September 2, 2025

CARSON CITY, Nev. – On Friday, the Nevada State Board of Education unanimously voted to recommend three finalists for the position of Superintendent of Public Instruction to Governor Joe Lombardo.

The candidates are Dr. Sylvia Mitchell, Dr. Heather Sánchez, and Dr. Victor Wakefield.

In accordance with Nevada Revised Statutes (NRS) 385.150, Governor Lombardo will review the Board’s recommendations and make the final appointment.

“We celebrate this momentous step forward for Nevada’s students,” said Dr. Katherine Dockweiler, President of the Nevada State Board of Education. “Each candidate has a unique blend of expertise along with a vision for shaping the future of our education system to ensure Nevada’s students thrive.”

The State Board of Education interviewed six candidates during special meetings on Thursday and Friday in Las Vegas. The candidates were selected from a pool of 19 through a blind review process.

To view State Board of Education meeting materials, please visit the 2025 State Board of Education Meeting Materials.

Video recordings of the special meetings can be found on the Nevada State Legislature's YouTube channel.

About the Nevada Department of Education

The Nevada Department of Education (NDE) leads and collaborates with Nevada’s 17 school districts and the State Public Charter School Authority to advance educational equity Statewide. With offices in Carson City and Las Vegas, NDE oversees all pre-K-12 education in the State, working to achieve its mission to improve student achievement and educator effectiveness by ensuring opportunities, facilitating learning, and promoting excellence. Under the leadership of the State Board of Education and the Superintendent of Public Instruction, NDE impacts the achievement of nearly half a million children and 30,000 educators. Learn more at https://doe.nv.gov/ and join us on X (formerly Twitter), Facebook and Instagram.