Scott P. Plotkin joined the California School Boards Association as Executive Director in October 2001, bringing to the position more than 20 years experience with national, state, and local educational issues affecting both K-12 schools and higher education. Plotkin provides executive leadership for the association, which represents and serves the elected and appointed members of the governing boards of the 1037 school districts and county offices of education in California. He served as the association’s president in 1992.
Before becoming Executive Director of CSBA, Plotkin, served five years as chief consultant and staff director for the Senate Committee on Education, providing policy and fiscal advice, analysis, and guidance on education matters to members of the state Senate. In order to serve in this capacity during several legislative sessions since 1997, Plotkin was on leave as Director of the Office of Governmental Affairs of the 23-campus California State University system, a Sacramento-based position that gave him substantial insight and experience into the workings of the California Legislature and state’s executive departments.
An elected member of the Board of Trustees of the Rio Linda Union Elementary School District in Sacramento County from 1981 to 2001, Plotkin served as president of the Sacramento County School Boards Association from 1985-1988. He has been a guest lecturer on state and local government and the legislative process at several CSU campuses and has been a frequent speaker and panelist at CSBA and National School Boards Association conferences. Plotkin represented California school boards on the Board of Directors of WestEd, formerly the Far West Laboratory for Educational Research and Development. Plotkin also represented the National School Boards Association on the Board of Examiners for the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education, where he was also appointed to their Appeals Board.
Plotkin has also served his local community as a member of the Private Industry Council, the Sacramento Employment and Training Agency and the North Highlands and Rio Linda/Elverta Chambers of Commerce. He has also served as a member of the Jewish Federation of Sacramento, Common Cause of California, the CORO Foundation and KVIE Public Television, Channel 6 in Sacramento.
Plotkin has received numerous national, state and local awards and commendations over the course of his career in public service and education. He lives in Sacramento with his wife, Patricia Thiel. They have three sons, Thomas, Timothy and Travis.