Paolo DeMaria is the president and CEO of the National Association of State Boards of Education (NASBE), which is dedicated to helping state boards of education and their members advance equity and excellence in public education. DeMaria oversees conferences, publications, study groups and networks, grant-funded projects, technical assistance, and support services. NASBE’s education policy issues include early childhood education; early literacy; principal leadership; education technology and artificial intelligence; high school transformation; teacher quality; and assessment, accountability and improvement.

Prior to NASBE, DeMaria served as the state superintendent of public instruction at the Ohio Department of Education, where he led the development and implementation of Ohio’s Strategic Plan for Education, Each Child, Our Future. DeMaria focused on literacy outcomes, a whole-child framework, teacher excellence and leadership, school-based health care toolkit partnerships, career and technical education, and stronger business-education partnerships. He also advanced the work of equity. Previously, he was executive vice chancellor of the Ohio Board of Regents, director of the Ohio Office of Budget and Management, and chief policy adviser to Ohio Governor Bob Taft.