Departing Tri-City school official to bring ‘valuable perspectives’ to WA Board of Education
Outgoing Kennewick School Board member Ron Mabry has won election to a seat on the Washington State Board of Education. He’ll begin serving Eastern Washington constituents in January.
The Board of Education is a state government agency that leads the development of K-12 policies, sets requirements for graduation, provides system oversight and advocates for student success.
“We’re excited to have Ron on our board,” said Board Chair Bill Kallappa in a Tuesday news release. “His experiences will bring valuable military, business and engineering perspectives to our discussions. I am eager to work with him and learn more about his time on the Kennewick School Board and in the Tri-Cities community.”
Mabry is a three-term school board member who chose not to seek reelection to his seat this year. His term ends this month, when new school board members will be sworn in on Dec. 13.
He also formerly served as president of the Washington State School Directors’ Association (WSSDA), the state agency that supports the work of the state’s 1,477 locally elected school board members.
The state board is made up of 16 members including two students, the state superintendent, a private school representative, five members elected by WSSDA and seven members appointed by the governor. Mabry was elected to his seat by members of the WSSDA delegation.
“Ron has had success proposing legislative amendments that range from funding and special education, to security and free meals. In his new role on the state board, Ron Brings leadership expertise and experience that will help the board improve schools for all students,” read the news release.
He replaces MJ Bolt, a former board president and former Central Valley School Board member. She is a co-founder of organizations that assist students who are in need of housing services, and currently she serves as chair of the Spokane County Republican Central Committee.
Mabry currently works as the waste field services manager at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory in Richland. He also served in the U.S. Navy.
This story was originally published December 5, 2023 at 1:00 PM.
