Matt W. Donaldson, the Vice Chair of Appeals for Georgia’s State Board of Education, has been elected to the board of directors of the National Association of State Boards of Education (NASBE). 

Donaldson has represented Georgia’s 12th Congressional District on the State Board of Education since January 2021. For NASBE – which is the nonprofit, nonpartisan membership organization for state boards of education – he will serve a two-year term as Southern Area Director.

“NASBE’s board of directors help the organization achieve its mission of developing, supporting, and empowering state boards to fully embrace their role as citizen leaders to strengthen education systems so that all students can thrive,” NASBE President and CEO Paolo DeMaria said. “NASBE’s board of directors is stronger than ever to lead in these unprecedented times.”

Donaldson was appointed as the 12th District Representative to the State Board of Education (SBOE) on January 12, 2021. On the SBOE, he serves on the Budget Committee, Audit Committee, and State Schools Committee. For NASBE, Donaldson serves on the Finance & Audit Committee and the Government Affairs Committee. 

“In his role on the State Board of Education, Matt Donaldson continually focuses on what’s best for students,” State School Superintendent Richard Woods said. “I am honored to work with him and extremely proud he’s taking on this national leadership role. I know he will represent Georgia with distinction.”

Donaldson is the Chief Financial Officer of Durden Banking Company, Inc. in Twin City, and serves as the Mayor of Twin City. He is a graduate of East Georgia State College, Georgia Southern University, the Georgia Academy for Economic Development, the Georgia Banking School at the University of Georgia, and the Graduate School of Banking at Louisiana State University.

“I am honored to be elected to the NASBE Board of Directors,” Donaldson said. “As the Southern Area Director, I will represent the 14 member states in the southern region. I am proud to represent Georgia and to promote the work being done every day to educate the students in our great state.”

Donaldson joins GaDOE General Counsel Stacey Suber-Drake, who serves as an ex-officio representative of the National Council of State Education Attorneys, on the NASBE board.