When: Wed., May 1, 2024, from 2:30 to 3:15 p.m. Eastern Time

Where: Zoom

What: Meet with SREB President Stephen Pruitt and several members of the newly formed SREB Commission on Artificial Intelligence in Education immediately following their first meeting next week in Columbia, South Carolina. The commission consists of more than 60 policymakers, education leaders and business leaders from SREB’s 16 states. At the virtual news conference, Dr. Pruitt and members will discuss the outcome of their first meeting and answer questions from the media. 

Why: The new commission is poised to become a leader in AI in education not only in the Southern states but also throughout the nation. Chaired by South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster and co-chaired by Brad D. Smith, president of Marshall University in West Virginia and former Intuit CEO, the commission is tasked with reviewing research and industry data and hearing from education experts. Over time, it will develop recommendations for Southern states on:   

• Using AI in teaching and learning, K-12 and postsecondary  
• Developing related policies in K-12 schools, colleges and universities  
• Preparing students for careers in AI

Members of the SREB Commission on Artificial Intelligence in Education

Alabama 
Nick Moore, Education Policy Advisor & Coordinator, Governor’s Office of Education & Workforce Transformation, Office of the Governor of Alabama
Alan Baker, State Representative, Alabama House of Representatives  
Eric Mackey, State Superintendent of Education, Alabama State Department of Education  
Jim Purcell, Executive Director, Alabama Commission on Higher Education  
Terri Collins, State Representative, Alabama House of Representatives  
Amy Serafini, Assistant Professor & Program Coordinator of Educational Leadership, Auburn University    

Arkansas             
Ethan Hodge, Computer Science Teacher, Russellville School District  
Kelly Griffin, Statewide Computer Science Specialist, Arkansas Department of Education  
 
Delaware             
Dave Sokola, State Senator, Delaware State Senate  
Kevin Wright, Instructional Media Coordinator, Appoquinimink School District  
Matthew J. Kinservik, Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs, University of Delaware  
Alyssa Moore, Digital Learning Education Associate, Delaware Department of Education  
 
Florida   
Alex Rizo, State Representative, Florida House of Representatives  
Juan Tovar, AI Teacher in Residence, University of Florida  
Calvin McNeil, Advanced Placement Computer Science Instructor, University of Florida  
John Matthew Cortez, AI Educator, Pinellas County Schools  
Nancy Ruzycki, Instructional Associate Professor and Director of Undergraduate Laboratories, University of Florida  

Georgia  
D. Glen Cannon, President, Gwinnett Technical College  
Michael Shannon, President, University of North Georgia  
Xiaoming Zhai, Associate Professor, University of Georgia  
  
Kentucky
David Couch, Associate Commissioner, Kentucky Department of Education 
Amanda Mays Bledsoe, State Senator, Kentucky Senate  
  
Louisiana            
Jason Hughes, State Representative, Louisiana House of Representatives  
Ronnie Morris, President, Louisiana State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education  
Tristan Denley, Deputy Commissioner for Academic Affairs and Innovation, Louisiana Board of Regents  

Maryland            
Katie Fry Hester, State Senator, Maryland Senate  
Eric Ebersole, State Delegate, Maryland House of Delegates  

Mississippi 
Melissa Banks, Director of Data Use and Professional Learning, Mississippi Department of Education  
Kevin W. Felsher, State Representative, Mississippi House of Representatives  
Errick L. Greene, Superintendent, Jackson Public Schools  
Scott Delano, State Senator, Mississippi State Senate   
  
North Carolina   
Vera Cubero, Western Region Digital Teaching and Learning, North Carolina Department of Public Instruction  
Vanessa Wrenn, Chief Information Officer, North Carolina Department of Public Instruction  
Robert Van Dyke, Assistant Director for Computer Science, IT, and Technology Education, North Carolina Department of Public Instruction  
Jay Chadhauri, State Senator, North Carolina Senate  
  
Oklahoma
Adam Pugh, State Senator, Oklahoma Senate  
Rhonda Baker, State Representative, Oklahoma House of Representatives  
Jennifer Monies, Managing Partner, Growth, Saxum
Allison Garrett, Chancellor, Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education  
Arturo Alonso-Sandoval, State Representative, Oklahoma House of Representatives  

South Carolina            
Henry McMaster (Commission Chair), Governor of South Carolina
Deepti Joshi, Associate Professor of Computer Science, The Citadel   
Stanton Greenawalt, Professor of Cybersecurity, Horry-Georgetown Technical College  
Charles Appleby, Senior Advisor to the Coordinating Council for Workforce Development, SC Department of Employment and Workforce  
David Thornton, Information Technology Teacher, Spartanburg County School District  
Kim Christ, Director of Workforce and Education Innovation, SC Council on Competitiveness  
Jeff Bradley, State Representative, South Carolina House of Representatives  

Tennessee          
Lizzette Reynolds, Commissioner of Education, Tennessee Department of Education  
Steven Gentile, Executive Director, Tennessee Higher Education Commission 
Robbie K. Melton, Interim Vice President for Academic Affairs and VP for Technology and Innovation, Tennessee State University  
  
Texas
Harrison Keller, Commissioner of Higher Education, Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board
Giovanni Capriglione, State Representative, Texas House of Representatives  
Tan Parker, State Senator, Texas Senate  
 
Virginia               
Michelle Lopes Maldonado, State Delegate, Virginia House of Delegates  
Schuyler VanValkenburg, State Senator, Virginia Senate 
  
West Virginia     
Brad Smith (Commission Co-Chair), President, Marshall University  
Erika Klose, Director, Office of PK-12 Academic Support, Division of PK-Adult Instruction and Career Engagement, West Virginia Department of Education  
Jade Irving, Senior Project Officer, West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission  
 
Additional Members     
Kim Majerus, Vice President, US Public Sector Education, State, and Local Government, at Amazon Web Services, Amazon Web Services  
David Zasada, Vice President Education and Corporate Responsibility, Intuit  
Rene Plasencia, Florida Lead Account Partner, IBM  
Craig Klopatek, Senior Vice President and Chief Information Officer, CenterWell & Corporate Services, Humana  
Brian Eggleston, General Manager for Vehicle Manufacturing Innovation, Toyota Motors North America
Youngjun Choi, Director of Advanced AI and Robotics, UPS Robotics AI Lab
Ben Zumbahlen, State Relations Associate, Education Commission of the States

Contact: Janita Poe, SREB News Manager, at Janita.Poe@sreb.org or 404-879-5516, ext. 216

The Southern Regional Education Board works with states, districts and schools to improve education at every level, from early childhood through doctoral education and the workforce. An interstate compact and a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization based in Atlanta, SREB was created in 1948 by Southern governors and legislators to advance education and improve the social and economic life of the region.