April 24, 2025
National School Boards Association Announces New Leadership for 2025-26
The National School Boards Association (NSBA) announced that Devin M. Sheehan of the Holyoke Public Schools Committee in Massachusetts has been elected NSBA president for 2025-26. Leonard Lockhart of the Windsor Board of Education in Connecticut was elected President-elect and Becky Fles of MSAD #11 School District in Maine was elected Secretary-Treasurer. NSBA’s former president, Donald Hubler of Macomb Intermediate School District in Michigan, will now serve as Immediate Past President.
“Devin Sheehan brings to the NSBA presidency a deep commitment to public education, a clear vision for student success, and a long history of servant leadership at both the state and national levels,” said NSBA Executive Director and CEO Verjeana McCotter-Jacobs. “We are excited to welcome Devin and the full 2025-26 board of directors — a dedicated group of leaders from across the country — who will help guide NSBA’s mission to serve and support state school boards associations and school boards in their critical work on behalf of students, families, and communities.”
“It is an incredible honor to serve as president of the National School Boards Association,” Sheehan said. “As someone who grew up in public schools and has spent my career advocating for students, I know firsthand the power of public education to transform lives. In this role, I remain deeply committed to advancing and protecting our nation’s public schools — standing up for equitable resources, supporting our educators, and ensuring every child has the opportunity to succeed. Together, we will continue to be strong voices for the future of public education.”
Devin M. Sheehan – President
Devin M. Sheehan has served on the Holyoke School Committee since 2010, representing both the Holyoke School Committee and the Greater Commonwealth Virtual School Committee. Over the years, he has taken on increasing leadership responsibilities within the Massachusetts Association of School Committees (MASC), culminating in his role as President in 2019.
At the national level, Sheehan has been an active contributor to the National School Boards Association (NSBA), serving on Regional Nominating Committees, chairing multiple Board Committees, and advocating consistently for educational equity. He also currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association (MIAA).
Professionally, Devin is Chief of Staff to State Senator Jake Oliveira. He holds a Bachelor's degree from Franklin Pierce University and a Master of Public Policy from the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth.
Leonard Lockhart – President-elect
Leonard Lockhart has served public schools since 1999 as a PTO father, which led to school board service in January 2012 to the Windsor Board of Education in Connecticut. He served as president, vice president, secretary, and finance chair. Leonard champions civility and collaboration while working for every child for high-quality education with opportunities for success.
Leonard has worked with the state association, Connecticut Association of Boards of Education (CABE), as President (currently), First Vice President, Vice President for Government Relations, Resolutions Chairman, and CABE Area 2 Director. He chaired CABE’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee and is a graduate of the CABE Leadership Institute. Leonard also represents CABE on the Educator Evaluation and Support Council, Indoor Air Quality Working Group, and serves as Vice Chair of the CREC Council.
Leonard has represented the Eastern Region on the National School Boards Association Board of Directors, as well as serving on the NSBA Policy, Constitution and Bylaws, and Finance committees and chair of the Evaluation Committee.
Becky Fles – Secretary-Treasurer
Becky Fles has served on the MSAD 11 School Board for 26 years, including 15 years as Board Chair. MSAD 11 serves approximately 1,900 students across the Maine communities of Gardiner, Pittston, Randolph, and West Gardiner. In addition to her leadership as Chair, Becky also chairs the Finance Committee and serves on the Negotiations Committee, helping to shape the district’s financial priorities and labor agreements.
At the state level, Becky has been a director on the Maine School Boards Association for the past ten years, working to support effective school board governance and advocate for public education statewide.
A former classroom teacher, Becky holds a Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education with a specialization in reading instruction from Abilene Christian University. She is a longtime advocate for literacy and student achievement, believing that reading is the foundation for success in life and in citizenship.
Donald Hubler – Immediate Past President
Donald Hubler has served public school students with humility and passion since 2006, when he began serving as a school board member in Clinton Township, Michigan, and served until 2020 as president, vice president, and secretary. He was elected to and presently serves as vice president of the board for the Macomb Intermediate School District in Macomb, Michigan.
Don has worked in state leadership positions since 2009, when he began serving as a trustee for the Michigan Association of School Boards. He has been deeply engaged with NSBA governance, serving on a variety of committees and as the chair of the Policy Review, Governance, and the Constitution and Bylaws Committees.
NSBA’s 2025-26 roster of board members:
Sami Al-Abdrabbuh (Corvallis Board of Education, Oregon)
Flor Diaz Smith (Washington Central Unified Union School District, Vermont)
Marvyn Jaramillo (Mesa Vista Consolidated School District, New Mexico)
Mildred Lefebvre (Holyoke Public Schools, Massachusetts)
Marnie Maraldo (Issaquah School District, Washington)
William L. Miller (Herkimer-Fulton-Hamilton-Otsego BOCES, New York)
Matthew Showalter (Gratiot-Isabella Regional Educational Service District, Michigan)
Eric Stroeder (Mobridge-Pollock School District, South Dakota)
Kathryn Whitaker (Churchill County School District, Nevada)
Ex Officio Directors:
Joel Rodriguez, Chair, Council of Urban Boards of Education (School City of East Chicago, Indiana)
Dana Mock, Chair, National American Indian and Alaska Native Council of School Board Members (Delta/Greely School District, Alaska)
Yonelle Moore Lee, Chair, National Black Council of School Board Members (Board of Education of Charles County, Maryland)
Arlean Murillo, Chair, National Hispanic Council of School Board Members (Gadsden Independent School District Board of Education, New Mexico)
Lon Garrison, Chair, Organization of State Association Executive Directors (Association of Alaska School Boards, Alaska)
Kenneth M. Walker, II, Chair, Council of School Attorneys (Austin Independent School District, Texas)