Vernon M. Billy
CSBA Executive Director
Vernon M. Billy joined the California School Boards Association as Executive Director in May 2011, bringing to the position extensive experience in public education advocacy, as well as the business arena. Billy provides executive leadership for the association, which represents and serves the elected and appointed members of the governing boards of the 1,013 school districts and county offices of education in California. He is responsible for planning, organizing, directing and coordinating the staff, programs and activities of CSBA to ensure the association’s mission, vision, goals and objectives are attained.
Billy has been involved in the business, legislative and political process for nearly two decades. He is the former owner/partner in the successful policy and advocacy firm, K Street Consulting, LLC.Billy also is a former vice president of School Innovations & Advocacy, a multi-million dollar education services company, which he played a key role in building. His experience as a business owner and policy and political strategist provides him with unique insight into the relationship between business and politics.
He also has extensive public education experience in the legislative and political arenas, serving as the former governmental relations director for San Francisco Unified School District, one of California’s largest and most diverse districts. In addition, he has served as the chief contract lobbyist for California’s largest district, the Los Angeles Unified School District. He also worked for CSBA during the mid-1990s as a senior legislative advocate.
Billy is a veteran of the U.S. Air Force and graduated from California State University, Sacramento, with a Bachelor’s degree in government/international relations. He lives with his wife and three children in Elk Grove.
Martin Gonzalez
CSBA Assistant Executive Director, Membership Services
Martin Gonzalez is the assistant executive director of CSBA’s membership services devision. Martin oversees the following departments:
Membership Services, Policy Update Service, Governance Technology (GAMUT Online and Agenda Online), Policy Development and Manual Maintenance, Program Development as well as Memberhip Conferences and Training. Martin’s responsibilities also include oversight of the California School Boards Foundation.
Martin graduated from Berkeley Law in 1994. Before law school, he received a master’s degree in history and a bachelors degree in political science from the University of California, Santa Barbara. Martin was also selected to be a California State Senate Fellow in 1989. Prior to joining CSBA, he served as counsel to the Assembly Committee on Public Safety. He also served as deputy secretary for legislation and legal counsel for the Youth and Adult Correctional Agency and as a deputy director with the Governor’s Office on Criminal Justice Planning.
Martin and his wife Dr. Martha Valle have two children, Martin Alexander and Meredith. Martin and his family live in Elk Grove.
Dennis Meyers
Assistant Executive Director, Governmental Relations
Dennis Meyers, a veteran education advocate for California schoolchildren, joined CSBA in December 2011 as assistant executive director, governmental relations.
Meyers is responsible for the development and implementation of the association’s political and legislative strategies. In addition, he heads the team of legislative advocates responsible for the communication of CSBA’s policies and positions in the legislative and regulatory arenas. The governmental relations department analyzes all proposed legislation which impacts K-12 public education and represents the interests of the association’s members to the Legislature, governor, Congress, White House and appropriate state and federal regulatory agencies.
Meyers last served as assistant executive director, advocacy and policy, for the California Association of School Business Officials. Before that, Meyers was president of his own mortgage company. From 1998 to 2004, he was a legislative advocate and then assistant executive director of government and media relations at the Association of California School Administrators, where he directed the association’s political, policy, and media relations activities.
He began his career in K-12 education as a school board member in West Sacramento in 1981 at the age of 21. He served on the Washington Unified School District Board of Education for five years. During his time on the school board, Dennis was elected for a term as Board President, President of the Yolo County School Boards Association, and to the Delegate Assembly of the California School Boards Association. Dennis resigned his school board seat to accept a position in the Governmental Relations Department of CSBA handling issues related to governance, fiscal accountability, and school facilities.
Meyers is a graduate of California State University, Sacramento with a degree in Economics and Government and holds the Certified Association Executive designation granted by the American Society of Association Executives. He is a licensed real estate broker as well as a volunteer firefighter and EMT.
He is married and has one child, a college-age daughter.