For Immediate Release:   March 26, 2008

 

Kershaw, Hughes Earn Renewal of

Certified Board Member Distinctions

 

VIERA—Brevard County School Board Chairman Janice Kershaw and Board Member Larry Hughes recently earned renewal of their Certified Board Member distinctions bestowed by the Florida School Boards Association (FSBA).

The Certified Board Member program focuses on a core curriculum designed for board members to gain knowledge about their important governance roles. Individual board members must plan and document completion of the required 96 points. The program provides board members with an awareness in these key areas: 1) boardsmanship; 2) school finance; 3) curriculum and instruction; 4) state/federal legislation; 5) school law; 6) planning overview; 7) policymaking/policy oversight; 8) human resources; 9) communications/public relations; 10) community and family involvement; 11) current trends and issues; and, 12) multiculturalism/diversity.

Kershaw was elected to the Brevard County School Board in 1998. She currently serves as chairman of the Board, after having served as vice-chairman in 2006-07. She also served as Board chairman from 2001-03. She sits on the FSBA Board of Directors.

Currently, Kershaw represents Brevard as a member of the Central Florida Public School Boards Coalition and the Brevard County Values Adjustment Board. She serves as district director of VSA Arts for the Brevard Achievement Center. Kershaw serves in a range of volunteer capacities for many civic and cultural organizations, and was a gubernatorial appointee under Gov. Jeb Bush to the East Central Florida Regional Planning Council. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from DePauw University in Greencastle, Ind.

“The Certified Board Member program is valuable training for elected officials,” Kershaw said. “I am glad that I had the opportunity to participate.”

Hughes was elected to the Brevard County School Board in 2000 and served as Board chairman in 2004-05. He served on the Board of Directors of the FSBA for four years, is a Board member of the Brevard Schools Foundation, and was a gubernatorial appointee under Governors Chiles, Bush and Crist.

A product of Brevard Public Schools, Hughes earned his Bachelor of Science degree from Rollins College and his Master of Science and MBA degrees from the Florida Institute of Technology. He started his own engineering and management consulting firm, Apogee Engineering, in 1989. A 50-year resident of Brevard, he lives in West Melbourne. His four children are all graduates of Brevard public schools.

“Although I earned an MBA and have more than 20 years of management experience, neither holds a candle to the leadership training provided by the FSBA,” Hughes said. “I remain truly in their debt for continuing my education.”

FSBA is a non-profit corporation representing all school board members in Florida. FSBA has been the collective voice for Florida school districts since 1930 and is closely allied with other educational and community agencies to work toward improvement of education in Florida. The mission of FSBA is to support and assist school boards in shaping and improving education in Florida by impacting legislation and providing proactive leadership and training through a network of services and information.

-BPS-