Friends:
This is excerpted from the Superintendent's pipeline.
Margaret
Senate Confirms Governor's Appointments to State Board of Education
Office of the Governor
The state senate today confirmed Governor Kulongoski's appointments of Brenda Frank, Director of Education and Employment for the Klamath Tribes, and Vanessa Gaston, CEO and President of the Urban League of Portland, to the State Board of Education. Brenda Frank is the first Native American in history to be appointed to the board.
"It is important for Oregon's K-12 system to continue to provide quality educational opportunities to all of Oregon's students, and Brenda and Vanessa each bring a high level of insight and experience that will be valuable assets to the board in fulfilling its mission," said the governor. "It is also important to me to increase the diversity of Oregon's boards and commissions. Our policy-making bodies should represent the backgrounds and priorities of all of Oregon's citizens. I am very pleased that the senate has confirmed Vanessa and Brenda to the board."
Brenda Frank has served as the Director of Education and Employment for the Klamath Tribes since 1996. Prior to this role, she worked as a personnel officer for the Klamath Tribes Health Department from 1994 to 1996 and as an Employment Specialist for the Oregon State Employment Department from 1988 to 1994. Frank currently serves as the Chair of the Klamath County School District Board of Directors. She is an active member in the Education Government-to-Government process under SB 770, through the Oregon Indian Education Association, National Indian Education Association and the Title VII Indian Education Parent Committee. Frank has also served on the boards of the Klamath County Local Alcohol/Drug Planning Committee and the Klamath Family Head Start. Frank received her Bachelor of Science degree from Southern Oregon State College in 1985.
Vanessa Gaston has served as the CEO and President of the Urban League of Portland since 2004. Prior to this role, she was the Associate Superintendent for the Washington Soldiers Home and Colony from 2001 to 2003 and the Administrator of the Department of Social and Health Services in Seattle, WA from 1999 to 2001. In her role as CEO of the Urban League, Gaston serves on various board and advisory committees such as Portland Schools Foundation, Superintendent Castillo's Underrepresented Minority Achievement Advisory Team and the Portland Public Schools Central Office Review for Results and Equity Committee. Gaston received her Masters of Public Administration degree from the University of Washington in 2001 and her Bachelor of Arts degree from Evergreen State College in 1995.
The Board of Education has seven members, one from each of Oregon's five Congressional Districts and two at-large members. Gaston will serve in the Third Congressional District position and Frank will serve as one of the two at-large members.
The Oregon Legislature created the State Board of Education in 1951. The Board sets educational policies and standards for Oregon's 198 public school districts, 17 community college districts and 20 educational service districts. For more information about the State Board of Education, visit the Department of Education's website:
