MASS Announces New Board of Directors
Veteran educators to help advance public education in Mississippi
JACKSON ― A group of veteran educators from around the state will serve the Mississippi Association of School Superintendents as its board of directors for 2023-24.
Since its founding in 1969, MASS has grown into a nationally recognized coalition that provides state-of-the-art training and mentoring programs for educators throughout Mississippi while advocating year-round for improved public schools. The association regularly evaluates the composition of its board to ensure it includes the appropriate skills, experience and perspectives necessary to improve outreach and efficacy.
“All of our new and returning board members are proven leaders whose knowledge and experience are essential in helping MASS become a more effective organization,” said Dr. Phil Burchfield, executive director for MASS. “We rely on them to understand the unique needs and challenges of our public schools and to help MASS drive improved outcomes for our members, school districts and communities.”
Leading the board as president is Todd English, superintendent, Booneville School District. He is joined at the executive level by president-elect Jessie King, superintendent, Leland School District; secretary Tyler Hansford, superintendent, Newton County School District; treasurer Christie Holly, superintendent, Tishomingo County School District; and past president Tony McGee, superintendent, Starkville Oktibbeha Consolidated School District.
District representatives are superintendents Corey Uselton, DeSoto County School District; Brandon Quinn, Alcorn County School District; Charlotte Seals, Madison County School District; Virginia Young, Coahoma County School District; Hilute Hudson, Kemper County School District; Sam Allison, Lowndes County School District; Chris Kent, Franklin County School District; Toy Watts, Laurel School District; Carla J. Evers, Pass Christian School District; and Inita Owen, Stone County School District.
At-large members include superintendents Babette Duty, Covington County School District; Mario Willis, Hollandale School District; Steven Hampton, Lamar County School District; Wade Whitney, George County School District; and Titus Hines, Lawrence County School District.
Board members will work with fellow directors to build a world-class education system for Mississippi and provide professional development opportunities for superintendents, teachers and administrators. The board also will advocate for increased support for public schools via engagement with members of the State Legislature, the Mississippi Department of Education and other groups.
MASS also works aggressively with state leaders to develop more robust recruiting and hiring practices for public schools along with higher pay, stronger certification standards and other incentives to build and strengthen Mississippi’s teacher workforce. The efforts of MASS and other education allies came to fruition in 2022 when Mississippi passed one of the largest teacher pay raises in state history.
“Everyone in Mississippi has a vested interest in the success of our public schools, and MASS is doing its part to raise expectations and standards,” said English, board president. “On behalf of the board of directors, we look forward to working together as well as with the entire MASS team to keep the momentum moving forward.”
The Mississippi Association of School Superintendents and the Alliance of Educational Leaders of Mississippi is a non-profit association whose membership is made up of 139 public school superintendents and more than 2,000 public school administrators. Its mission is to provide resources, advocacy, leadership, policy information, training, support, renewal, and public relations services that improve the quality of public education.