ABOUT DEBE
As an elected member, my term on the State Board of Education began on January 1, 2011 and will end on December 31, 20I4. I was elected President of the Board on March 15, 2011 and was re-elected President on January 14, 2013. It is a two-year term that expires on December 31, 2014.
In March 2013, I was appointed to the Governor's Early Childhood Advisory Council. The Council is tasked with making recommendations on the implementation of Early Childhood Education in the State of Ohio.
I am a former licensed Montessori education teacher with ten years of experience in Early Childhood Montessori Education. My experience has included working with children with disabilities and diverse socio-economic backgrounds.
My husband and I currently work together in our family owned consulting business, Strategic Planning Advisors LLC.
I graduated Summa Cum Laude from Xavier University, with honors from Alpha Sigma Nu and Mortar Board. I am currently a Board Member on the Women of Excellence Council of the President's Advisory Council of Xavier University.
I have previously served on the Cincinnati Montessori Society Board of Directors and on the Parent's Advisory Council of the Kelly O'Leary Center for Autism at Cincinnati Children's Hospital. Our family has supported the Dan Beard Council of the Boy Scouts of America and the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.
I am a founding member of the American Spirit Education Alliance, a nonprofit organization dedicated to the preservation of our American heritage. Our educational goals are to instill in the general population the rights, responsibilities and duties of all citizens as outlined in the Constitution of the United States. We believe that education is the key.
I am Immediate Past President of the Hamilton County Republican Women's Club, a member of the Warren County Republican Women's Club, the Hamilton County Republican Club and The Green Township Republican Club.
I was born in Honolulu, Hawaii and have resided in California, Pennsylvania, New York, Massachusetts, Maryland, England and moved to Ohio in 1989. I am the product of a fantastic public school system.
My husband, Lou, and I have been married for 41 years and reside in Monfort Heights. We have four children and four grandchildren.
I have a personal passion to improve the educational opportunities for every child in Ohio and I am honored to have the opportunity to serve on the State Board of Education of Ohio.