State Board welcomes new members

Last week, three new members and a new student representative joined the Iowa State Board of Education for their first meeting. Alongside Iowa Department of Education Director McKenzie Snow, President John Robbins and incumbent members of the State Board welcomed each of the individuals and commended them for their commitment to high-quality education in Iowa.

The new members are Jeff Henderson, Jeremy Lindquist and Erica Roth. Each of them is serving a six-year term. Cecelia Harris will serve a one-year term as the student representative.

The State Board works with the Department to provide oversight, supervision and support for the state education system, including all public elementary and secondary schools, accredited nonpublic schools, area education agencies, community colleges and teacher preparation programs.

Information on the new State Board members is included below:

Jeff Henderson, Board Member
Jeff Henderson of Hiawatha served as a public school teacher and coach in districts in Titonka, Belle Plaine and Norman, Oklahoma. His administrative career included his role as principal at LaSalle High School in Cedar Rapids and later as chief administrator of both LaSalle and Regis High Schools, where he unified the two schools into Xavier High School. He also served as Xavier’s first principal. In 2005, Henderson became the Superintendent of Schools for the Archdiocese of Dubuque and starting in 2014, was responsible for stewardship development and pastoral planning for the Archdiocese until his retirement in 2022. Henderson has a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Dubuque and a Masters of Arts degree and Educational Specialist degree from the University of Iowa.

Jeremy Lindquist, Board Member
Jeremy Lindquist is the Training Director for the Plumbers and Steamfitters Local #33, where he leads apprenticeship and continuing education programs focused on developing a highly skilled workforce in the pipe trades industry. A graduate of Southeast Polk High School, Jeremy began his career in 2006 as an apprentice and worked as a welder/pipefitter with Wolin & Associates before transitioning into education in 2011, teaching welding for Local #33. Jeremy holds an Associate of Applied Science degree from Washtenaw Community College, and he maintains numerous industry certifications. In addition to his professional role, he serves as President of Plumbers and Steamfitters Local #33, a Board Member of the Iowa Apprenticeship Council and Chairman of the Central Iowa Apprenticeship Coordinators.

Erica Roth, Board Member 
Erica Roth of Sioux Center is the Director of Talent Acquisition at Interstates, where she helps lead recruiting for the organization that creates innovative solutions for industrial manufacturing and processing facilities across the globe. Erica holds a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Dordt University. She is known for her thoughtful approach to problem solving and her passion for serving and supporting people. She has previously served on the Interstates Foundation and regularly works with schools in the area through their CAPS program and other requests. She also contributes to leadership development initiatives through Interstates’ Excellence in Leadership (EIL) and EIL for Nonprofits programs and facilitates portions of the Leadership Sioux Center program.

Cecelia Harris, Student Representative 
Cecelia Harris is a junior at Spirit Lake Community School District. She is a dedicated participant of Youth In Philanthropy, a program that teaches high school students how to effectively fundraise, understand grant requests and support local nonprofit organizations. She is also an active public speaker and participates in several activities through her high school, including Student District Cabinet and National Honor Society. She is highly interested in science and has interned at her local hospital to explore potential career pathways in health care. In her spare time, Cecelia enjoys dancing, running, traveling, boating and spending time outdoors.

For more information on the State Board members, duties and other details, visit the Iowa State Board of Education’s webpage.