Three members of the association would like to become the next AASA president-elect.

The three emerged as the official candidates during a vote of 95 members of the AASA Governing Board on Wednesday in New Orleans, La., a day prior to the official start of the 2025 National Conference on Education. The board had to narrow the field of four declared candidates as under current AASA bylaws, a maximum of three candidates may appear on the election ballot when voting takes place among AASA members.

The association’s Elections Committee is looking to possibly lift the cap on presidential candidates in 2026.

Vying for the president-elect post are the following:

• Michael J. Barnes, superintendent of Mayfield City School District in Mayfield Heights, Ohio;
• LaTonya M. Goffney, superintendent of Aldine Independent School District in Houston, Texas; and
• Heather J. Perry, superintendent of Gorham School Department in Gorham, Maine.
  

Ballots will be sent electronically to AASA members on the conference’s opening day. The deadline for voting is 11:59 p.m. on March 28. Results will be made public the week of March 31 with the winner assuming office as AASA president-elect on July 1 and taking over the presidency one year later.

All four individuals who had registered as candidates made brief remarks before the Governing Board and responded to drawn questions relating to their core values, teacher recruitment, the value-added they might bring to the leadership post and funding for public education.

Bio summaries of the three presidential candidates follow.

Michael J. Barnes

Currently: superintendent, Mayfield City School District, Mayfield Heights, Ohio, 2021–present
Previously: superintendent, Lakewood City School District, Lakewood, Ohio, 2018–2021
Member: AASA 2018-present; AASA Executive Committee Member: Appointed by president-elect, 2024-present; AASA Governing Board Member, 2023-present
Postsecondary Education: Ed.D., Nova Southeastern University, Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

LaTonya M. Goffney

Currently: superintendent, Aldine Independent School District, Houston, Texas, 2018-present
Previously: superintendent, Lufkin Independent School District, Lufkin, Texas, 2013-2018
Member: AASA 2013-present; AASA Executive Committee 2023-present; AASA Governing Board, 2016-2019
Postsecondary Education: Ed.D., Sam Houston State University, Huntsville, Texas

Heather J. Perry

Currently: superintendent, Gorham School Department, Gorham, Maine, 2015-present
Previously: superintendent, Regional School Unit 3, Unity, Maine, 2010-2015
Member: AASA 2015-present; AASA Executive Board, 2022-present; AASA Governing Board, 2020-2022
Postsecondary Education: Ph.D., University of Southern Maine, Portland, Maine

(Jay Goldman is editor-in-chief of Conference Daily Online and editor of AASA’s School Administrator magazine.)