4J Board Member Honored With State’s Highest Award
Wednesday, October 21, 2020 23:19
Alicia Hays named 2020 Oregon School Board Member of the Year
Eugene School District 4J board member Alicia Hays has been named the 2020 Oregon School Board Member of the Year by the Oregon School Boards Association.
Ms. Hays has provided steadfast leadership on the Eugene School Board since 2007. She is the district’s longest-serving current board member, and has served as the board chair three times.
Over the past 13 years, Ms. Hays has been instrumental in aligning board work with the district’s strategic objectives and long-range planning. She has helped guide the district with a consistent focus on equity, the needs of underserved students, and success for all students.
Ms. Hays’s dedication to serving students stems from her personal, professional and volunteer experiences, through which she has firsthand knowledge of the critical role community plays in the success of children and their schools. She has consistently, passionately and effectively advocated for equity and access for all.
While serving on the board, Ms. Hays has successfully campaigned to increase school funding with the passage of three construction bonds totaling $559.3M and three local option levy renewals. She has championed students including by playing a key role in board resolutions calling on state officials to provide more K–12 education funding and on federal officials to take swift and common sense action on climate change.
Ms. Hays is the former director of Lane County Health and Human Services, from which she retired in 2017. She was re-elected to her fourth term on the school board in 2019. Her current four-year term ends June 30, 2023.
The Oregon School Board Member of the Year award recognizes outstanding volunteers who make a difference in their communities. OSBA selects one school board member each year from the 1,000+ school board members in Oregon’s 197 school districts. Nominees are considered for their advocacy efforts, leadership and support for student achievement.
Read more: OSBA news story: Focus on equity and access earns Alicia Hays 2020 School Board Member of the Year
