Georgia School Boards Association
| Georgia School Boards Association | |
 | |
| Basic facts | |
| Location: | Lawrenceville, Georgia |
| Type: | 501(c)(3) |
| Affiliation: | Nonpartisan |
| Top official: | Valarie Wilson, Executive Director |
| Year founded: | 1951 |
| Employees: | 54 |
| Website: | Official website |
The Georgia School Boards Association (GSBA) is 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization of school boards. The GSBA supports local school boards and advocates for schools in the Georgia General Assembly.[1] The GSBA's board of directors voted on November 30, 2021, to withdraw from the National School Boards Association.[2] That year, the GSBA became a founding member of the Consortium of State School Boards Associations (COSSBA).[3]
Background
The GSBA was organized in 1951 and hired its first full-time employee in 1952.[3] As of November 2025, the GSBA said its mission is to "The mission of the Georgia School Boards Association is to ensure excellence in the governance of local school systems by providing leadership, advocacy and services, and by representing the collective resolve of Georgia’s elected boards of education."[1]
Leadership
As of November 2025, the following individuals held leadership positions at GSBA:[4]
- Valarie Wilson, executive director
- Mark Willis, assistant executive director, chief operating officer, assistant executive director (business opportunities)
- Charlton Calhoun, chief financial officer
- Dr. Sam King, director of board development & superintendent search services
- Cliff Cole, director of risk management
- Justin Pauly, director of policy and governmental relations, advocacy lead
- Julie Rhame, director of member engagement
- Dr. Steve Barker, director of strategic planning
- Andy Ryff, director of marketing and communications
- John Shore, assistant director of risk management
- Tom Flynn, senior underwriting manager
- Donna Hinton, senior board development specialist
- Pam Harrison, business opportunities manager
- Bridgett Johnson, communications manager
- Tim Covert, systems architect manager
- Rashi Sood, software development manager
- Sandra McGuire, training and support manager
- Lynita Jackson, strategic planning services and vision manager
- Stephanie Tanner, governmental relations manager
- Shanan Williams, business office manager
- Greg Light, underwriting manager
- Charlie Rigby, business development manager
Work and activities
Legislative and policy work
The GSBA advocates for public school education and local school boards in the Georgia General Assembly. As of November 2025, the Georgia School Boards Association had registered lobbyists with the Georgia Ethics Commission.[5]
GSBA's 2025-2026 legislative priorities included:[6]
- School safety
- Opposition to School choice policies that use government funds for private educational expenses
- Constitutional authority of school boards
- Increasing the number of school counselors and social workers, and expanding mental health funding
Finances
The following is a breakdown of GSBA's revenues and expenses from 2017 to 2024. The information comes from ProPublica.
| Year | Revenue | Expenses |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $10.5 million | $10.0 million |
| 2023 | $9.7 million | $9.2 million |
| 2022 | $8.5 million | $8.0 million |
| 2021 | $8.5 million | $7.6 million |
| 2020 | $7.2 million | $7.3 million |
| 2019 | $7.8 million | $8.1 million |
| 2018 | $7.7 million | $8.1 million |
| 2017 | $7.7 million | $7.7 million |
See also
- What is an influencer?
- Public education in Georgia
- List of school districts in Georgia
- Consortium of State School Boards Associations
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Georgia School Boards Association, "Our Story," accessed November 20, 2025
- ↑ Atlanta Journal-Constitution, "Georgia’s school boards association breaks with national group over Biden letter to investigate threats," December 1, 2021
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Georgia School Boards Association, "History of Georgia School Boards Association," accessed November 20, 2025
- ↑ Georgia School Boards Association, "Our Team," accessed November 20, 2025
- ↑ Georgia Lobbyist Reporting System, "Georgia School Board Association," accessed November 20, 2025
- ↑ [https://gsba.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/2025-2026-Legislative-Priorities.pdf Georgia School Boards Association, "2025-2026 Legislative Priorities," accessed November 20, 2025]
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