The New Ex Officio Student Board Member by NYSSBA's President's Gavel Podcast published on 2025-04-29T12:00:53Z In this episode, we discuss the ex officio student board member. While about one-third of New York school boards already include student representatives, new legislation mandates that all public-school districts and BOCES include a student member on their school board. Meeting this goal takes more than just a seat at the table – it requires good faith, mutual respect and a genuine partnership. That’s what we’re here to explore in this episode: how to fully embrace the ex officio student board member role in ways that empower students, strengthen board decisions and enrich the experience for everyone through deeper civic engagement and inclusive leadership. Host: Darci D’Ercole, Chief Governance and Leadership Development Officer, NYSSBA Guests: David Lilleck, Superintendent, Orchard Park Central School District Luke Lippitt, Ex Officio Student Board Member, Orchard Park Central School District and Northeast Vice President of the National Student Board Member Association Zachary Patterson, Chair of the Board of Advisors, National Student Board Member Association Resources: NYSSBA’s Ex Officio Student Board Member Implementation Resources webpage: https://www.nyssba.org/main/ex-officio-student-board-member-implementation-resources/ National Student Board Member Association: https://www.nsbma.net/ Have a question or a topic idea? We want to hear from you! Email us at ld@nyssba.org. Stock media provided by www.pond5.com