MEET YOUR 2026 PSBA
GOVERNING BOARD
Sabrina S. Backer
President, Franklin Area School District
Sabrina S. Backer has been a committed advocate for public education since her children first started school. What began as volunteer work on the executive board of their school’s parent-teacher organization grew into a lifelong passion for strengthening public schools and supporting the communities they serve. In 2014, Sabrina was appointed to the Franklin Area School District Board of Education (Venango County) and has proudly served as board president since 2020. Over the years, she has chaired the Personnel and Operations committees and served on Finance, Negotiations and Hall of Fame committees, helping guide the district through both challenges and successes.
Her leadership extends beyond her local district. Sabrina has been an active member of the PSBA Governing Board since 2018, serving as president-elect, vice president, treasurer and sectional advisor. She is a board member for the Pennsylvania School Safety Institute (PennSSI). She also represents Pennsylvania on the Consortium of State School Boards Associations (COSSBA) Board, serves as a trustee for the Pennsylvania School District Liquid Asset Fund (PSDLAF), and is a member of the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency’s School Safety and Security Committee.
Above all, she’s most proud of her two children, Britton and Cambree, who continue to inspire her dedication to education, leadership and community service.
Holly Arnold President-Elect, Tunkhannock Area School District
Holly Arnold has served as a school director for the Tunkhannock Area School District (Wyoming County) since 2015, first as vice president and currently as president since 2021. She has served PSBA as the Eastern zone representative and E-1 sectional advisor, as well as on the Legislative Platform and Bylaws committees. Holly holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Misericordia University and is employed by GHD Services Inc. as an environmental scientist, consulting on water and wastewater treatment services and compliance across the U.S. She resides with her family in Tunkhannock.
Matt Vannoy
Vice President, Sharon City School District
Matt Vannoy is a school director for the Sharon City School District (Mercer County) and is on the Finance, Buildings and Grounds, Budget, and Negotiations committees. He was the PSBA Governing Board vice president in 2025 and was previously a sectional advisor co-leader and a W-1 sectional advisor. Professionally, he is a principal in the Conneaut School District (Crawford County) and has also been a social studies teacher, athletic director and assistant principal in the Farrell Area, Moniteau and Sharon City school districts. Matt is a member of the PIAA District 10 Committee and several other state and local boards. In 2018, he received the Slippery Rock University Alumni Association’s Distinguished Recent Alumni Award as well as the Mercer County Chambers of Commerce “40 Under 40” award. He holds an undergraduate degree from Slippery Rock University and a master’s degree and Superintendent’s Letter of Eligibility from Westminster College.
Dr. Karen Beck Pooley
Treasurer, Bethlehem Area School District
Dr. Karen Beck Pooley has been a school director for Bethlehem Area School District (Northampton County) since December 2015. As part of her role, she chairs the board’s Facilities Committee and serves on Northampton Community College’s Board of Trustees as well as the Steering and Housing committees for Northside Alive – a neighborhood revitalization effort that she and the district worked with the City of Bethlehem to launch. She is a member of BASD Proud Parents, the district’s parent advocacy group, and Pennsylvanians for Fair Funding. She was inducted into PSBA’s Allwein Society in 2022 in honor of her commitment to public education advocacy and is a trusted source of information for elected officials and local reporters, providing testimony to House committees. Karen is a professor of political science at Lehigh University and serves as the director of research and analytics at czb LLC, an urban planning and neighborhood revitalization consulting firm. Prior to these positions, she ran Allentown’s Redevelopment Authority and was a deputy director within New York City’s Department of Housing Preservation and Development.
Allison Mathis
Immediate Past-President, North Hills School District
Alison Mathis has been a member of the North Hills School District Board of Education (Allegheny County) since 2017 and has served as president since December 2019. She currently serves as chair of the district’s Education committee and is former chair of the Finance committee. A former parent-teacher organization president, she is an involved parent volunteer with one teenager in high school and one in college. She is an active and engaged member of PSBA and a passionate advocate for public education. She most recently served as president in 2025. She also served as a sectional advisor in 2021, as vice president in 2022 and 2023, and president-elect in 2024. Allison is a graduate of The Johns Hopkins University, where she earned her degree in sociology. Her professional background is in communications and project management, and she currently works as a client services manager for Shift Collaborative in Pittsburgh.
David Hein
Eastern Zone Representative, Parkland School District
David Hein is in his fourth term on the Parkland School Board (Lehigh Co.) and currently serves as its president. He is a member of the Policy and Finance Committee and has served in various capacities on the Facilities and Operations and the Academics, Arts and Athletics committees. David is also on the board of trustees for Lehigh Carbon Community College, serving as vice chairman. Prior to being hired as assistant business administrator at Lehigh Career and Technical Institute (LCTI), David served on the LCTI joint operating committee. Additionally, he is a PSBA past president and served as PSBA’s representative on the School Safety and Security Committee under the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency, and is the PSBA Liaison to the Parkland School Board.
Julie Preston
Central Zone Representative, Northern Tioga School District
Julie Preston has been a dedicated member of the Northern Tioga School District Board of Education (Tioga County) since 2008 and has served as board president since 2015. With more than 18 years of service in public education governance, Julie is deeply committed to supporting students, staff and communities through strong, transparent leadership. At the state level, she has been an active leader with PSBA, serving as a liaison, sectional advisor and regional director, working to strengthen communication and collaboration among school boards across the commonwealth. In addition to her school board work, Julie serves on the Intermediate Unit 17 BLaST Board and is treasurer for her local volunteer ambulance company, reflecting her deep commitment to public service and community well-being. Julie brings a thoughtful, balanced approach to governance, always focused on advocating for students, supporting educators, and ensuring that public schools remain strong and responsive to the needs of their communities.
Kristy Bolte
Western Zone Representative, Northwestern School District
Kristy Bolte is in her second term as a school board director at Northwestern School District in Albion (Erie County) and is currently serving as president of the board. She has served as Education Committee chair and is the district’s PSBA Liaison. She also serves on the board of Northwest Tri-County Intermediate Unit 5. Kristy is passionate about advocacy and has been active in PSBA’s advocacy efforts in her area. Professionally, Kristy is a birth, bereavement and postpartum doula. She holds a bachelor’s degree in elementary education from Edinboro University of Pennsylvania and lives in West Springfield with her husband and six children.
Betsy Gates
Affiliate Council Chair, Dauphin County Technical School
Betsy Gates has been with Dauphin County Technical School since 2020 and is currently the administrative assistant to the director and board secretary. She has been a member of the PSBA School Board Secretaries Forum for the past three years and is delighted to serve as its chair in 2026. She is passionate about career and technical education and is excited to see the growth in support and knowledge surrounding such a vital part of education in Pennsylvania. Betsy is a graduate of Penn State University where she earned her degree in humanities. She resides in Harrisburg with her husband; her son, daughter-in-law and first grandbaby are nearby.
Dr. Michael Panza
Sectional Advisor Co-Lead, Moniteau School District
Dr. Michael Panza recently retired after spending more than 36 years in the field of education. During this time, he has served as a music educator, a principal and a superintendent. Michael holds a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in music education as well as a master’s degree in school administration from Duquesne University, and a doctorate in educational leadership from Nova University and post-doctorate credits from Westminster College. He has also been an adjunct professor at Robert Morris University, Slippery Rock University and Duquesne University. As a tuba player, he performs with the Faculty Brass Quintet from Duquesne University, which often performs his musical arrangements. He has also been a guest conductor for various music education concerts.
Sectional Advisor Co-Lead
PSBA Affiliate Council
Betsy Gates School Board Secretaries Forum Steering Committee Chair Dauphin County Technical School
Brian F. Boland, Esq.
Pennsylvania School Board Solicitors Association (PSBSA) President Kozloff Stoudt PC
Lynelle Hollen, CEOE
Pennsylvania Association of Educational Office Professionals (PAEOP) President
Great Valley School District
400 Bent Creek Blvd.
Mechanicsburg, PA 17050-1873
(717) 506-2450 www.psba.org www.mypsba.org