Lt. Gen. Benjamin Freakley, U.S. Army, Named National Education Policy Leader of the Year

ARLINGTON, Va., Oct. 14 /PRNewswire/ -- U.S. Army Lt. Gen. Benjamin Freakley, commanding general of the United States Army Accessions Command, has been named the Policy Leader of the Year by the National Association of State Boards of Education (NASBE). The honor is annually given to a national or state policymaker in recognition of their contributions to education. Freakley, the first active military officer to receive this honor, will accept his award at NASBE's national conference on October 15, 2010 at the Sheraton Hotel in Salt Lake City, Utah.

"In the last year, NASBE was joined in an innovative partnership with the U.S. Army in the cause of cutting the dropout rate and improving secondary education," said NASBE Executive Director Brenda Welburn. "In this cause, Lt. Gen. Freakley understands deeply the implications of the country's failure to graduate every student ready for life and ready for citizenship. He is a special kind of leader who sees and is acting upon the need for education and the military to unite in the service of America's youth to better ensure the nation's future. For these efforts, NASBE is proud to present him as our Education Policy Leader of the Year."

As part of a military career that began with his graduation from the United States Military Academy in 1975, Benjamin Freakley assumed command of U.S. Army Accessions Command in 2007, which includes oversight of the Army's Recruiting Command, Cadet Command, and Accessions Support Brigade. In this role, he has been a strong proponent of improving education through the Army's partnership with NASBE. He has served in leadership positions from platoon leader through commanding general, including three times in combat, in Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm, Iraqi Freedom, and Enduring Freedom (Afghanistan).

Previous winners of NASBE's Policy Leader of the Year Award include Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm, Virginia Senator Mark Warner, South Carolina Gov. and Education Secretary Richard Riley, North Carolina Gov. Jim Hunt, New Jersey Gov. Tom Kean, former First Lady Barbara Bush, Chicago Mayor Richard Daley, and Georgia Senator Johnny Isakson. 

The award is being presented at NASBE's national conference in Salt Lake City, Utah on October 15.

The National Association of State Boards of Education represents America's state and territorial boards of education. NASBE exists to strengthen State Boards as the preeminent educational policymaking bodies for citizens and students. For more, visit www.nasbe.org.

SOURCE National Association of State Boards of Education

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