Valerie Greenhill has been selected as the next president of the Southern Regional Education Board, where she will lead the organization’s work to improve education outcomes from early childhood through doctoral education and the workforce. An education leader with decades of success building mission-driven organizations, Greenhill will join SREB on Feb. 2, 2026.

The Executive Committee of the SREB Board selected Greenhill after a nationwide search. She succeeds Stephen L. Pruitt, who served as SREB president from 2018 to 2025.

Greenhill is a pioneer in the portrait of a graduate movement and a recognized authority on educational innovation, strategic leadership and organizational development. She served as vice president at Battelle for Kids, was a founder of EdLeader21, and was most recently vice president of product management at a private-sector digital skills curriculum company.

“I am confident that Valerie Greenhill’s leadership will drive the momentum in improving education for students across the South,” said Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves, chair of the SREB Board. “From literacy and math to AI and workforce readiness, Southern states are leading the way. SREB plays a central role in convening educators, legislators and other policymakers to scale what works in policy and practice.”

“Every learner deserves education that opens doors to meaningful careers and civic engagement,” Greenhill said. ”For nearly 80 years, SREB has been the South’s trusted nonpartisan leader in education. I’m honored to build on that legacy and drive the work ahead, helping states align education with the future our learners face so that individuals, communities and economies can thrive.”

Raised in Oklahoma with family roots in farming and teaching throughout the South, Greenhill’s career has focused on finding common ground while advancing evidence-based solutions. She holds a master’s degree in educational technology from Arizona State University, a master’s in English from the University of Arizona, and a bachelor’s degree in English from Vassar College. 

“Valerie brings an entrepreneur’s spirit to the intersection of policy and practice in education that aligns with SREB’s mission,” said SREB Board Vice Chair Felicia Cumings Smith, president of the National Center for Families Learning and chair of the search committee. “She has spent her career partnering with schools and districts, education leaders and policymakers to bring to life the competencies young people need to succeed in life after high school.”

“I am grateful to my fellow search committee members for their dedication throughout this competitive process,” Smith said. “Most especially, the board and staff of SREB are immensely grateful to Dale Winkler, who is focusing on the needs of our states while leading the organization as interim president.”

The SREB Executive Committee will name a transition team of board and staff to steer a smooth transition during early 2026.

The Southern Regional Education Board works with states to improve education at every level, from early childhood through doctoral education and the workforce. An interstate compact and a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization based in Atlanta, SREB was created in 1948 by Southern governors and legislatures to advance education and improve the social and economic life of the region. SREB states are Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia and West Virginia.