AESD Leadership Council

The nine ESD Superintendents form the Leadership Council. They guide priority initiatives and coordinate statewide efforts across all ESDs and with educational partners throughout Washington.Our Role

Our Role

The Leadership Council governs the AESD Network. Working with the Executive Director, the Council leads and manages statewide initiatives. These initiatives connect all nine ESDs with organizational partners across the state.

Our Approach

  • We help the Executive Director coordinate efforts across ESDs and with statewide partners.
  • We create learning and networking opportunities for ESDs and school districts in each region and across the state. Our shared leadership approach builds ownership and participation in statewide initiatives.
  • We invest in a shared measurement system to track and improve our statewide impact.
  • We partner with state agencies, including the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction and statewide K–12 associations.

AESD Leadership Council Contacts

To connect with the Leadership Council, please reach out to the AESD Executive Director Jessica Vavrus at 360-259-0219.

To get in touch with a specific ESD Superintendent, please refer to the list below.

ESD 101

Robert Roettger
tel: 509-789-3500

ESD 113

Flip Herndon
tel: 360-464-6701

ESD 123

Steve McCullough
tel: 509-544-5786

ESD 105

Shane Backlund
tel: 509-454-3113

ESD 114

Dr. Aaron Leavell
tel: 360-478-6880

ESD 171

Dr. Michelle Price, Chair
tel: 509-665-2628

ESD 112

Tim Merlino
tel: 360-750-7512

ESD 121

John Welch
tel: 425-917-7602

ESD 189

Ismael Vivanco
tel: 360-299-4003