Tony Shivers
Director of Government Affairs , NABSE
Biographical Sketch

Mr. Shivers is the Director of Government Affairs for the National Association of State Boards of Education (NASBE) and works to promote the organization and its project work before Congress, the U.S. Department of Education (Department) as well as other appropriate federal agencies, and the education community. NASBE exists to ensure that State Boards of Education continue to be the preeminent educational policymaking bodies for students and citizens. Mr. Shivers also advocates before the aforementioned entities on various education issues of interest.

Prior to joining NASBE in April 2009, Mr. Shivers was the Director of Government Affairs for the National Association of Federally Impacted Schools (NAFIS) located in Washington, DC. He advocated on behalf of the Impact Aid Program, the second oldest federal elementary and secondary education program that provides lost tax revenue to local school districts that teach our nation's military and Indian land children or have had land taken away from them by the federal government, before Congress and the Department. While at NAFIS, he was successful in securing increased Impact Aid appropriations each fiscal year and an additional $100 million for Impact Aid school construction in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) in 2009.

Prior to joining NAFIS, Mr. Shivers was the State Legislative Field Representative for the American Psychiatric Association (APA) and worked within its Department of Government Relations to provide on-site grassroots advocacy training and resource assistance to APA's District Branches/State Associations on specific state legislative and regulatory issues, with emphasis on mental health issues.

Tony held other positions, including working for several years as a state legislative and regulatory analyst for the Health Insurance Association of America (HIAA), which merged with the American Association of Health Plans (AAHP) in 2003 to form the American Health Insurance Plans (AHIP). Tony has several professional designations as recognized by the health insurance industry for his knowledge on various health insurance and managed care issues as well as for his knowledge on the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA).

Tony worked on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC for Honorable Harris Wofford, U.S. Senator from Pennsylvania. He worked for the Washington Post Company as a legislative and regulatory analyst focused on various issues debated in Congress. Tony also worked in the local levels of government as an adviser to the mayor and borough council in State College, Pennsylvania where his legislative research was published for the benefit of town residents.

Tony received his B.S. in Political Science from the Pennsylvania State University and hails from Wilmington, North Carolina. He is married to wife, Catherine, a National Board Certified Teacher in the Fairfax County, Virginia school system. They are proud parents of a son, Bennett.