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  • Current: Executive Staff

Executive Staff

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Thomas J. Gentzel

Tom Gentzel,  Executive Director & CEO of the NSBA, is an unabashed advocate for public education and the community leadership essential to its success. In his leadership role at NSBA, he heads a staff of more than 70 persons and serves a membership comprised of state associations of school boards and their more than 13,000-member school districts. He can be reached at tgentzel@nsba.org.
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Heather Dean

Heather Dean is the Deputy Executive Director and Chief Operating Officer at NSBA where she oversees the areas of finance, human resources, conference and meetings, information technologies, office services and facilities and business development. A certified public accountant, Dean has more than 20 years of experience working with and/or in non-profit management. She can be reached at hdean@nsba.org. 
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Rory Davenport

Since joining the association as Chief Communications Officer, Rory Davenport has helped the association define its strategic direction in pursuit of its mission. Davenport leads an integrated communications and marketing group that defines, promotes and protects NSBA’s brand and reputation. He can be reached at rdavenport@nsba.org.

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Verjeana Jacobs

Verjeana M. Jacobs, Esq., serves as the Chief Equity and Member Services Officer for NSBA where she provides leadership, management and oversight of educational equity programming, content and research. She also engages state association members in ongoing partnerships to create programs and resources for state associations and their member school districts. She can be reached at vjacobs@nsba.org.
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Francisco Negrón

As Chief Legal Officer of NSBA, Francisco M. Negrón, Jr., directs NSBA’s nationally recognized Legal Advocacy Program, which files more amicus briefs in the United States Supreme Court and in federal and state appellate courts across the country each year than all national education associations combined. Negrón also leads the 3,200-member Council of School Attorneys, the national network of lawyers representing K-12 public schools. He can be reached at fnegron@nsba.org.
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Chip Slaven

Chip Slaven is the Chief Advocacy Officer for NSBA, where he leads the Federal Advocacy & Public Policy group. Slaven also heads the efforts of the National School Boards Action Center, NSBA’s national grassroots organization, and the Center for Public Education, NSBA’s research tank, which examines issues impacting public education. He can be reached at cslaven@nsba.org. 
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Management Team

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