Gov. Sarah Sanders announced Friday (Nov. 1) that she has appointed Gary Arnold to serve on the Arkansas State Board of Education. This is Governor Sanders’ third appointment to the Board of Education.

Arnold, whose term will expire on June 30, 2027, replaces Steve Sutton.

“Gary is a longtime education leader and was one of our key allies in the LEARNS implementation process as part of the Rules and Regulations Task Force,” said Governor Sanders. “With the help of Gary’s careful management, the first school year with Arkansas LEARNS was a huge success, and the second year is shaping up to be even better. Now parents will have Gary on the Board of Education, fighting for a better Arkansas.”

Arnold serves as the Director of School Certification at the Council for Educational Standards and Accountability (CESA) and as a founder and partner at NextEd, LLC. Prior to this role, he spent 16 years leading an independent school in Central Arkansas.

“The best part of being an educator is learning something new every day. If we’re honest, we’re all lifelong learners. Always learning. Always growing. Always getting better. It drives ADE’s vision for Arkansas to be a national leader in student-centered education,” said Arnold. “I am honored to now be a part of this team and look forward to helping Governor Sanders champion bold reforms. Together, we’re taking Arkansas to the top.”

During the LEARNS implementation process, Arnold served on the rules and regulations task force.

He began his career in education serving as Head of School at Trinity School on Cape Cod. Since then, he has held numerous school leadership positions in Massachusetts, Illinois, Wisconsin and Arkansas.

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