Office of the President
Stephen L. Pruitt
President
Stephen Pruitt took office as the sixth president of the Southern Regional Education Board in July 2018.
He started his education career as a high school chemistry teacher in Fayette County, Georgia. During his career, Pruitt has amassed education policy, assessment and instructional background at the local, state and national levels.
Dave Spence
President
David S. Spence is president emeritus of the Southern Regional Education Board, where he consults on education policy with governors, state legislators, state K-12 and higher education chiefs and other leaders. He oversees many initiatives designed to help the organization’s 16 member states lead the nation in educational progress, including the nation’s largest school improvement network.
Tricia Avery
Special Assistant to President
Tricia P. Avery is a special assistant to the SREB president. In this role, she manages the president’s calendar and handles the organization’s meeting planning. She plans many activities for the SREB Board, including the annual meeting, Legislative Work Conference, Legislative Advisory Council and special commissions, and solicits bids from hotels and negotiates lodging contracts and rental car agreements. In 2016, she retired from serving as SREB’s HR director — a position she held since 2000.
Cheryl Blanco
Vice President, Postsecondary Education
Cheryl Blanco has served as vice president for postsecondary education at the Southern Regional Education Board since 2008. She leads SREB’s postsecondary policy initiatives, including the work of the Commission on College Affordability in the South and the Commission on Community Colleges. She has written and overseen publications on several postsecondary issues.
Sam Nancarrow
Special Assistant to President
Sam Nancarrow joined the Southern Regional Education Board in 2015 as a special assistant in the office of the president. His initial interaction with SREB came when he participated in several SREB Early Childhood Commission meetings as a legislative director in the Texas House of Representatives.