Resolution honoring the Outgoing Chair of the SBOE

RESOLUTION

WHEREAS Keven Ellis was first elected to the State Board of Education (SBOE) in 2016; and

WHEREAS it quickly became apparent that Keven Ellis possessed strong leadership skills and became a trusted sounding board for SBOE members; and

WHEREAS in 2017-2018 he was selected and served as vice chair of the legislatively created Texas Commission on Public School Finance, which laid the groundwork for sweeping changes to the way Texas funds its public schools; and

WHEREAS having served ably on this state commission, Governor Greg Abbott appointed Keven Ellis as chair of the SBOE on September 16, 2019 for a two-year term and subsequently reappointed him to a second term in 2021; Ellis was confirmed by the Texas Senate in April 2023 with a unanimous vote of  31-0; and

WHEREAS during his tenure as chair, Keven Ellis presided over numerous revisions to the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills standards and helped implement major changes to the administration of the Texas Permanent School Fund; and

WHEREAS his strength as a leader has been recognized both within and outside the state of Texas as evidenced by his selection as chair-elect of the National Association of State Boards of Education; and

WHEREAS as the leader of the board, the doctor diagnosed what needed to be done to keep the board functioning efficiently and made necessary adjustments to allow the board to handle a range of motions without experiencing curvatures of the process; and

WHEREAS he has now served the maximum length of time as board chair; but

WHEREAS he will remain a member of the board allowing members to continue to turn to him for wisdom and guidance; now, therefore be it

RESOLVED, that the State Board of Education expresses its appreciation and gratitude to Keven Ellis for his strong and thoughtful leadership as board chair; and be it further

RESOLVED, that members look forward to his continuing service on the board as he represents his northeast Texas constituents and the state at large.

WITNESS our signatures this 12th day of April, two thousand and twenty-four, in Austin, Texas.

_________________________________                                                     ________________________________                                                          
Melissa Ortega, SBOE District 1                                                      Audrey Young, SBOE District 8

___________________________                                                             _________________________________
LJ Francis, SBOE District 2                                                             Tom Maynard, SBOE District 10

_____________________________________                                               _________________________________
Marisa Perez-Diaz, SBOE District 3                                                Patricia Hardy, SBOE District 11

_____________________________                                                          _____________________________
Staci Childs, SBOE District 4                                                          Pam Little, SBOE District 12

__________________________________________                                        ______________________________
Rebecca Bell-Metereau, SBOE District 5                                        Aicha Davis, SBOE District 13

________________________________                                                      _________________________________
Will Hickman, SBOE District 6                                                       Evelyn Brooks, SBOE District 14

_______________________________                                                       ________________________________
Julie Pickren, SBOE District 7                                                        Aaron Kinsey, SBOE District 15