Today, Governor Michael L. Parson appointed Kerry Casey (Chesterfield) to the State Board of Education. Casey currently serves as Vice President of Exegy, a global leader in financial market data, trading platforms, and predictive signals, where she is responsible for Global Sales Operations and Enablement. In addition to her role with Exegy, Casey is a founding board member of the KIPP Charter School in St. Louis and continues to serve on the board of directors. She is also a board member for the Lift for Life Gym and the Patriot Training Foundation and a past board member of Junior Achievement of Greater St. Louis. Prior to joining Exegy, Casey held executive-level positions with Thomson Reuters, MCI WorldCom, Skytel, and TWA.

“Kerry’s proven record of success in developing a vision and managing teams to achieve goals, along with her lifelong dedication to children and public service, make her an ideal candidate for the State Board of Education,” said Commissioner of Education Margie Vandeven. “We are eager to have Kerry join the board and are looking forward to the insight she will bring to educational policy.”

Casey earned a certificate in Business Process Reengineering from Kellogg Graduate School of Management, as well as an Executive Leadership Program certificate from the University of Michigan School of Business.

Casey fills the seat of O. Victor (Vic) Lenz (St. Louis), who has served on the State Board of Education since June 2013. Dr. Lenz’s term expired in July 2019. He has since been serving at the pleasure of the Governor until a replacement was named.

“Vic is a steadfast, tireless advocate for public education and we cannot thank him enough for his service on the board and his commitment to the students of Missouri,” said State Board of Education President Charlie Shields. “His wisdom and perspective have been greatly appreciated over the years.”

Casey will begin serving on the board immediately. Her appointment must later be confirmed by the Missouri Senate. Casey’s term will expire on July 1, 2027.

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Pamela Westbrooks-Hodge (Pasadena Hills) was appointed to the State Board of Education today by Missouri Governor Mike Parson. Mrs. Westbrooks-Hodge joins the State Board of Education after serving as a member of the Joint Executive Governing Board at Normandy Schools Collaborative since December 2015.

“Pamela’s time on the board in Normandy has given her a front row seat to the great work happening in our public schools, the challenges they’re currently facing and how the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) supports their efforts,” said Commissioner Vandeven. “That experience makes Pamela such a valuable addition to our State Board of Education. We are so looking forward to the insight she will bring to our discussions.”

Mrs. Westbrooks-Hodge works for Edward Jones, leading Information Systems Audit. She holds certifications in financial, operational and information systems auditing and has considerable expertise in strategy formulation and execution and talent development. She previously worked for Express Scripts, Anheuser-Busch and Bank of America in senior governance, risk and compliance roles. Mrs. Westbrooks-Hodge is a graduate of Normandy High School. She earned a bachelor's degree in finance from Northwest Missouri State University, then her master's degree in business administration from the University of Missouri-St. Louis.

Mrs. Westbrooks-Hodge fills the seat of Mike Jones (St. Louis), who has served on the State Board of Education for nine years. Mr. Jones’ term expired in July 2018. He has since been serving at the pleasure of the Governor until a replacement was named.

“We cannot thank Mike enough for his service and commitment to the department’s work and the students of Missouri,” said State Board of Education President Charlie Shields. “His voice and perspective have been so appreciated over the years.”

Mrs. Westbrooks-Hodge will begin her service after her appointment is confirmed by the Missouri Senate.