National PTA Elects New Leaders at Annual Convention

ORLANDO, FL--(Marketwire - Jun 20, 2011) - National PTA^® installed Betsy Landers, of Memphis, as the association's 52^nd President, as well as elected Otha Thornton, of Smyrna, Ga., as President-elect and Laura Bay, of Bremerton, Wash., as Secretary-Treasurer at its 115th Annual Convention and Exhibition in Orlando (June 9-12). Thornton becomes National PTA's first-ever male, African-American President-elect.

Other National Leaders
As eight members of National PTA's Board of Directors finished their two-year term, PTA delegates elected the following eight new members to join the National PTA Board of Directors:

• Scott Allen, Bellevue, Wash.;
• Nancy Cox, Lake Mary, Fla.;
• Kim Hunt, Plymouth, Mass.;
• Kathy Nevans, Independence, Mo.;
• Esther Parker, Odenton, Md.;
• Shannon Sevier, Mantel, Germany (European PTA);
• Debra Strauss, Inverness, Ill.; and
• Sophia Waugh, Agua Dulce, Calif.

Delegates also elected the following two new members to the Nominating and Leadership Development Committee: Tina Hartman, Fort Wayne, Ind.; and Helane Robson, of Fargo, ND.

Parents Vote on Topics Affecting Children
PTA members held debate and voted on the adoption of two national resolutions; Sexting: Legal Consequences; and Head Injury Reporting.

Resolutions are proposed by PTA members and approved by the National PTA Board of Directors to be voted on by convention delegates. National PTA has adopted hundreds of resolutions and positions on a wide variety of education, health, and safety issues since its first convention in 1897. Summaries of the resolutions are below. They will be posted in their entirety at www.pta.org within the next couple weeks.

Sexting: Legal Consequences -- PTA will work with school systems and law enforcement to prevent kids from sexting by educating students and parents about the legal consequences.

Head Injury Reporting -- PTA will educate families and school personnel about the seriousness of head injuries and the need report them to families. PTA will also work with education agencies to establish communication procedures to contact families when a child injures their head at school.

Visit the National PTA Convention Media Center for more news, information and photos.

About National PTA
National PTA^® comprises millions of families, students, teachers, administrators, and business and community leaders devoted to the educational success of children and the promotion of parent involvement in schools. PTA is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit association that prides itself on being a powerful voice for all children, a relevant resource for families and communities, and a strong advocate for public education. Membership in PTA is open to anyone who wants to be involved and make a difference for the education, health, and welfare of children and youth.