The State Board of Education has selected Dr. Brian Maher as the next Nebraska Commissioner of Education. The decision comes after a nationwide search process that included staff and stakeholder input and interviews with three finalists led by search firm McPherson and Jacobson. Dr. Maher will replace Dr. Matthew Blomstedt who served nine years as commissioner until his resignation in January.
Dr. Maher is currently the CEO and Executive Director of the South Dakota Board of Regents. In that role Dr. Maher successfully completed a system-wide review of the Board of Regents. This was a statewide review that lasted more than a year and culminated with a report to the Legislature and the Governor. Dr. Maher also lobbied the 2-house legislature for historic funding during the 2021 and 2022 legislative sessions for public higher education in South Dakota and led an effort to have no increase in tuition for public higher education institutions in the 2022 and 2023 legislative sessions. Dr. Maher also led a 25,000 student school system during the beginning stages of a worldwide health pandemic.
Dr. Maher previously served as superintendent at Sioux Falls Public Schools in South Dakota and at Kearney and Centennial Public Schools in Nebraska. As a superintendent he successfully led four successful bond referendums in three different school districts and a successful levy override for more local revenue. Dr. Maher was also an administrator at Waverly, Elkhorn, and Johnson-Brock Public Schools and a teacher at Elkhorn and Clarks Public Schools.
Dr. Maher received a Bachelor’s degree in Mathematics Education at Midland Lutheran College before he went on to earn his Master’s and Educational Doctorate in Education Administration from the University of Nebraska.
Dr. Maher is expected to start as commissioner in July.
