After a runoff election administered by the Washington State School Directors’ Association, the Washington State Board of Education (SBE) will welcome new member, Ronnie (Ron) Mabry, this coming January. He was elected by school board members to serve as Eastern Washington Position 1, a position held by MJ Bolt who represented for two terms.

“We’re excited to have Ron on our Board,” said State Board of Education Chair, Bill Kallappa. “His experiences will bring valuable military, business, and engineering perspectives to our discussions. I am eager to work with him and learn more about his time on the Kennewick school board and in the Tri-Cities community.”

Ron attended North Carolina A&T State University and completed college while serving in the U.S. Navy. He earned an MBA from City College in Seattle in 1998, and his master’s in environmental science from Washington State University in 2016. He is presently the Waste Field Services Manager at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory.

More about Ron

Ron’s experience in Kennewick taught him how educators are grappling with a formidable task – advancing academic standards in the face of burgeoning enrollments and shrinking financial support. As a former President of the Washington State School Directors’ Association, he worked to ensure students, parents, and educators—all have a role in the governance of our education system. Ron has had success in proposing legislative amendments that range from funding and special education to security and free meals. In his new role on the State Board, Ron brings leadership expertise and experience that will help the Board improve schools for all students.

Ron lives in Kennewick with his wife, Devon. Their two sons, Zack and Isaac, went to Kennewick schools.

Additional member updates

Two members were re-elected in the election: Mary Fertakis, M.Ed (Tukwila) as Western Region Position 3, and Jan Brown (Tacoma) as Private Schools Representative. Terms for elected and re-elected members will begin in January 2024. Find all current member bios on SBE’s site: sbe.wa.gov/about-us/board-members.

“With the addition of Ron, and the re-election of Mary and Jan, we have a lot to look forward to this coming year. Thank you to the voters, the team at the Washington State School Directors’ Association, and to all the wonderful members on the Washington State Board of Education—we’re lucky to serve together,” said Chair Kallappa.

Find more information about the election on the Washington State School Directors’ Association website: wssda.org/about-us/elections/state-board-of-education-elections/.