FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
March 21, 2017

New York State Legislature Elects New Member and Reappoints Two to Board of Regents


Assembly Speaker Carl E. Heastie, Education Committee Chair Catherine T. Nolan and Higher Education Committee Chair Deborah J. Glick today announced the Legislature's election of T. Andrew Brown, Nan Eileen Mead and Susan Mittler to the New York State Board of Regents.

"These individuals have the experience and skills necessary to lead our education system and ensure its academic excellence and accessibility to all New Yorkers. With their guidance, the Board of Regents will be able to continue its mission of ensuring excellence among the state's educational institutions, ensuring students can achieve success both in and outside of the classroom," said Heastie.

"Today's actions by the Legislature ensure the Board of Regents will continue to strengthen its commitment to education that will benefit children, college students and the educational institutions of the state of New York. We have elected three outstanding and dedicated professionals to the Board of Regents," said Nolan.

"Coming from various walks of life, the recently elected members to the Board of Regents will help maintain a diversity of educational opportunities for all New Yorkers. They share our long standing commitment that young people in our state receive a quality education to put them on their best foot forward," said Glick.

In a joint session of the Legislature, Brown and Mead were re-elected to serve full terms on the board. Mittler was elected to represent the 6th Judicial District for the first time.

Brown has represented the 7th Judicial District on the board since 2012. In 2016, he was elected by his peers to serve as vice chancellor. In addition, Regent Brown serves as chair of the Regents Ethics Committee and co-chair of the P-12 Committee. He is also a member of the Higher Education Committee and the Workgroup to Improve Outcomes for Boys and Young Men of Color. He is a past chair of the Audit and Finance Committee and a past member of the Cultural Education Committee. He is also a member of the Regents Review Committee, which presides over professional and licensure disciplinary hearings. In addition to his commitment to advancing educational issues and outcomes, Regent Brown is the founder and managing partner of the Rochester-based law firm of Brown Hutchinson LLP.

Mead represents the boards 1st Judicial District. Regent Mead has extensive experience as a public education advocate with demonstrated success in increasing parent engagement, relationship building, and community advocacy and development. She holds leadership positions in several New York City public education advocacy organizations that include the Chancellor's Parent Advisory Council, Community Education Council District 3, and Community School District 3 Presidents' Council. Among her higher education credentials is a B.A. in Politics from New York University. Mead also has a career in the financial industry.

Mittler has been an educator in New York State for over 35 years. She was elected by the Ithaca City School District's teachers to nine consecutive two-year terms as President of the Ithaca Teachers Association. She was appointed to the New York State Professional Standards and Practices Board from 2005-2013. While there, she focused her efforts on the development of authentic, valid assessments of educators and students.

Currently, Mittler is on faculty at Cornell University in the College of Industrial and Labor Relations in the area of collective bargaining.

The Board of Regents was established in 1784 and is the oldest, continuous state education entity in the United States. The Regents are responsible for the general oversight of all educational activities within the state, presiding over the State University of New York and the State Education Department.

Board members are elected to five-year terms by a joint session of the state Legislature. There is one regent for each of the state's 13 judicial districts and four at-large members. Regents do not receive a salary for serving on the board.