PSBA Senior Staff

The Pennsylvania School Boards Association is a nonprofit statewide association of public school boards, pledged to the highest ideals of local lay leadership for the public schools of the commonwealth.

 

Thomas J. Gentzel

Thomas J. Gentzel

Tom Gentzel is executive director of the Pennsylvania School Boards Association, which represents and serves more than 5,000 school directors, administrators and other officials from school entities throughout the state. Mr. Gentzel previously served as a county administrator and, later, as assistant executive director of the state association of county commissioners. He joined the PSBA staff in 1980 as a lobbyist and, five years later, was promoted to head the organization’s Office of Governmental and Member Relations – a position he held for more than 16 years. He became PSBA executive director in 2001 and leads a staff of more than 150 persons who provide a range of publications, conferences and seminars, as well as insurance programs, management and legal assistance, and advocacy services for local school officials.

In his official capacity, Mr. Gentzel is a member of the boards of the Pennsylvania Public School Employees Retirement System (PSERS), the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association (PIAA) and the Pennsylvania School District Liquid Asset Fund (PSDLAF). He chairs the board of directors of School Boards Insurance Company of Pennsylvania (SBIC of PA) and is a board member of the PSBA Insurance Trust, School Claims Service, and EasyProcure, a procurement card joint venture.

In addition, Mr. Gentzel has served as Vice President at Large for the National School Public Relations Association and as a member of the Outreach Advisory Board for The Pennsylvania State University. He was appointed by Gov. Tom Ridge and reappointed twice by Gov. Edward Rendell to the State Advisory Panel on Special Education. In 2009, was named by the governor to the Pennsylvania Early Learning Council. He previously chaired the Pennsylvania Coalition for Public Education and was founder and coordinator of the Alliance for a School Aid Partnership, He is a member of Pi Alpha Alpha, the National Honorary Society for Public Affairs and Administration.

Mr. Gentzel has served on numerous program review teams for state school boards associations. He was elected by fellow state executive directors as chair of the State Association Member Executive Directors’ NSBA Liaison Committee for 2010-11, a position that also places him on the Board of Directors of the National School Boards Association. In the summer of 2010, Mr. Gentzel was unanimously elected by his fellow executive directors, to serve an additional term as chair to guide the group’s transition to the Organization of State Association Executive Directors (OSEAD). This has extended his service on the NSBA Board of Directors for an additional year, until April 2012.

Mr. Gentzel holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Community Development and a Master of Public Administration degree, both from Penn State. He and his wife, Sherrin, have been married since July 1974, and are the parents of three sons and proud grandparents of Rhett and Hudson Gentzel.
   
 

Craig Erdman
Craig Erdman Craig Erdman is Assistant Executive Director of Administrative Services for the Pennsylvania School Boards Association. His area of responsibility includes all business functions, conference facilities, human resources, payroll and printing and production. Mr. Erdman held several position in accounting and auditing before joining PSBA, including treasurer/controller of Teachers Protective Mutual Life Insurance Company, senior internal auditor of Navy Resale System, internal auditor for American Water Works Service Company and financial cost control analyst foe Westinghouse Elevator Company. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in business administration from Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania and a Master of Business Administration from Drexel University. Mr. Erdman is a Certified Public Accountant with certificates in management accounting and microcomputer applications.

   
 

Beth Winters
Beth Winters

Beth Winters is the Assistant Executive Director for Governmental and Member Relations for the Pennsylvania School Boards Association. She previously served the association as Director of Legislative Services, a position she has held since January 2005. As Assistant Executive Director of Governmental and Member Relations, she serves as chief lobbyist for the association, representing its interests in the General Assembly and before various state agencies, including the Department of Education and State Board of Education. Prior to joining PSBA, Ms. Winters served as executive director and general counsel of Drug Free Pennsylvania, corporate counsel of Pretzel Time Inc., and an associate attorney at Turner and O’Connell. Ms. Winters earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania and a Juris Doctorate from the Dickinson School of Law.
   
 

Stuart L. Knade, Esq.
Stuart Knade Esq. Stuart Knade is the Chief Counsel of the Pennsylvania School Boards Association. He oversees the judicial advocacy, continuing legal education, member legal information and other legal services of the Association, and coordinates the activities of the Pennsylvania School Board Solicitors Association, a department of PSBA. Mr. Knade is an experienced public school solicitor, defense litigator and appellate advocate who has represented public school entities and their officials in numerous state and federal lawsuits involving a wide variety of civil rights, employment, contract, local taxation, school funding and other governance issues. Mr. Knade began his law practice on active duty in the United States Army Judge Advocate General's Corps, and continues to serve in the Army Reserve, currently holding the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. He holds a degree in economics from Gettysburg College, and received his Juris Doctorate at Dickinson School of Law. Mr. Knade has served as general counsel to the Pennsylvania League of Urban Schools and the Pennsylvania Association of School Retirees, and is a past regional director of the Pennsylvania School Board Solicitors Association. He is a frequent speaker on school law topics at workshops, seminars and conferences, and has written numerous articles on education law topics.

   
 

Cindy Pace
Cindy Pace Cindy Pace was named Assistant Executive Director of Communications for the Pennsylvania School Boards Association in July 2006. She joined PSBA in 1997 as Director of Publications and Production Services. As Assistant Executive Director of Communications, she oversees the integrated communications operations of PSBA, including publications, public relations, marketing and the association's Annual and Summer Conferences. Prior to joining PSBA, Ms. Pace held various communications positions in the Harrisburg area, including Director of College Communications at Messiah College, Director of Corporate Communications at Continental Medical Systems, and Creative Director at Liberty Productions. Ms. Pace earned Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Kutztown University of Pennsylvania. She maintains professional memberships in the National School Public relations Association, the Pennsylvania School Public Relations Association, the International Association of Business Communicators and the National Association of Female Executives.

   
 

Tom Templeton
Tom Templeton Tom Templeton is the Assistant Executive Director for School Board and Management Services for the Pennsylvania School Boards Association.  He oversees the association’s comprehensive policy services, research efforts, board development workshops and seminars and PSBA’s administrator search services, compensation studies and employee relations products.  Prior to joining PSBA, Mr. Templeton served as an aide and district director for U.S. Representative George W. Gekas.  He joined the PSBA staff as a School Personnel Services Representative, and was promoted to the director of the division in 2005.  Mr. Templeton holds a degree in speech communications from Millersville University, and he completed the teaching certification program in secondary education social studies from Penn State University.   He also maintains his membership in the Society of Human Resource Management.  He speaks to many groups throughout Pennsylvania on issues involving the professional development, leadership and effective school governance.  He has also contributed various articles to PSBA’s statewide publications.    

   
 

Roy E. Jacobs III
Roy Jacobs Roy E. Jacobs III is the Assistant Executive Director of Insurance Services for the Pennsylvania School Boards Association, Chief Executive Officer of School Claims Service, LLC and President of School Boards Insurance Company of Pennsylvania. He is responsible for the insurance and risk management program, including overall management of School Claims Service. Prior to joining PSBA, Mr. Jacobs served as senior vice president at the Zurich Insurance Company in Pittsburgh. He has 20 years experience analyzing and managing corporate risk. His expertise lies in his ability to comprehensively and strategically analyze operations and develop methods that minimize or eliminate short and long term risks and associated costs. He holds a Master of Business Administration in finance from Duquesne University in Pittsburgh and a Bachelor of Science in marketing from Penn State University.