Best School Board Member: Elizabeth Andersen

Best School Board Member: Elizabeth Andersen

As they say, the children are the future and what a big responsibility it is to be trusted with educating those who will inherit the Earth. It all starts with education—specifically the Duval County School Board—and the administrators and school board members in whom we trust to prepare our children. Elizabeth Andersen is one of those people.

While Anderson isn’t currently on the Duval County School Board (she served from Nov. 2018 to Nov. 2022), the work and impact she had on the school district earned her the title of  “Best School Board Member.” Andersen is a former educator with Duval County Public Schools, current small business owner of a private mental health practice, and most importantly, a wife and mother. Andersen graduated from the University of North Florida where she earned a bachelor’s of arts degree in English with a concentration in psychology and began teaching in Alachua County before returning to Jacksonville. While teaching in Duval County, Andersen was also working on a master’s degree in mental health counseling. After graduation, Andersen took the leap from educator to counselor, and putting the mental health of students at the top of her list earned her the role of Duval County School Board vice chairman in 2019, Duval County School Board chairman in 2020 and now “Best School Board Member.” –Ambar Ramirez