Bill Backoff, board member for the GMG Community School District, was honored Nov. 17 as IASB Board Member David Sutherland presented him with a certificate for completing the IASB Basics of Boardsmanship requirements.

GMG school board member awarded Basics of Boardsmanship certificate Des Moines, Iowa – At the Iowa Association of School Boards’ (IASB) 71st Annual Convention on Nov. 17, board member Bill Backoff was awarded a certificate for completing the Basics of Boardsmanship Certificate. Through IASB’s Basics of Boardsmanship program, Backoff completed four components focused on essential board learning concepts. IASB Board President Amy Jurrens commended Backoff for his hard work. “This program ensures a solid foundation for school board governance, whether you’re a new or experienced board member,” Jurrens said. “The extra efforts put forth to complete this program are certainly commendable.” GMG Superintendent Ben Petty stated “This is only Bill’s second year on the school board, but he has been very dedicated to furthering his learning about how schools and school finance operate. It’s very important that we have school board members like Bill that are knowledgeable about a wide variety of education issues and can advocate for strong public schools in Iowa”. Three hundred thirty-five Iowa local school district, AEA and community college board members received this award. This is the first year this awards program has been offered to IASB members.