born in Berlin, WI in 1951 and has been a lifelong resident of the 14th Senate District. For the 2005-06 session, Senator Olsen serves as the chairman of the Education Committee and he is a member of the Joint Committee on Finance and the Agriculture and Insurance Committee. He also serves as a member of the Wisconsin Education Communications Board, of the Wisconsin Hospital Clinics and Authority Board and the Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention Board. He is a past member of the Berlin School Board, where he served as President of the board for 9 years. Senator Olsen has been a champion of education issues in Wisconsin and was named “Legislator of the Year" in 2005 by the School Administrators Alliance. The SAA represents more than 3,000 public school administrators across the state. Senator Olsen is probably best known for the Graduated Driver’s License legislation he authored – a law aimed at improving the way teenagers learn to drive.

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RICHARD G. RHODA
Treasurer

Richard G. Rhoda is the executive director of the Tennessee Higher Education Commission, a post he has held since 1997. He served previously with the Tennessee Board of Regents in numerous staff capacities, including chief academic officer and acting chancellor. While serving on the Regents staff, he also served as interim president of Nashville State Technical Community College and Austin Peay State University. He served earlier in the administration of Tennessee State University. Rhoda has taught on the undergraduate and graduate levels at Vanderbilt University where he continues as an adjunct professor.

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ROGER SAMPSON
President

Roger Sampson has had a distinguished career for more than 20 years in Alaska while earning a reputation for quality, innovation and increased student achievement. The State Board of Education & Early Development appointed Sampson as Alaska Commissioner of Education & Early Development in 2003. He resigned effective August 17, 2007 to take the position of president of the Education Commission of the States. During Sampson's tenure as Commissioner, the Alaska Department of Education & Early Development established a statewide full-release mentoring program for beginning teachers and administrators in partnership with the University of Alaska. The department also established, with the approval of the Legislature, an innovative public school performance incentive program. Sampson has served in a variety of roles and positions in public schools, including school administrator in both rural and urban Alaska.

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