IASB Welcomes Three New Staff Members  

Three individuals have recently joined the staff of the Illinois Association of School Boards, each based in the Springfield office.  

W. Bryan Soady joins IASB as Associate Executive Director for Governmental Relations and brings more than two decades of government relations and non-profit leadership experience. 

Soady was with the Illinois Alliance of Boys & Girls Clubs, where he served as its executive director for five years. He previously was with the American Red Cross Serving South Central Illinois and was president and founder of StateHouse Solutions consultancy and worked for the Illinois legislative staffs, CMS, and statewide associations in legislative affairs.  

Soady graduated from Bradley University and earned a master’s degree in Political Management from George Washington University. The Legislative Internship program and the University of Illinois-Springfield brought Soady to the capitol city. He earned a Certified Association Executive (CAE) designation in 2017 and brings skills and experiences in leadership, policy development and implementation, communications, grant writing and fundraising, and finance and accounting.  

At IASB, Soady will lead the Governmental Relations team in developing, implementing, and advancing the Association’s government affairs and public policy agenda. This includes advocacy, fostering relationships with members of Congress and the Illinois General Assembly, leading the IASB Resolutions Process, and engaging in and providing guidance and information on proposed legislation and its impact on local school boards. 

Chris Lawton arrives at the Illinois Association of School Boards in the new position of Director of Technology and oversees all the Association’s technology needs, including delivering strategic planning, cybersecurity framework, IT budgeting, and efficient and effective technical support services.   

Miranda Smith has joined the IASB staff as an Administrative Assistant in Field and Equity Services. She will be assisting Field Services Director Perry Hill IV with services and programming for the Egyptian, Illini, Shawnee, and Wabash Valley divisions. Smith received a bachelor’s degree from the University of Illinois-Springfield in liberal arts and history, with a minor in secondary education. She joins IASB from United Community Bank in Springfield.