Alexandria City School Board Elects Chair and Vice Chair at its Annual Organizational Meeting
For Immediate Release: July 24, 2023
Contact: Issmar Ventura, issmar.ventura@acps.k12.va.us or 703-795-6533
Alexandria City School Board Elects Chair and Vice Chair at its Annual Organizational Meeting
ALEXANDRIA, Va. — At its July 20, 2023, meeting, the Alexandria City School Board unanimously elected Dr. Michelle Rief as chair of the Board for the 2023-24 school year; at this same meeting, Kelly Carmichael Booz was elected as vice chair. Both leadership positions became effective immediately, and the leadership terms are for one year.
The Alexandria School Board amended Board Policy BCA at its Jan. 5, 2023 meeting to establish a new timetable for Board leadership elections beginning in July 2023.
“It is an honor to serve the City of Alexandria as the new School Board chair for the upcoming school year. I want to thank our outgoing chair, Meagan L. Alderton, and our outgoing vice chair, Jacinta Greene, for their service. I look forward to collaborating with Superintendent Dr. Melanie Kay-Wyatt and her leadership team for the benefit of all of our students. My colleagues on the Board have my heartfelt gratitude as we continue our work together for excellence in education and unwavering support for our young people and their families,” said Dr. Rief.
Dr. Rief has lived in Alexandria since 2006 and was first elected to the Alexandria City School Board in 2018, with re-election in 2022. She is an experienced college professor and education non-profit executive. She is a parent of three children who attend Alexandria City Public Schools (ACPS) and has held leadership positions in the Mount Vernon Community School PTA and the Alexandria PTA Council. She was the first in her family to graduate from college, earning a Bachelor of Science degree in Communications from Florida State University and later, a PhD in African American Studies at Temple University. Dr. Rief served as a professor at Borough of Manhattan Community College in New York and later, at Northern Virginia Community College, teaching history and sociology courses. She also serves on the Virginia School Boards Association (VSBA) Legislative Committee and as the VSBA Northeastern Region vice-chair.
"As the incoming School Board vice chair, I look forward to continuing to work with my colleagues to serve our community. We all share a similar goal to advance an educational environment in ACPS where all students feel empowered and supported so they can learn and thrive. I am so thankful to our outgoing Chair Alderton and Vice Chair Greene for their service to our community.” said Booz.
Booz has lived in Alexandria since 2010 and currently has two children in ACPS. She previously served on the Alexandria City School Board from 2013 to 2015, and was elected most recently in 2022. She served on the Douglas MacArthur Elementary School Advisory Committee for the school rebuild and worked on the Alexandria City Parker-Gray Stadium Initiative. Booz directs the American Federation of Teachers PreK-12 digital resources. She serves on the Board of Directors for Virginia Civics, a nonprofit created to promote constitutional literacy, critical thinking and civic engagement, and on the Kathy Wilson Foundation board, which seeks free universal developmental screening of Alexandria children five and under. She serves on the board of directors for Teachers Unify to End Gun Violence, a teacher-led organization co-created by teacher survivors from Sandy Hook, Marjory Stoneman Douglas and an advocate teacher in New York City. In 2014, Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe appointed her to serve on the Virginia Standards of Learning Innovation Committee to evaluate the Virginia accountability and assessment systems. Booz received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology with a minor in Women’s Studies at Carleton College in Minnesota. She earned a Master of Education degree in Social Foundations of Education at the University of Virginia. Booz also graduated from the Political Leaders Program with the Sorensen Institute for Political Leadership at the University of Virginia.
The mission of the Alexandria City School Board is to ensure that all students reach their highest academic potential and that they are prepared for citizenship, higher education and the workforce. To accomplish this goal, the Board makes policy, budget and leadership decisions that are aligned with the ACPS Equity for All 2025 Strategic Plan and communicates with and engages stakeholders. More information about the School Board is available online, including recent video vignettes by Board members highlighting the strategic plan.
The first School Board meeting of the 2023-24 school year is scheduled at 6:30 p.m. on Aug. 24, 2023. For School Board meeting agendas and documents, visit the Electronic School Board. The School Board meeting webpage has information on how community members can view meetings live and participate.
Alexandria City Public Schools (ACPS) serves more than 15,700 students who hail from more than 119 countries and speak 124 languages. ACPS has 18 schools, including two middle schools, two K-8 schools, one pre-K school and the internationally recognized Alexandria City High School. ACPS is committed to putting racial equity at the heart of all decisions and ensuring that each and every student succeeds.