State board approves contract for new state education commissioner
The Nebraska State Board of Education appears to have its new education commissioner.
By News Channel NebraskaLINCOLN, Neb. – The Nebraska State Board of Education appears to have its new education commissioner.
Board members signed off on a $300,000 per year contract for Dr. Brian Maher at its meeting at the Graduate Hotel in Lincoln.
Maher was chosen last month after a national search. Maher, who comes to Nebraska after serving as the CEO and executive director of the South Dakota Board of Regents, replaces Dr. Matthew Blomstedt. Blomstedt left the position in January after nine years in the role.
Maher has previously worked as an administrator at Kearney, Centennial, Waverly, Elkhorn and Johnson-Brock in Nebraska, in addition to being the superintendent at Sioux Falls Public Schools in South Dakota. He also taught at Elkhorn and Clarks.
Maher got his bachelor's degree from Midland Lutheran College before getting his master's and doctoral degrees from the University of Nebraska.
The board voted unanimously to approve Maher and his contract, which came after a 5-3 split last month when voting which candidate to hire.
Maher is expected to officially start as commissioner in July.