Vernon M. Billy
CEO & Executive Director
Vernon M. Billy serves as the Chief Executive Officer & Executive Director for the California School Boards Association. Billy provides executive leadership for the association, which represents and serves the elected and appointed members of the governing boards of more than 1,000 school districts and county offices of education in California. He is responsible for planning, organizing and leading the staff, programs and activities of CSBA.
Billy has been involved in the business, legislative and political process for nearly three decades. Having worked for CSBA in the early 1990s as a senior legislative advocate, he linked his experience and knowledge of education policy with his business interest and served as an owner and partner of several successful policy and advocacy firms. Billy is the former vice president of a multi-million dollar education services company, which he played a key role in building. His experience as a business owner, policy expert and political strategist provides him with a unique insight into the relationship between business and politics.
Billy also has served as the governmental relations director for the San Francisco Unified School District, the chief contract lobbyist and governmental affairs director for California's largest district, the Los Angeles Unified School District, as well as represented numerous schools districts, education companies and nonprofit organizations. In each of these positions, he worked closely with superintendents, boards and district senior staff to advance their education policy goals, manage public relations crises, and develop strategies to support students.
Billy is a veteran of the U.S. Air Force and a graduate of California State University, Sacramento, with a Bachelor of Arts degree in governmental/international relations.