NSBA Executive Director and CEO Verjeana McCotter-Jacobs
Verjeana McCotter-Jacobs, Esq., was named NSBA Executive Director and CEO in July 2023. She oversees the association’s operations and initiatives, working closely with state associations of school boards, as well as local school board members, school law attorneys, education professionals, and policymakers to shape education policy, drive innovation, and promote effective governance at the local level.
She is deeply committed to empowering school boards and collaborating with educators, community members, and parents to ensure that all students have access to a high-quality education. She works alongside the NSBA team and NSBA members to advance educational equity, foster student success, and create meaningful change in our nation’s schools and school districts.
McCotter-Jacobs has more than 30 years of experience in education, law, and public safety. For more than a decade, she served as Chair of the Board of Education for Prince George's County Public Schools in Maryland — one of the nation’s largest school districts. During her time as a school board member, she served as president of the Maryland Association of Boards of Education and Chair of NSBA’s Council of Urban Boards of Education (CUBE), demonstrating an unwavering commitment to promoting excellence and equity in education and working tirelessly to enhance educational outcomes for all students. During her time on the school board, McCotter-Jacobs worked for more than 20 years for the Prince George’s County Department of Corrections, retiring as the Division Chief of the Office of Professional Responsibility and Legal Affairs at the rank of Lieutenant Colonel.
McCotter-Jacobs began her tenure at NSBA in 2017, leading the organization’s change around member engagement, as well as building upon the organization’s progress in member services, equity, and social justice to identify discriminatory practices, prejudices, and beliefs in education policy. Under her leadership, NSBA’s CUBE experienced triple-digit growth. She was named NSBA’s Chief Transformational Officer in 2020 and Deputy Executive Director in August 2022.
McCotter-Jacobs received a B.A. in behavioral & social sciences from the University of Maryland and a J.D. from the University of the District of Columbia David A. Clarke School of Law. She maintains license to practice law in Maryland and the District of Columbia.