Board Overview
The Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy is governed by a 17-member Board of Trustees consisting of 13 appointed voting members and four positional non-voting members. The members, specified in the IMSA Law, include:
- three representatives of the scientific community in Illinois, appointed by the Governor
- three representatives of the Illinois private industrial sector, appointed by the Governor
- two representatives of the general public at large, appointed by the Governor
- two representatives of Higher Education, one of whom must be a Dean of Education, appointed by the Executive Director of the Illinois Board of Higher Education
- three representatives of Secondary Education, one of whom must be a mathematics or science teacher, appointed by the State Superintendent of Education
- four ex-officio nonvoting members, the State Superintendent of Education, the Executive Director of the Illinois Community College Board, the Executive Director of the Board of Higher Education, and the Superintendent of Schools in the school district in which IMSA is located.
IMSA Trustees focus on strategic direction and policy, not day-to-day operations. The Board selects and evaluates the IMSA President who is the chief executive officer of the Academy and the chief administrative officer of the Board, responsible for all the administrative functions, duties and needs of the Board.
Beyond their responsibilities specified in the IMSA Law and in IMSA Board Policies, Trustees advance and support the Academy in other ways, for example, as guest speakers for special events, members of the Strategic Planning Team, expert resources on particular issues, ambassadors for IMSA in their respective networks, and donors to the IMSA Fund for Advancement Education.