Board of Trustees

James D. Spaniolo, J.D..
Chairman of the Board
Higher Education Advisor to the Governor at State of Michigan

James D. Spaniolo served almost a decade as the seventh president of the University of Texas at Arlington, retiring in 2013. During his presidency, enrollment increased by 34% to more than 33,800 total, annual research expenditures more than tripled to $71.4 million, and private giving more than tripled to over $20 million annually. President Spaniolo initiated and completed more than $400 million in campus construction, including a major engineering research complex and a 20-acre mixed-use development, the centerpiece of which is a 7,000-seat College Park Center.

Mr. Spaniolo’s career has encompassed leadership roles as a communications lawyer and executive, senior officer of a national philanthropic foundation, as well as a dean and university president. Most recently, he served as the President and CEO of the North Texas Commission, a public/private, non-partisan partnership fo businesses, municipalities and higher education institutions, which promotes and advocates for the vitality of the North Texas Region, including 13 counties and 7.4 million residents.

Mr. Spaniolo earned his undergraduate degree in political science from Michigan State University, his law degree from The University of Michigan Law School, and a master’s degree in public administration from The University of Michigan Institute of Public Policy Studies (now the Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy).

Rod Paige, Ed.D.
Former U.S. Secretary of Education

Dr. Rod Paige earned his B.S. from Jackson State University and his M.A. and Ed.D. from Indiana University. During his tenure as U.S. Secretary of Education, Dr. Paige was a stalwart supporter of improving the way that students learn on all levels and setting standards of achievement. Dr. Paige made history by becoming the first school superintendent to be named Secretary of Education. While serving as superintendent of the Houston Independent School District, the seventh largest school district in the U.S., he was honored as National Superintendent of the Year by the American Association of School Administrators. Dr. Paige served for a decade as dean of the College of Education at Texas Southern University (TSU) in Houston, Texas, where he worked to ensure that future educators receive the training and expertise necessary to succeed in the classroom. He also established the University’s Center for Excellence in Urban Education, a research facility that concentrates on issues related to instruction and management in urban school systems. Dr. Paige speaks frequently to educators across the country and emphasizes, “Civilizations rise and fall depending on the quality of education.”

Deborah Jewell-Sherman, Ed.D.
Harvard Graduate School of Education

Dr. Deborah Jewell-Sherman, Harvard University Graduate School of Education, co-directed Harvard’s Urban Superintendent Program and now guides students in the University’s Doctor of Education Leadership program. Prior to joining Harvard, Dr. Jewell-Sherman worked with the Richmond, Virginia, public schools, serving as Superintendent from 2002-2008. Under her leadership the Richmond Public Schools became recognized nationally as a “Flagship” district. Previously, she served as an elementary school principal and taught English, mathematics, and computer science. Dr. Jewell-Sherman has both an Ed.D. and an M.A. from Harvard, both in Administration, Planning and Social Policy, an M.A. from Kean College in Educational Administration, and a B.S. from New York University in Elementary Education.

Don McAdams, Ph.D.
Vice Chairman
Chairman and Founder, Center for the Reform of School Systems

Dr. McAdams founded the Center for Reform of School Systems (CRSS), a not-for-profit Texas corporation, which provides governance training and advisory services for urban school boards. He is a nationally recognized authority on school district governance and is a frequent speaker and widely published author on school reform in America. Dr. McAdams served for 12 years as a member of the Houston Independent School District (HISD) Board of Education, serving twice as board president.

Teachers College Press published his first book, Fighting to Save Our Urban Schools... and Winning! Lessons from Houston in 2000 and his second book, What School Boards Can Do: Reform Governance for Urban Schools in January 2006. His latest book, co-authored by Dan Katzir, The Redesign of Urban School Districts: Case Studies in Urban School Governance, 1990-2011, was published by Harvard University Press in 2013.

Dr. McAdams earned his B.A. from Columbia Union College in Maryland and his M.A. and Ph.D. from Duke University. Dr. McAdams has been a research professor at the University of Houston; President of McAdams, Faillace & Associates, Inc; Executive Vice President of the American Productivity and Quality Center; and President of the Texas Independent College Fund. From 1975-1984, he was President of Southwestern Adventist College. Earlier, he was associate professor of history and acting chairman of the Department of History at Andrews University.