OPSB Names New Vice President to Its Board

(New Orleans – July 28, 2022) —The Orleans Parish School Board (OPSB) voted unanimously to appoint Carlos Luis Zervigon as the new Vice President for the board. Zervigon is the current board member for District 6 and is filling the position left vacant by former school board member Dr. Jancarlos Wagner-Romero who recently resigned his seat.

"The board would like to thank Mr. Zervigon for taking on this important role. Vice President Zervigon brings invaluable insight as a graduate, a former educator, and a former charter school board chair within our District. He is well qualified to meet the needs of our school District, and I am looking forward to working together with him in his new position" said OPSB President Olin Parker.

"I'd like to thank my fellow board members for their support and confidence in me," said Zervigon. "I look forward to continuing to work hard with the board and the families and students we represent. It's an honor to serve, and I appreciate the appointment."

Born and raised in New Orleans, Zervigon is a proud graduate of the New Orleans Public Schools, graduating from Eleanor McMain Secondary School in 1984. He went on to study History, Studio Art, and Education at Tulane University where he earned a BA in History, a BFA in Glass Sculpture, as well as his Teacher Certification for Secondary Social Studies. Zervigon also holds a Masters in History Teaching from the University of New Orleans. He and his wife Elizabeth (Ben Franklin '84) raised their six children in New Orleans, all of whom attended New Orleans Public Schools.

Out of a sense of loyalty to the system that gave him his education and a sense of urgency that the system must improve, Zervigon joined the New Orleans Public Schools teaching core, including teaching social studies at Ben Franklin High School from 1993-2000. Having struggled with severe learning disabilities, Zervigon is keenly aware of the need to meet each child's unique learning needs. While teaching at Ben Franklin, Zervigon served as the Learning Disabilities Contact Teacher, giving students under his care the support he had never received. At Ben Franklin, Zervigon also helped create the new geography curriculum and won state approval for a new elective, History of the 20^th Century. He also served as the Freshman Class Sponsor, helping the 9^th grade students adjust to life in high school.

In 2000, Zervigon began working fulltime as a freelance glass sculptor. His work has shown nationally, has been featured in many publications, and has won numerous awards. Helping to rebuild the arts community post-Katrina, Zervigon was a co-founder, then President and CEO of the New Orleans Creative Glass Institute (NOCGI) which built a state-of-the-art public-access glass studio in Mid-City. Opening in September of 2006, NOCGI was the first business to open in central Mid-City post Katrina. As President and CEO, he helped oversee NOCGI's merger with YaYa, Inc. to create the YaYa Arts Center in Central City.

Rebuilding public schools after Hurricane Katrina, Zervigon was elected to be the Founding Board Chair to reopen Audubon Montessori / L'Ecole Franco-Américaine as Audubon Charter. Working with the school community and the Orleans Parish School Board, Audubon rehired its faculty and reopened in January of 2006. He later served on the board of Ben Franklin High School, serving as its President from 2018 to 2020. Zervigon's other board service includes Founding Treasure/Secretary of New Orleans College Beyond, Secretary then Vice President of the Louisiana SPCA, and Board Member of the NOCCA Institute and the Ruby Bridges Foundation. While serving the LASPCA, he was the founding Chair of the Government Affairs and Advocacy Committee which advocates for animal welfare legislation and helps negotiate the animal control contract between the LASPCA and the City of New Orleans.

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About NOLA Public Schools: NOLA Public Schools (NOLA-PS) is the public school district for Orleans Parish. It includes the district's administration and elected school board, known as the Orleans Parish School Board (OPSB). NOLA-PS currently oversees 72 public schools and is led by Superintendent Dr. Avis Williams, the first woman in the District's 181 years to serve as its permanent superintendent.

For more information, visit www.nolapublicschools.com. For updates, follow NOLA Public Schools on Facebook @NOLAPublicSchools, Instagram @nolaps and Twitter @NOLAPSchools.