Aaron West
Courtesy Photo
Nevada Builders Alliance CEO Aaron West was recently elected the next president of the Governor’s Commission on Professional Standards in Education (COPS).
A sector of Nevada’s Department of Education, the commission focuses on governing and regulating the licensure of educational personnel throughout the state.
The selection makes West the first private sector member and president of the commission, according to a June 29 press release.
West will serve alongside Jay Fair, a physical education teacher and coach at Brinley Middle School in Las Vegas, who will serve as vice president.
“I am honored to be selected as the next president of the Commission and to work closely alongside Jay and the rest of the board to ensure licensure standards for Nevada’s educators,” West said in a statement. “Nevada’s education and workforce development has been a long-time passion of mine, but we can’t expect our youth to succeed without a quality teaching force. To ensure our educational success, we plan to prioritize licensure requirements for teachers, with the hope of keeping and licensing more educators throughout Nevada.”
Initially appointed to the board by Gov. Steve Sisolak in 2018, West has served as the only member with expertise and experience in the business sector.
As CEO for the Nevada Builders Alliance, West focused on workforce development and working closely with schools to create classes focused on trades.
In his new role, West will preside over the commission, working alongside the Governor and other commissioners to regulate and set standards for licensing educational staff throughout the state.
COPS is the only regulatory commission that sets credential standards for K-12 teachers to ensure Nevada’s educators are highly qualified and highly effective in teaching students.
Pending his anticipated reappointment in September 2021, West will serve as president for COPS until September 2023. Fair will serve her first term as vice president until June 2022, and, pending reappointment, may serve a second term until June 2024.
