The Southern Regional Education Board announced this week the members of the newly formed SREB Commission on Artificial Intelligence in Education. 

Chaired by South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster and co-chaired by Brad D. Smith, president of Marshall University in West Virginia and former Silicon Valley CEO, the commission consists of more than 60 policymakers, education leaders and business executives from each of SREB’s 16 states.   

“Once again, we find education needing to adapt to new technology while meeting the needs of a future workforce,” SREB President Stephen Pruitt said. “We are excited to have this opportunity to work with individuals across sectors to provide guidance and recommendations on the use, possibilities and issues around AI in K-12 and postsecondary education.” 

The new SREB commission will convene leaders in government, education and business to chart a course on how artificial intelligence is used in classrooms and how to prepare a workforce that is being transformed by technology.    

The commission will begin meeting April 30 in Columbia, South Carolina, to review research and industry data and hear from education experts. It then will develop recommendations for Southern states to lead in:  

• 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, Alabama
Alan Baker, State Representative, Alabama 
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 
Amy Serafini, Assistant Professor & Program Coordinator of Educational Leadership, Auburn University    

Arkansas             
Ethan Hodge, Computer Science Teacher, Russellville School District  
Kelly Griffin, Special Advisor, Arkansas Department of Education  
 
Delaware             
Dave Sokola, State Senator, Delaware 
Kevin Wright, Instructional Media Coordinator, Appoquinimink School District  
Matthew J. Kinservik, Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs and Professor of English, University of Delaware  
Alyssa Moore, Education Associate, Digital Learning, Delaware Department of Education 
 
Florida   
Alex Rizo, State Representative, Florida 
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 P. Shannon, President, University of North Georgia  
Xiaoming Zhai, Associate Professor, University of Georgia  
  
Kentucky
David Couch, Chief Information Officer and Associate Commissioner for the Office of Information Technology, Kentucky Department of Education 
Amanda Mays Bledsoe, State Senator, Kentucky
  
Louisiana            
Jason Hughes, State Representative, Louisiana
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 
Eric Ebersole, State Delegate, Maryland 

Mississippi 
Melissa Banks, Director of Data Use and Professional Learning, Mississippi Department of Education  
Kevin W. Felsher, State Representative, Mississippi 
Errick L. Greene, Superintendent, Jackson Public Schools  
Scott Delano, State Senator, Mississippi 
  
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 
  
Oklahoma
Adam Pugh, State Senator, Oklahoma 
Rhonda Baker, State Representative, Oklahoma 
Jennifer Monies, Managing Partner, Growth, Saxum
Allison Garrett, Chancellor, Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education  
Arturo Alonso-Sandoval, State Representative, Oklahoma 

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, South Carolina Department of Employment and Workforce  
David Thornton, Information Technology Teacher, Spartanburg County School District  
Kim Christ, Director of Workforce and Education Innovation, South Carolina Council on Competitiveness  
Jeff Bradley, State Representative, South Carolina

Tennessee          
Lizzette Reynolds, Commissioner of Education, Tennessee Department of Education  
Steven Gentile, Executive Director, Tennessee Higher Education Commission 
Robbie K. Melton, Interim Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs and Vice President for Technology and Innovation, Tennessee State University  
  
Texas
Harrison Keller, Commissioner of Higher Education, Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board
Giovanni Capriglione, State Representative, Texas 
Tan Parker, State Senator, Texas 
 
Virginia               
Michelle Lopes Maldonado, State Delegate, Virginia 
Schuyler VanValkenburg, State Senator, Virginia 
  
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     
Youngjun Choi, Director of Advanced AI and Robotics, UPS Robotics AI Lab
Brian Eggleston, General Manager for Vehicle Manufacturing Innovation, Toyota Motors North America
Craig Klopatek, Senior Vice President and Chief Information Officer, CenterWell & Corporate Services, Humana  
Kim Majerus, Vice President, US Public Sector Education, State, and Local Government, Amazon Web Services 
Rene Plasencia, Florida Lead Account Partner, IBM  
David Zasada, Vice President Education and Corporate Responsibility, Intuit  
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.