State school board group appoints Kimberly A. Small as next Executive Director

By Editor | March 8, 2023 |

On July 1, Kimberly A. Small will become the first woman to lead the Illinois Association of School Boards
The Illinois Association of School Boards (IASB), the primary provider of professional development for school board members and a leading advocate for local control of public schools, will have a new Executive Director in 2023.
Currently General Counsel and Associate Executive Director of the Office of General Counsel and Policy Services for IASB, Kimberly A. Small, J.D., will succeed Thomas E. Bertrand, Ph.D. as Executive Director on July 1, 2023. She will be the first woman and eighth full-time Executive Director in the Association’s 110-year history. The Association board of directors announced Small’s selection at its quarterly meeting on March 3.
“Kimberly brings 17 years of association experience with her focus being member centered,” said IASB President Simon Kampwerth Jr. “Being the first female Executive Director in IASB’s 110-year history, she will provide an organizational perspective which will allow for growth, and a perspective which will be the catalyst moving this association into the next decade.”
Small began her employment at IASB in 2005. During her tenure with the Association, she has served as Policy Consultant, Assistant General Counsel, General Counsel and Associate Executive Director, Policy Services. She is secretary of the Illinois Council of School Attorneys (ICSA). Prior to IASB she was the Supervisor of the Juvenile Courts Division in the DuPage County Public Defender’s Office.
“I have always been passionate about children receiving a quality, public education so that as they grow into adults they can make good choices for themselves, their families, and their communities,” Small said. “I am grateful for the opportunity and honored to serve the Association in a new role. I look forward to supporting IASB team leaders and staff and collaborating with external stakeholders to continue the Association’s work in Lighting the Way to excellence in local school board governance to positively impact the almost two million students that IASB members educate.”
As Executive Director, Small will lead 68 full- and part-time staff members in the Association’s Springfield and Lombard offices. She will be responsible for Association operations and represent its positions in state and national public school policy management on behalf of 849 member districts and nearly 6,000 elected Illinois school board members.
Small and her husband James reside in Downers Grove and have two children. Small graduated from the University of Minnesota in 1997 and earned a Juris Doctor from William Mitchell College of Law. She is currently working towards an Executive Scholar Certificate in Nonprofit Management from Northwestern University’s Kellogg Center for Nonprofit Management and is expected to receive this in 2023.
About IASB
IASB, which was founded in 1913, is a voluntary organization of local boards of education dedicated to strengthening the public schools through local citizen control. Although not a part of state government, IASB is organized by member school boards as a private not-for-profit corporation under authority granted by Article 23 of The Illinois School Code. More than 99% of the school boards in Illinois hold active membership and support the Association through annual dues.
The vision of the Illinois Association of School Boards is excellence in local school board governance supporting quality public education.