The NASSP Board of Directors recently elected six school leaders to serve on the 20-member board: James Allrich, principal of Argyle Middle School in Silver Spring, MD; Tom Brenner, principal of Cloquet Middle School in Cloquet, MN; Todd Dain, EdD, principal of Shawnee Mission South High School in Overland Park, KS; Greg Johnson, principal of West Liberty-Salem High School in West Liberty, OH; Allison Persad, EdD, principal of The Young Women’s Leadership School of Astoria in Astoria, NY; and Anna Thoma, EdD, assistant principal of Millard North Middle School in Omaha, NE.

A fierce advocate for social-emotional, equitable, and anti-racist practices, Allrich has served as the principal of Argyle Middle School, a technology magnet school, for nine years. He serves on the board of directors of the Maryland Association of Secondary School Principals and the Montgomery County Association of Administrators and Principals. He is the 2023 Maryland Principal of the Year.

Brenner has served as the principal of Cloquet Middle School for 23 years. A profound sense of purpose drove his journey into education and educational leadership: to change the paths of young adults, much like how public education transformed his own life. He has received numerous accolades, including State Coach of the Year and Regional Principal of the Year. He is the 2023 Minnesota Principal of the Year.

A former English teacher and football coach, Dain has served as the principal of Shawnee Mission South High School since 2015. A co-facilitator of the NASSP Principal of the Year Leadership Network and a former NASSP ambassador, he serves on the board of directors of the Kansas State High School Activities Association. He is the 2023 Kansas Principal of the Year.

Johnson has served as the principal of West Liberty-Salem High School since 2005. After his school experienced a shooting in 2017, he became a founding member of the NASSP Principal Recovery Network. This national network of current and former school leaders who have experienced gun violence tragedies in their buildings assists principals in the immediate aftermath of a crisis and beyond. He has served as a network facilitator since 2021.

A former adjunct professor and coach, Persad is the principal of The Young Women’s Leadership School of Astoria. She is the child of immigrants and the first in her family to attend and complete college. As a school leader, she has focused on closing the gender gap for women in STEM. She is a former co-facilitator of the NASSP School Leaders of Color Network. 

Thoma has served as an assistant principal of Millard North Middle School, an IB World School, for 11 years. Previously, she taught Spanish at both the middle and high school levels and served as a high school dean of students. An adjunct professor, she is the 2022 Nebraska Assistant Principal of the Year and a co-facilitator of the NASSP Assistant Principals of the Year Network.