All organizations are defined by their people, and NASBE is fortunate to have a talented, experienced team of full‐time staff.
Paolo DeMaria
President and CEO
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 […]
paolo.demaria@nasbe.org
Winona Hao
Director of Early Learning
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 […]
winona.hao@nasbe.org
703-844-7778
Northeastern Liaison
Joseph Hedger
Associate Editor
Joseph (Joey) Hedger, associate editor, assists in the writing, editing, and production of NASBE’s reports and the State Education Standard. Previously, he was assistant editor at the American Correctional Association, where he edited its magazine, Corrections Today, and wrote on correctional programs and practices. Born and raised in Florida, Hedger moved to Virginia, after receiving […]
joseph.hedger@nasbe.org
703-844-7782
Northeastern Liaison
Valerie Norville
Editorial Director
Valerie Norville, editorial director, manages NASBE publications, including its reports and The State Education Standard. Norville commissions authors, edits, manages design and production, and coordinates on NASBE outreach efforts. She is an editor and publishing manager with 30 years’ experience producing content that makes cutting-edge research and technical expertise accessible to policy audiences. Previously, she […]
valerie.norville@nasbe.org
703-844-7780
Central Liaison
Celina Pierrottet
Research and Policy Associate
Celina Pierrottet joined NASBE as a research and policy associate to support the school health portfolio. Her work involves analyzing and tracking state action, national research, and evolving issues to inform state board work. After earning a Master of Arts in Education from the College of William and Mary, Pierrottet spent six years in the […]
celina.pierrottet@nasbe.org
Abigail Potts
Director of Strategic Initiatives and Planning
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 […]
abigail.potts@nasbe.org
703-844-7781
Southern and Western Liaison
Renée Rybak Lang
Communications Director
Renée Rybak Lang oversees all of NASBE’s communications efforts. Lang has worked in education policy for nearly 20 years and brings a wealth of strategic communications, online, and social media expertise to NASBE. Previously, Lang was communications manager of Education Sector, where she developed strategies to reach policymakers and other key audiences and established the […]
renee.lang@nasbe.org
703-844-7784
Southern Liaison
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