Commissioner Russell-Tucker Applauds Legislative Confirmation of State Board of Education Members

Commissioner Russell-Tucker Applauds Legislative Confirmation of State Board of Education Members

HARTFORD, CT – Education Commissioner Charlene Russell-Tucker is applauding the Connecticut General Assembly for voting on March 5, 2025, to confirm all four of Governor Ned Lamont’s nominees to the Connecticut State Board of Education.

Dr. Gladys B. Labas and Paula S. Gilberto have been confirmed as new members; and

high school seniors Sreenidi Bala and Sophia Messina have been formally confirmed and will continue to serve as non-voting student members until the end of the school year.

“I am pleased to welcome the new members to the State Board of Education,” Commissioner Russell-Tucker said. “Their extensive experience in educational leadership, bilingual and English learner instruction, family and community engagement, workforce development, and nonprofit leadership will be instrumental in shaping the future of education in Connecticut. Alongside our current members, I am confident Dr. Labas and Mrs. Gilberto will assist in achieving the board’s goal of ensuring that every student is prepared for learning, life, and work beyond school.

Now that their nominations have been approved by the legislature, Dr. Labas and Mrs. Gilberto will join the board’s currently serving members – Vice Chairperson Erin D. Benham, Donald F. Harris, Kristin Record, Dr. Juan Salazar, Dr. Seth Zimmerman, Bonnie Burr, Terrence Cheng, Christina Bentz, and Kellie-Marie Vallieres – at its next regularly scheduled meeting on April 2, 2025.

Additional background on approved members:

• Dr. Gladys B. Labas is an Associate Professor in Educational Leadership at Southern Connecticut State University and an officer of Southern’s American Association of University Professors. She previously served as the Director of Equity and Language at the Connecticut State Department of Education, supporting districts in meeting the academic and social-emotional needs of English Learners (EL). She co-authored Connecticut’s 1978 Bilingual Law and led its 2015 revision to improve EL students’ curriculum access. Dr. Labas holds multiple Connecticut certifications and has received numerous leadership awards, including the Milken National Leadership Award.
• Paula S. Gilberto has 45 years of experience in the nonprofit sector and has served as President and CEO of United Way of Central and Northeastern Connecticut for six years, capping a 24-year career in leadership, strategic planning, and fundraising. She held management roles at the American Red Cross, where she secured federal funding for youth workforce programs and led health services initiatives. She has spearheaded efforts in early childhood education, literacy, and workforce development, including launching the Dolly Parton Imagination Library and United Way Readers. She introduced the Campaign for Grade-Level Reading and supported New Britain’s STEM academy. Paula serves on multiple boards, including the National Fund for Workforce Solutions. She holds a Master’s in Organizational Behavior from the University of Hartford and is a Kennedy School of Government Fellow.
• Sreenidi Bala is a senior at Farmington High School and the youngest intern with the State of Connecticut Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities (CHRO), where she created Teen Talk, a blog highlighting underrepresented figures and connecting youth to civil rights advocacy. She is also the founder of Code for All Minds, a platform providing adaptive computer science curricula for neurodivergent students, fostering a sense of belonging and inclusion for students with autism. Ms. Bala is a youth advisor to the Infosys Accessibility Living Lab and HAAPE, supporting initiatives that promote inclusive technology and sustainable employment for autistic individuals. A U.S. Senate Youth Program Delegate, she has received national recognition, including honors from White House Girls Leading Change, the NEA, and Prudential Emerging Visionaries.
• Sophia Messina is a senior at Amity Regional High School and a student representative on the Amity Region 5 Board of Education, where she successfully advocated for the inclusion of Eid, Diwali, and Lunar New Year in the school calendar and expanded tutoring and translation services to students. She was also the first student representative on the Woodbridge Conservation Commission, helping develop a municipal invasive species management plan. As a researcher at the USDA, she developed an environmentally friendly miticide delivery system for beehive protection, earning a $120,000 scholarship. She has received numerous academic and leadership honors, including recognition from the Connecticut Science and Engineering Fair, the Yale Book Award, the National Merit Scholarship Program, and the Coca-Cola Scholarship Program. She is also an AP Scholar with Distinction and a National Spanish Honors Society member. This fall, she will attend Yale University.