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State Board of Education Hears Consultation on Caitlin Davis Nomination for Education Commissioner
Summary
The governor's chief of staff presented the nomination of Caitlin Davis to the State Board of Education; board members praised her experience and the board moved to a nonpublic session under RSA 91-A:3 II(c) to discuss the personnel matter. No vote was recorded.
Christopher Connolly, the governor’s chief of staff, appeared before the State Board of Education to consult the board on the governor’s nomination of Caitlin Davis to serve as the next education commissioner.
The nomination matters because the education commissioner oversees the New Hampshire Department of Education and decisions by that office affect students, educators and district leaders across the state. Connolly told the board that Davis has roughly 15 years of service in the department and described her as bringing “unmatched institutional knowledge, fiscal experience, and policy depth” to the role.
Connolly said the governor could not attend the meeting and asked the board for its thoughts on the nomination. “As commissioner, she will champion data driven, informed decision making, efficient and effective department administration, and collaborative leadership while ensuring that every child in New Hampshire has access to an excellent education that fits their unique needs,” Connolly said.
Board members responded with praise for Davis’s preparation and experience. One board member said Davis has been “very…professional” and “very well spoken and poised,” and multiple board members noted she often has answers to technical questions and “pays attention to the details.” The comments included mention of the nominee’s familiarity with charter school matters and longstanding work with district leaders.
The board did not record a formal vote on the nomination during the public portion of the meeting. Board members discussed moving into a nonpublic session to consider a personnel matter and cited RSA 91-A:3 II(c) — the New Hampshire Right-to-Know Law exemption that permits nonpublic sessions for matters that could adversely affect a person’s reputation — as the legal basis for that session.
Christopher Connolly said he would deliver the board’s feedback to the governor. No appointment vote or other formal action on the nomination was announced at the meeting.
