During its annual Organization Day, on Monday, January 9, the Indianapolis Public Schools (IPS) Board of School Commissioners elected Venita Moore as the governing body’s president.
Venita Moore, who previously served as the board’s vice president, represents District 2. She first won the seat in 2016 and was re-elected in 2019.
Venita Moore is a graduate of Arlington High School and is a managing principal at Engaging Solutions, a business consulting firm. Previously, she served as deputy secretary for the Indiana Family and Social Services Administration. Venita Moore is also an inductee to the IPS Alumni Hall of Fame.
The Board selected Angelia Moore, who is a newly elected at-large member, as vice president. She is the deputy director of the Fay Biccard Glick Community Center. With a long resume in K-12 education, Angelia Moore has a deep connection to IPS. Not only is she an IPS graduate and mother of three IPS graduates and one current student, but she is also a former member of the district administration.
Kenneth Allen, an at-large commissioner, was re-elected as Board secretary. He is a certified child and youth care worker with Indiana Youth Services Association and oversees their statewide anti-human trafficking awareness initiative.
Allen is also the chair of the Indiana Commission on the Social Status of Black Males (ICSSBM), and is a board member for the Indianapolis chapter of the Indiana Black Expo Inc.
In addition to Angelia Moore, two other new members also were sworn into the Indianapolis Public Schools (IPS) Board of School Commissioners on Monday. Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett lead the new members in the oath of office. They are:
- Nicole Carey represents District 5. Carey is the founder of an organization committed to helping schools and companies create equitable and inclusive environments. She is also the proud mom of five children, three of whom are school-age and attend IPS.
- Hope Hampton represents District 3. Born and raised in Indianapolis, Hampton has a son who is an IPS student. She has a degree in social work and is a small business owner. She has also worked as a counselor for KIPP Indy and as a dean at North Central High School in Washington Township.
Other members rounding out the seven-member IPS Board of School Commissioners include commissioners Will Pritchard, who represents District 1, and Diane Arnold, who represents District 4.
Pritchard has been involved in affordable housing and community development in Indianapolis for the last 20 years. He currently works for CREA, an Indianapolis-based, national tax credit syndicator investing in affordable housing for low-income families and individuals across the U.S. Pritchard is an active volunteer on the east side and is involved in several community-based organizations and initiatives.
Arnold, who has been on the Board since 2004, is a staunch community supporter, including serving over 50 years with the Hawthorne Community Center on the near-west side of Indianapolis.
She has been recognized and honored for her service by Local Initiatives Support Corporation, United Way of Central Indiana, United States Department of Justice, Indiana Youth Institute,
Indiana Education Association, University of Indianapolis, and Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department. She has been honored as a Kentucky Colonel and a Sagamore of the Wabash.
Arnold has an undergraduate degree in elementary education and a master’s degree in social work from Indiana University. She is a proud graduate of George Washington High School.
In other business, the Board approved a resolution re-appointing Weston Young, IPS chief financial officer, as treasurer; and John Niland, accounting supervisor and Geoffrey Dobbins, director of budget and strategy, as deputy treasurers.
The resolution also appointed Young as the district’s designee to the Marion County Board of Finance and authorizes him to execute any necessary special education excess cost contracts on behalf of the Board.
The Board also approved the re-appointment of Leslie-Ann James as executive secretary to the governing body.