Tiara Mays
District 4
Tiara Mays has been elected to the District 4 seat on the Agency’s Board of Directors after the retirement of Bruce Christensen. Mays took the oath of office at the Board’s organizational meeting on Dec. 14. She is believed to be the first woman of color to serve on the Heartland AEA Board.
Mays is a graduate of Iowa State University with a bachelor of arts degree in psychology. She also holds a master of business administration degree from Purdue University Global. She currently works in managed care as a contract negotiator.
She serves as a board member for the Red Cross of Central Iowa and Investing in My Future, Inc. In addition, she is an undergraduate advisor for collegiate women through her sorority, Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc. Mays is also a published author with her book #TwinChronicals™: Adventures of Prince & Tiana and is a contributor for Autism Parenting Magazine. We asked her a few questions as she begins her service to Heartland AEA.
Do you have any previous experience in the education field?
I do not have any previous formal experience in the education field. I am a mother of twins who is very involved in their educational process and in learning how our educational systems operate.
Why were you interested in being a Heartland AEA board member?
As premature babies, my children qualified for AEA services from birth. When my son was 18 months old, I began to notice developmental delays in comparison to his twin sister. Our providers immediately connected us with AEA services that he still receives to this day. When I learned of the opportunity to join Heartland AEA as a member of the Board, I was honored at the chance. This agency has offered life-changing services for my own child and so many more.
What do you hope to bring to the board table?
As a parent of school-aged children, I hope to provide a unique perspective in making decisions that directly impact our kids. Also as a mother of a child with Autism who currently receives services from Heartland AEA, I am looking through a lens many other parents can relate to. I have over a decade of experience in non-profit organizational operations and customer service. It is my goal to provide great customer service to our students and parents and the entire AEA family.
What is one thing you feel our school districts are currently doing well? What is one thing you think they could improve upon?
Our school districts are doing a great job in providing our students with state-of-the-art facilities and technology. Students are getting the opportunity to keep up with their peers on an international level which creates global opportunities for them. An area for improvement is the recruitment and retention of great staff, administrators and teachers. We are struggling to attract new teachers, and they seek employment outside of Iowa in larger markets.
Alex Piedras
District 7
Alex Piedras has been elected to the District 7 seat on the Agency’s Board of Directors after the retirement of Earl Bridgewater. Piedras took the oath of office at a special board meeting on Dec. 20.
Piedras has been the Director of Multicultural and Community Outreach at Grand View University since 2005, and he is also a part-time mental health counselor at Ellipsis’ Hope Hall. He has 25 years of experience working in the Des Moines community for various non-profit organizations and is dedicated to issues of equity and inclusion. He currently serves on several boards and community organizations in Central Iowa. Piedras earned a bachelor of arts degree in business administration from Grand View College and a master’s degree in mental health counseling from Drake University. We asked him a few questions as he begins his service to Heartland AEA.
Do you have any previous experience in K-12 education?
I have served on several Des Moines Public Schools’ committees.
What do you hope to bring to the board table?
I want to highlight issues of access and equity.
What is one thing you feel our school districts are currently doing right? What is one thing you think they could improve upon?
I believe school districts are doing the best they can with the limited funding that they receive. True conversations about equity have to happen to elevate the education of our future generations.
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