National Convening Program Books 2015 YEO National Convening Program Book | Page 26

Detailed Agenda
SATURDAY | JULY 25, 2015

Michael Frerichs

Illinois State Treasurer
Born and raised in the small farming community of Gifford, Illinois, Mike
Frerichs is the Illinois State Treasurer. He graduated from Rantoul Township
High School and four years later from Yale University (1995). After
graduating, Frerichs returned home with a desire to serve his community.
He was elected to the Champaign County Board and was Champaign
County auditor, where he became a certified public finance officer and
was awarded the Certificate for Excellence in Financial Reporting for his
work in bringing transparency and strict oversight to the county’s budget.
In 2007, Frerichs was sworn in as senator for the 52nd district of Illinois.
As Chairman of the Higher Education Committee, he funded improvements at the University of
Illinois while fighting to reduce Illinois’ disparities in education funding. He also co-chaired a special
committee designed to preserve and extend Enterprise Zones which kept Illinois’ business climate
competitive with neighboring states while hundreds of thousands of jobs have been preserved and
created in Illinois. Frerichs currently resides in Champaign and has a daughter named Ella.

John King

Deputy Secretary of the U.S. Department of Education
John B. King, Jr. is the senior advisor delegated duties of deputy secretary
of education at the U.S. Department of Education, a position he assumed
in January 2015. In this role, he oversees a broad range of management,
policy, a nd program functions. Prior to his arrival at the Department, King
served as the commissioner of education for the state of New York, having
been appointed to that position by the New York State Board of Regents
in May 2011. In this role, he served as chief executive officer of the State
Education Department and as president of the University of the State of
New York (USNY). King was one of the nation’s youngest state education
leaders at the time of his appointment and the first African American and Puerto Rican to serve as
New York State education commissioner.

9:45 AM–10:45 AM
EMPOWERING AND EDUCATING COMMUNITIES POLICY COUNCIL BREAKOUT SERIES

YEO National Convening | 2015
25

YEOs should divide by level of office to discuss the priority issues from this session
and to create the annual YEO agenda for this Policy Council.
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•
•
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A–State Level • Hermitage Room
B–Local Level • Springwood Room
C–Local Level • Sagamore Hill Room
D–School Board • Ashlawn Room