Meet the Board Leadership Services Team
Our Board Leadership Services Team provides numerous supports for members in achieving a common framework for excellence in school board governance. They provide tools that help board/superintendent teams develop a shared vision with clear goals, clarify their roles and responsibilities, maximize board meetings to meet the district’s mission, perform effective self-assessments, conduct superintendent evaluations that follow state requirements, and strengthen the governance team for improved instruction and student learning.Our policy and legal exports support boards in leading through sound policy that ensures transparent, legal operation of a school district to enable boards to stay focused on district goals. This includes guidance on Iowa’s Meeting and Transparency Laws, vacancies and special elections, legal authority and school calendars, and district restructuring. They stay current with emerging laws, providing answers to the most frequently confronted policy and legal questions to help districts align with state and federal law, as well as conduct policy development and review.
School employees are a district's most important asset. This team also helps board members clarify the work of the board, superintendent, and other administrators around personnel matters, providing guidance for boards and school administrators on management issues. Their toolkits offer support on HR best practices, collective bargaining, and salary and staffing data.
Your IASB® staff consultants are a phone call or email away to assist you with using these tools. They also offer custom facilitated workshops that can help one board or a group of boards consider their work.
Tammi Drawbaugh
Associate Executive Director, Board Leadership & Legal Services
Graduate of Muscatine Community Schools
Tammi Drawbaugh has been the Associate Executive Director of Board Leadership & Legal Services at the Iowa Association of School Boards® since August 2025, after serving as a Board Development Director since 2021. Prior to joining IASB, Tammi spent 23 years in the private sector sales, training, human resources, and information technology. She also served 15 years on the Muscatine School Board, eight of those years as board president.Tammi earned a Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration from Iowa Wesleyan College. She serves on the board for Salvation Army of Muscatine County. Tammi is a graduate of Muscatine Community Schools.
Tammi can be reached via email or by calling (515) 247-7023.
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Lou Gvist
Board Development Director
Lou Gvist has been a Board Development Director for the Iowa Association of School Boards® since 2004. In her role, Lou designs curriculum content and facilitator guides that serve as the foundation for her to facilitate workshops with board and superintendent teams on requested topics, helping boards thrive while advocating for all students. Lou has been active in public education for over 30 years, first as a public school teacher in Tempe, AZ; Las Vegas, NV; and Ames, IA, where she also served in the curriculum department. Prior to joining IASB, Lou was a school improvement consultant for Heartland AEA.Lou earned a Bachelor of Science from Arizona State University and Masters of Elementary Education from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Her passion is ensuring all children experience deeper learning every day in their classrooms and helping boards foster a culture of innovation and excellence.
Lou can be reached via email or by calling (515) 247-7064.
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Katherine Solan
Board Development Director
Graduate of North Polk Community Schools
Katherine Solan became a Board Development Director at the Iowa Association of School Boards® in August 2025, having prior served as the Board Development Specialist since January 2024. In her role, Katherine designs curriculum content and facilitator guides that serve as the foundation for her to facilitate workshops with board and superintendent teams on requested topics, helping boards thrive while advocating for all students.
Prior to joining IASB, Katherine worked in Events Planning & Awards/Recognition administration for Wells Fargo Home Mortgage; followed by several years in Affordable Housing Development, highly motivated by the fact that ready access to affordable, safe housing monumentally transforms outcomes in education, health, and economic opportunities for all community members. As a lifelong writer herself, throughout her career she's also served as a writer, editor, and mentor on published works from articles and papers to periodicals and books for both adults and children. Katherine's long involvement with non-profit organizations includes ESL tutoring for elementary students in the U.S. and Sri Lanka, as well as work with a community-led nonprofit committed to supporting K–12 education, teacher training, and community development in rural Zambia. She is a graduate of North Polk Schools and Wheaton College.
Katherine can be reached via email or by calling (515) 247-7046.
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Anna Harmon
Policy & Legal Services Director
Graduate of Harlan Community Schools
Anna Harmon has been the Policy & Legal Services Director for the Iowa Association of School Boards® since 2023 (following a title change from HR Services Director). She served under her previous title of HR Services Director from 2021–2023. In her role, she is responsible for developing, maintaining, and providing high quality legal and human resource services, tools, and consulting for IASB members that operate within the laws and policies for employment, collective bargaining, and student equity.Anna earned a Bachelor of Arts in Apparel Merchandising, Design, and Production from Iowa State University, and her Juris Doctorate from Drake University Law School, with a certificate in public service and emphasis in juvenile law. She is a graduate of Harlan Community Schools.
Anna can be reached via email or by calling (515) 247-7050.
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David Hoth
Policy & Legal Services Assistant Director
Graduate of Harlan Community Schools
David Hoth has been the Policy & Legal Services Assistant Director at the Iowa Association of School Boards® since August 2025. In his role, David provides IASB members with expert guidance on employment law, human resources, and educational equity. He supports members with consulting services, training, and resources that promote compliance with state and federal law while fostering equitable and effective personnel practices.Prior to joining IASB, David spent nearly six years with the Office of the State Public Defender. In his spare time, he’s a coach and judge for mock trial at all levels. David holds a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from the University of Northern Iowa and his Juris Doctorate from the University of Iowa College of Law. David is a graduate of Harlan Community Schools.
David can be reached via email or by calling (515) 247-7084.
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Marte Brightman
Legal Services Specialist
Graduate of Urbandale Community Schools
Marte Brightman has been the Legal Services Specialist with the Iowa Association of School Boards® since 2018, but has been with the association since 2002, beginning as the assistant to the government relations and school finance teams. Marte works to support ongoing policy work by responding to member questions, assisting with school district policy manual reviews, and editing and revising sample policies.Additionally, Marte supports HR Services by coordinating and conducting the annual Teacher Compensation and Benefits (TCB) Survey and the compilation of that data for the comprehensive TCB Toolkit and the tracking and reporting of school district tentative agreements. Marte is a graduate of Urbandale Community Schools.
Marte can be reached via email or by calling (515) 247-7048.
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Christy Rouleau
Board Development Specialist
Graduate of Danville Community Schools
Christy has been the Board Development Specialist at the Iowa Association of School Boards since August 2025. In her role, Christy is the central point of contact for IASB’s Board Development Team, supporting them in event planning, project management, and administration for board workshops and the ABA program.Prior to joining IASB, Christy was a Special Education Assistant with the West Des Moines Public Schools and the Lead Teacher for the Kids West Summer Program. She has worked as an office manager in the health & wellness industry, supporting practitioners and patients. Christy has her Iowa Substitute Teacher Authorization.
Christy has earned Bachelor of Science & Master of Science degrees from the University of Iowa. She is a graduate of the Danville Community Schools.
Christy can be reached via email or by calling (515) 247-7068.
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Tony VanderZyl
Surveys/Research Independent Consultant
Graduate of Pella Community Schools
Tony VanderZyl has been the Surveys/Research Consultant with the Iowa Association of School Boards® since 2007. He has been a professor at several universities, including Iowa State, Upper Iowa, Drake, and the University of Phoenix. He has been an assessment and research specialist with the Ames Community Schools and was a Command and General Staff College Instructor with the Army Reserve.Tony earned a Bachelor of Science, a Master of Science, and his doctoral degree, all from Iowa State University. He is a graduate of Pella Community Schools.
Tony can be reached via email or by calling (515) 247-7044.
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Contact
Iowa Association of School Boards®
6000 Grand Ave., Ste. A
Des Moines, IA 50312
(515) 288-1991
6000 Grand Ave., Ste. A
Des Moines, IA 50312
(515) 288-1991
© 2017–26 Iowa Association of School Boards®
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