NASBE President and CEO Robert Hull to Retire

Alexandria, VA – National Association of State Boards of Education (NASBE) President and CEO Robert Hull today announced he will retire at the end of the year.

“Being president and CEO of NASBE has been the privilege of my lifetime and a distinct honor,” Hull said. “This organization is vital to the work of state education policy leaders across the nation.  With strong, effective leadership from the board of directors, we have forged many crucial partnerships with organizations and policy leaders to advance the mission of excellence and equity for all students in our country. As we navigate the rebuilding of our nation’s education system in the pandemic’s wake, the effective, efficient leadership of state boards matters now more than ever.”

Hull came to NASBE in 2014, capping a 40-year career in education reform. He first directed NASBE’s work on college, career, and civic readiness before being named deputy director. In 2018, NASBE’s board of directors named him president and CEO. Hull brought classroom, administrative, and policy experience to his work at NASBE. He began teaching elementary school in West Virginia’s Putnam County School District, was a principal there for eight years, and later became assistant superintendent of curriculum and instruction. Named West Virginia’s associate superintendent of schools in 2010, he oversaw state programs on educator quality, early learning, career and technical innovation, federal programs, and policy development and deployment for Common Core State Standards and Smarter Balanced assessments.

“NASBE is a better organization because of Robert Hull’s leadership and influence,” said Byron Ernest, chair of NASBE’s board of directors. “He understands the critical importance of providing state board members with professional growth opportunities to strengthen their citizen leadership and help them navigate the challenges of our time. Robert’s visionary fingerprints can be seen throughout the country as state boards navigate for equity and excellence in educating students. We will miss his leadership but wish him all the best for a well-deserved retirement.”

NASBE’s board of directors has formed a committee of current and former state board members to lead the search for the organization’s new president and CEO, who will take the helm in 2022.

“With a strong leadership transition committee and renewed dedication to the organization’s vision, mission, core values, and strategic plan, NASBE is poised to continue making a vital contribution to our nation’s preK-12 education system,” Ernest noted.

Learn more about the position, and selection and application process here.

NASBE serves as the only membership organization for state boards of education. A nonpartisan, nonprofit organization, NASBE elevates state board members’ voices in national and state policymaking, facilitates the exchange of informed ideas, and supports members in advancing equity and excellence in public education for students of all races, genders, and circumstances. Learn more at www.nasbe.org.

###