State Board of Education Members

Cynthia Richardson, Chair

At-Large Member
Term: 10/5/2023 – 6/30/2027
Email: Cynthia Richardson

Cynthia Richardson was born into a family of educators. Her grandmother, mother and father were all teachers who inspired her to pursue a career as an educator. She is the proud mother of two sons, Prince II a graduate of Linfield College who is an educator and Princeton who attended Wayne State College and is employed by Delta Airlines. Ms. Richardson received a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of North Texas, a master’s degree from the University of Texas at Tyler, and has completed coursework towards a doctorate at the University of Oregon. Cynthia has served as an educator in Texas, Nebraska, and Oregon for the past 44 years. Cynthia joined Salem Keizer Public Schools in August 1997. Her career includes serving as a high school teacher, Administrative Assistant of Student Services, assistant principal at the middle school and high school levels, and an elementary principal. In Salem, she served as principal of Adam Stephens Middle School and was the first African American high school principal in Salem at McKay High School (7 years) and North Salem High School (7 Years). She served as the Director of Student Equity, Access, and Advancement for Salem Keizer Public Schools for six years and retired June, 2023. Ms. Richardson desired to continue to impact the lives of students after she retired. She successfully campaigned and was elected as a School Board Director for Salem Keizer Public Schools July 2023.

Ms. Richardson is the 2012 recipient of the Educator of the Year award for the Oregon Black Educator Association and the 2013 NAACP Pioneer Award recipient. She currently serves on the African American / Black Student Success Plan Advisory Committee. The Governor of Oregon appointed her to the Fair, Dismissal, and Appeals Committee in 2016. She was also appointed to the Governor’s Racial Justice Council where she serves as the co-chairperson for the Education Committee. Mrs. Richardson was also appointed to the State Board of Education, serves as the Assistant Secretary to the Tri-State Conference NAACP (AOWSAC), is a member of the Marion County Polk Foodshare Board, the Coalition of Oregon School Administrators Equity Board and is an officer for the BeBlac Foundation. Ms. Richardson is a member of the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, a lifetime PTA member and the first female and African American Deacon in the seventy-year history of People’s Church. Mrs. Richardson Received the first Lifetime of Service Award from the Coalition of Oregon School Administrators in June 2023.

Mona Khalil, 2nd Vice-Chair

6th Congressional District
Term: 10/1/2024 - 6/30/2028
Email: Mona Khalil

Mona Khalil was born in Cairo, Egypt. She spent most of her childhood in Chicago and moved to Oregon in 2003. She has a Bachelor of Arts in Education from Washington State University, a Master of Science in Education from Eastern Oregon University with a Reading Specialist endorsement, and an Elementary Mathematics Instructional Leader certificate from Western Oregon University. She has fifteen years of classroom experience, and is currently an Instructional Coach in the Tigard-Tualatin School District.

Mona has taken various leadership roles, such as being a Teacher Advisor on the Oregon Department of Education State Board, a TSPC Commissioner, a Professional Learning Community team leader, and a Colleagues of Color Leadership Team member. In 2019 and 2020, She was an OEA Educator Empowerment Academy Member, with work focused on trauma informed practices in order to help the emotional regulation of students. In 2020 and 2021, she was an OEA Empowerment Academy Coach. During the pandemic, she coached a team in the Newberg School District to aid in increasing student engagement and participation in an equitable way during online learning. Mona's experiences in public schools as well as having children of her own inspired her motivation to be an educator, and make changes to a system she knew could be difficult to navigate as a minority. She is eager to bring this experience, passion, and commitment to the Oregon State Board of Education. The prospect of contributing to the enhancement of education in our great state resonates deeply with her mission.

Sonya Littledeer-Evans

2nd Congressional District
Term: 9/14/2026 - 6/30/2030
Email: TBD

Sonya Littledeer-Evans is of Rarámuri heritage, with ancestral roots in the Sierra Madre and Copper Canyon region of what is now Chihuahua, Mexico, and also has Osage, Cherokee, Irish, Scottish, and English ancestry. She was born and raised in Sisters, Oregon and lived all over Central Oregon throughout her life. Sonya and her family made their home in Culver, Oregon and have lived there for 27 years. Sonya is a dedicated public servant, community leader, trainer, and advocate with more than 25 years of experience in Oregon’s juvenile justice system. She currently serves as Deputy Director for Deschutes County Juvenile Community Justice and is the founder and consultant for Littledeer-Evans Consulting. Throughout her career, she has worked at nearly every level of juvenile justice practice, including as a detention worker, probation officer, supervisor, manager, and administrator. This broad experience has given her a deep and practical understanding of how systems affect youth, families, staff, and communities.

Sonya brings to her work a strong commitment to improving outcomes for young people and reducing inequities within public systems. She has led local and regional efforts to implement innovative, research-informed, and equity-centered practices designed to support youth success, strengthen accountability, and build more responsive systems of care. Her leadership has focused on advancing best practices, promoting meaningful reform, addressing structural oppression, and reducing disparate treatment in the juvenile justice system.

Her professional perspective is also shaped by her lived experience. Drawing from her own experiences with dee poverty, discrimination, trauma, multicultural heritage, and involvement in the child welfare and juvenile justice systems as a youth, Sonya brings authenticity, compassion, and urgency to her work. She understands the importance of opportunity, belonging, culturally responsive support, and trusted adult relationships in helping young people thrive. These experiences have informed her lifelong commitment to serving youth and families, particularly those who have been historically underserved or disproportionately impacted by public systems.

For more than two decades, Sonya has been a motivational speaker, trainer, facilitator, classroom instructor, and community leader. She has provided training and presentations at the national, state, and local levels on topics including cultural competency, racial and ethnic disparities, gender-responsive practices, working with justice involved youth, equity, inclusion, and social justice. Her approach is warm, direct, and grounded in both professional expertise and personal insight. She is known for helping individuals and organizations examine complex issues with honesty, humility, and a shared commitment to improvement.

Sonya attended Central Oregon Community College on scholarships and financial aid alone, earning her AA Degree. She then earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science, with a minor in Spanish, from the University of Oregon, studying abroad for 6 months in Spain. She later earned her Master of Public Administration degree from Portland State University. Her educational background, combined with decades of field experience, has strengthened her ability to bridge policy, practice, leadership, and community engagement.

In addition to her county leadership role, Sonya serves as part of Oregon’s cadre of Cultural Competency Trainers. She is also a certified instructor through the University of Cincinnati in Effective Practices in Community Supervision, known as EPICS. She serves as Chair of the Oregon Juvenile Department Directors Association (OJDDA) Training Committee and is a member of the OJDDA training faculty. Sonya was also appointed by the Governor of Oregon as the OJDDA representative on Oregon System of Care Advisory Council (SOCAC).

Sonya is deeply committed to building systems that recognize the dignity, potential, and cultural strengths of every young person. Her career reflects a consistent dedication to equity, public service, education, and meaningful system change for Oregon’s youth and communities.

At Large Member
Term: 7/1/2024 - 6/30/2028
Email: Sarah Wofford

Sarah Wofford is an Accounting Specialist for Rogue Community College and President of the Oregon School Employees Association (OSEA), a statewide labor union representing more than 24,000 education professionals in 138 local chapters. As a member-elected leader, Wofford speaks on behalf of thousands of workers who support Oregon students from early childhood through community college.

OSEA represents one of the most diverse workforces in Oregon, in terms of geography, race, age and income; members fill essential roles including teaching, cleaning, scheduling, driving, fixing, cooking, and many more.  Driven by the belief that classified school employees and all other education workers play a vital role in helping students learn and thrive, Wofford sees her position as a mandate to ensure every educator has a voice and receives the respect they deserve. She consistently engages educators across the state and has given every OSEA member her personal phone number.

Born and raised in Grants Pass, Wofford began a lifetime of activism after attending a Pride march in Eugene at the age of 12. It was her first experience being part of a movement for social change, but far from her last. As an educator, parent, union leader and community member, Wofford continues to fight for equal opportunities for all Oregonians.

In addition to serving at every level of leadership at OSEA - from chapter leader to Board member to State President - Wofford has held several elected positions on local political committees and central labor chapters. As a Vice President of the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), OSEA's national affiliate, Wofford has testified on behalf of classified school employees across the country on subjects ranging from the use of AI in the classroom to the creation of a bill of rights for school support staff.

Wofford is a graduate of Western Governors University and the Oregon Labor Candidate School. She lives in Grants Pass with her daughter, dog and cat.

Libra Forde, Vice-Chair

3rd Congressional District
Term: 7/1/2024 - 6/30/2028
Email: Libra Forde

As a former athlete and business owner, Libra champions elite personal behavior. She uses her education and elite athletic experiences to cultivate thought partnerships that is actionable, manageable, and sustainable. In addition, over 25 years corporate, racial/social justice and orator experiences enable her to relate to diverse communities, professional groups, and individuals. Libra is currently the Executive Director for Women’s Foundation of Oregon, a philanthropist non-profit organization that focuses on the dismantlement of systems that impede gender and racial justice. Libra has also served as the interim Executive Director of Western States Center (WSC) and was the Chief Operating Officer for one of the largest culturally specific non-profits in Oregon.

Libra led North Clackamas School District in being the first to name a high school in Oregon after a person of color. She served as an elected member of the North Clackamas School board for which she also chaired during the pandemic. Libra has over 25 years of education advocacy experience in Hawaii and Oregon. She has led innovative education reform and structure developments to include the first active-duty military child scholarship program for transitions and hybrid charter school in Hawaii.

In addition, Libra’s volunteer work includes Executive Board member for the Maurice Lucas Foundation, Oregon Community Foundation Leadership Council and Oregon State Commission for Women. Libra is also a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. Libra holds awards in racial/social justice, innovation, and international speech.

She is the proud solo parent of a recent college math major graduate, a current college biology student, and high school student-athlete. Libra calls her children her superpowers because they (and all children) are the impetus to her drive and success. Libra has a justice heart and systems mind ready to get the work done so we can have a place we can all be proud of beyond our existence. Someone did this for us, Libra believes we are now that “someone”.

Vacant

1st Congressional District
Term: TBD
Email: TBD

Bio coming soon.

Anna Ingram

Term: 9/14/2026 - 6/30/2028
Email: TBD

Anna Ingram has lived in Eugene since 1998 and has worked at the University of Oregon's Center on Teaching and Learning for more than 20 years. She currently serves as an Administrative Program Assistant, supporting literacy and mathematics research projects and helping translate research into practical resources for educators and families. Her work has included website development, instructional materials, tutorials, videos, communications, and dissemination efforts for state and federally funded education projects.

Anna brings a unique perspective to Oregon's education system as both an education professional and a parent advocate. Her interest in education policy grew from her experience advocating for her son, who has a specific learning disability in reading and writing, with suspected dyslexia and dysgraphia. Despite working in higher education for years, she found herself navigating the same challenges other families face when trying to secure special education services, accommodations, and access to evidence-based reading instruction. Those experiences inspired her to create Dyslexia Eugene, a community resource that helps families connect with information, support, and resources related to dyslexia and literacy.

Anna believes that all students benefit from evidence-based instruction and that we already know a great deal about what works, particularly in literacy. She believes Oregon has an opportunity to ensure that research-based practices make their way into classrooms so that all students, especially those who struggle, receive the instruction and support they need to succeed. She is particularly interested in literacy, disability inclusion, family engagement, and improving educational outcomes for all students.

In addition to her work at the university, Anna has served as President of Friends of South Eugene High School and South Eugene Football Boosters and served for three years on the South Eugene High School Site Council. In 2026, she received the University of Oregon Outstanding Employee Award in recognition of her contributions to the university community. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in English with a concentration in Creative Writing from West Virginia University.

Amanda Page

5th Congressional District
Term: 9/14/2026 - 6/30/2030
Email: TBD

Bio coming soon.

At-Large Member
Term: 7/1/2023 - 6/30/2027
Email: Jennifer Scurlock

State Board of Education members are appointed by the Governor and approved by the Senate. Individuals interested in applying can find more information on Oregon's Boards and Commissions Page.