State Board Members

Guadalupe Martinez Zapata, Chair

1st Congressional District
Term: 7/1/2020 – 6/30/2024
Email: Guadalupe Martinez

Guadalupe Martinez Zapata is one of six siblings and the daughter of working-class parents with the highest aspirations and regard for education and civism. Guadalupe inherited this love and commitment to education and service and has made a life-long career of creating pathways of accessibility and equity for nontraditional student populations. Her firsthand experience, as well as being the parent of an underrepresented college student, has strengthened her advocacy for parents and students of color.

Guadalupe has been a college instructor at several institutions of higher education in Oregon for the past 19 years. She has served as full-time faculty in the counseling department at Clackamas Community College since 2000, as well as teaching Chicanx/Latinx studies at Portland Community College and Portland State University. Prior to instruction, Guadalupe worked in student services administration at Oregon State University, University of Oregon and California State University, Chico.

Guadalupe led the Oregon Leadership Institute for Latinx youth in the Clackamas Community College service district for seven years, graduating over 100 young leaders and providing peer and academic mentoring to each, as well as at PCC during the 2015-2016 academic year. She has been invited to speak and conduct trainings on issues of Latinx history, Chicana feminism, equity and access to higher education at a number of local and regional conferences, including the Cesar Chavez Leadership Conference, The Student Success and Retention Conference, TedxPacificUWomen Talk and the Women of Color Community Empowerment Conference at PCC, Rock Creek. Lupita, as her mother insisted people call her, served on the Oregon State University Alumni Association Board and the Clackamas County OSU Extension Board.

Ms. Martinez obtained her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Oregon State University.

Jennifer Scurlock, Vice Chair

At Large Member
Term: 9/23/19 - 6/30/2023
Email: Jennifer Scurlock

Jennifer Scurlock teaches AP English and English 11 in Eugene School District 4J. A leader in her union at the local, state, and national level, Scurlock is the Minority Affairs Director (MAD) for Eugene Education Association and serves as a Director on both the Oregon Education Association (OEA) and the National Education Association (NEA) Boards. Her passion for racial and social justice is reflected in her work conducting symposia and trainings for educators and community members. She is the recipient of the OEA Excellence in Education Award (2017) and was recently nominated for the 2019 ACE Award for “demonstrating an outstanding commitment to excellence in education.” Jennifer holds a master’s degree in Educational Leadership and Development and a bachelor’s in English and Ethnic Studies (minor) from the University of Oregon. She and her husband have been married for 23 years and have two children.

Bridgett Wheeler, 2nd Vice Chair

At Large Member
Term: 7/1/2020 – 6/30/2024
Email: Bridgett Wheeler

Bridgett Wheeler is an enrolled member of the Coquille Indian Tribe and the current director of the Tribe’s education, culture, heritage and learning programs. In this role she works to develop and enhance their priority areas of education and culture. Bridgett has worked for the Tribe for 18 years in a number of capacities, including social services where she served as an advocate in multiple Department of Human Services’ advisory groups. She enjoys the opportunity to develop and shape policy- her true passion.

Bridgett is a fervent advocate for the underrepresented, especially relating to needs for the Native American population. She understands the biases and issues that face minority populations, even those that cannot be studied, understood or articulated.

Bridgett holds a bachelor’s degree in Liberal Arts with the majority of her undergraduate courses in elementary education. She has lived within the Oregon Coquille River Valley watershed most of her life where her ancestors resided for thousands of years. She has four children and co-owns a small construction company with her husband in Myrtle Point, Oregon.

Gustavo Morales

2nd Congressional District
Term: 9/28/22- 6/30/26
Email: Gustavo Morales

Biography coming soon

George Russell

4th Congressional District
Term: 7/1/2020 – 6/30/2024
Email: George Russell

George Russell was the Superintendent of the Eugene Public Schools 4J in Eugene, Oregon from March 1998 to July 2011. His educational background includes an undergraduate degree in Social Psychology from Howard University in Washington, DC; a Master’s in Public Administration (MPA) from Golden Gate University in San Francisco; and additional graduate work in education policy and administration from the University of Oregon. Additionally, he completed the Superintendent Leadership Program (SLP) at Harvard University, a collaborative project between the Kennedy School of Government and the Graduate School of Education and has served as a mentor superintendent for the Harvard University Graduate School of Education’s Urban Superintendents Program and on the advisory board. Mr. Russell previously served on the Oregon Quality Education Commission, and the Public Employees Retirement System (PERS) Board and continues to serve on a number of community boards. He has received numerous community and professional awards, and was recognized as Oregon Superintendent of the Year for 2005.

Kimberly Howard Wade

3rd Congressional District
Term: 7/1/2020 – 6/30/2024
Email: Kimberly Howard

Kimberly is the Executive Director at Caldera Arts. Prior to coming to Caldera, she led PGE Project Zero, Portland General Electric’s social impact initiative to empower the next generation to create cleaner, greener, more equitable communities. As part of the Community Impact Team at PGE, she provided leadership, project management and community engagement strategies for education and workforce development. She also served as the program officer for the PGE Foundation. Kimberly is excited to lead Caldera in the work of supporting young people in awakening their voice through the power of creativity. She has worked in the public, private and nonprofit sectors. She was the Trust manager of the Oregon Cultural Trust, managing director at Portland’s Interstate Firehouse Cultural Center, education/outreach director for Artists Repertory Theatre and the Director of Catering for Il Solito (formerly known as Pazzo Ristorante,) part of the Kimpton Group. She has served as chair of the Oregon State Board of Education and chair of the board for Portland Playhouse. She current serves on the IngeniumCreatives Advisory Board and the board of the Center for Performance and Civic Practice. She previously represented Oregon on the Western States Arts Federation's Regional Multicultural Advisory Committee. In addition, Kimberly is an accomplished actress, with credits in New York, the Williamstown Theatre Festival and several Portland theaters. After attending Wellesley College, she received her BA from Pacific Union College in political economic history. She holds an MFA in acting from Columbia University and has taught theater at Walla Walla University. Kimberly lives in Gresham, Oregon with her husband, their twin sons, and their dog.

Shimiko Montgomery

5th Congressional District
Term: 9/28/22 - 6/30/26
Email: Shimiko Montgomery

Biography coming soon

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

Ex Officio Board Members

State Treasurer Tobias Read

Oregon's 29th State Treasurer

Tobias worked in the U.S. Treasury and as a liaison between designers, engineers and manufacturing units for Nike Inc. In 2006, he was elected to the Oregon House of Representatives, where he served a decade and championed legislation to invest in public education, improve state financial management, finance critical infrastructure, and to help Oregonians save for a more secure future. He was elected Speaker Pro Tempore and earned the chairmanship of the Committee on Higher Education, Innovation, and Workforce Development.

As a legislative leader, he pushed to strengthen the state’s rainy day fund, which was a key factor that helped the state to earn a credit rating upgrade in 2011. He also helped lead the coalition that ultimately approved full-day kindergarten, underscoring that one of Oregon’s best possible investments is in our kids.

In 2015, he was a chief sponsor of the Oregon Retirement Savings Plan, which will be the first operating state-sponsored retirement program when it launches in mid-2017. The plan will enroll Oregon workers who lack access to a retirement savings option through their employers.

Tobias earned his bachelor’s degree from Willamette University and his MBA from the University of Washington. He has been a volunteer for Start Making a Reader Today (SMART), a youth sports coach, a member of the Willamette University Athletic Director's Advisory Board, and a founding board member of Hoopla, Oregon's largest three-on-three charity basketball tournament.

He lives in Beaverton with his wife Heidi and their two children.

Acting Oregon Secretary of State Cheryl Myers

Shemia Fagan Ms. Myers' professional background includes public policy, organizational leadership, economic development, public education/youth advocacy, and a history of assisting organizations to construct equitable cultures and embed collaborative practices.

Her prior public service roles include Director of Economic & Business Equity in the Governor’s Office, Chief of Staff for the Higher Education Commission and as Operations & Engagement Director for Educator Advancement in the Chief Education Office and 8 years as an elected school board member. Her longstanding private sector business ownership lends insight into the varying aspects of unique business needs.

Myers began life as an orphan in Korea before she was adopted by an Oregon family and raised in a SE Portland working-class family. She is deeply committed to community with service on local and national boards. She enjoys their floating home life with family and puppy, sharing meals with friends, paddle boarding, boating and riding her Harley.

State Board Advisors

Superintendent Advisor Dr. Paul E. Coakley

Paul Coakley

The Multnomah Education Service District Board of Directors selected Dr. Paul E. Coakley as Superintendent, effective July 1, 2021. Before joining MESD, Dr. Coakley served as the Superintendent of Centennial School District from 2017-2021. He has a proven track record of competence, commitment, and leadership skills in improving student growth and achievement outcomes in public schools. Dr. Coakley earned a Doctorate of Educational Leadership and a Masters of Education degree in Curriculum and Instruction from Portland State University. He was the sole recipient of PSU's Outstanding Leadership Award in 2016.

In 2017, he was awarded an Excellence in Educational Leadership Award by the National Council for Educational Administration. Dr. Coakley recently completed his certificate of Advanced Education Leadership from Harvard University's Graduate School of Education.

School Board Advisor

My name is Lili Gomez, a first-generation college graduate and daughter of Mexican immigrants. I was born and raised in rural eastern Oregon: Hermiston. Growing up, I attended Head Start through our Migrant Education Program and was an ESL student up until middle school. After high school I attended Seattle University where I received my bachelor’s degree in business administration, with a focus on international business and marketing. After graduating from university I accepted a job overseas and moved to Spain to work as an English teacher. Through my degree, and this role, I was given the opportunity to explore and travel the world. An opportunity and privilege not easily accessible for many. Traveling and immersing myself in a new culture, ideas, and customs has strengthened my ability to step outside my comfort zone and use my skills to help others. This is why I know first hand the power of ancillary programs aimed at meeting a student’s needs. Special programs can make an impact on the quality of life and opportunities not just for a student, but for their families and their communities.

Service has always been a part of my life. I am employed as a public servant, working as a Records Specialist for the Hermiston Police Department. Previous to that I worked as a court clerk for the Hermiston Municipal Court. Through both roles, I've been able to bridge language barriers and help our Spanish-speaking community access city and public safety services. Additionally, I was recently appointed to the school board for the Hermiston School District, the largest school district in Eastern Oregon. This is another way I am able to represent and be a voice for our Latinx community. The experiences and barriers my siblings and I, as well as many of my peers, encountered as children of immigrants along with our immigrant parents, navigating systems such as education was challenging. I hope to be able to share those lived experiences and offer that perspective on my school board as we work to best serve all of our students.

Teacher Advisor Mona Khalil

My name is Mona Khalil. I was born in Cairo, Egypt. I spent most of my childhood in Chicago and moved to Oregon in 2003. I have a Bachelors 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. I have thirteen years of classroom experience, and I am currently a third grade teacher at Tigard-Tualatin School District. I have taken various leadership roles, such as being a Professional Learning Community team leader, and am currently a part of the Colleagues of Color Tigard-Tualatin Leadership team. In 2019 and 2020, I was an OEA Educator Empowerment Academy Member. Our work focused on trauma informed practices in order to help the emotional regulation of students. In 2020 and 2021, I was an OEA Empowerment Academy Coach. During the pandemic, I coached a team in the Newberg School District to aid in increasing student engagement and participation in an equitable way during online learning. My experiences in public schools as well as having children of my own inspired my motivation to be an educator, and make changes to a system I knew could be difficult to navigate as a minority.

State Board Student Advisors

Caroline Gao

Caroline is a senior at West Albany High School. She is the founder and executive director of The World in Us, a nonprofit connecting students from 25+ countries to global perspectives through youth-for-youth cultural education and exchange. Her experiences studying Korean abroad through the National Security Language Initiative for Youth and engaging in cultural exchange with Japanese students through High School Diplomats have further crystallized her passion for intercultural collaboration. She also serves as co-founder and co-president of Aster Lit, an international literary magazine and podcast illuminating diverse youth voices across the world.

Caroline is deeply invested in politics and public policy, having advocated for statewide financial literacy education legislation; served as a U.S. Senate page through appointment by Senator Merkley; represented Oregon to the U.S. Senate Youth Program; interned for several state and Congressional campaigns; and worked at nonprofits like the Asian Pacific American Network of Oregon, Next Up, and Our Children Oregon. She currently serves as the Youth Governor of Oregon, a role through which she advocates for youth civic engagement and education by organizing the annual Youth and Government conference.

Outside of culture and politics, she is passionate about and has performed research on equitable technology design at Oregon State University. At school, her leadership roles include serving as the wind ensemble principal flutist, Student Body Vice President, and equity council student representative. In her free time, she enjoys creative writing, crocheting, and curating her 70+ Spotify playlists.

Emily Zou

Emily Zou (she/her) is a senior at Lakeridge High School in Lake Oswego, Oregon. She served as the 2021-22 student representative to the Lake Oswego School Board and is excited to continue her student advocacy at the state level. She is also the executive director of Oregon Student Voice, a youth led non profit that empowers all students to be active agents in shaping their K-12 education. Emily is also on the projects team at Project Lotus, which works to destigmatize mental health in Asian American communities. At Lakeridge, she is involved in student government, the speech and debate team, and various clubs.