Chris Mathias, J.D., Ph.D.
SENIOR AFFILIATE
Dr. Chris Mathias is a Founding Partner at Brumback Associates LLC, a K16+ education consultancy. Over two decades, Dr. Mathias has developed a dynamic skill set while holding a range of roles across K-12 and higher education systems, as well as elected office.
Dr. Mathias previously served as the Chief Academic Officer for the State Board of Education in Idaho. At the State Board, Idaho’s state education agency, he oversaw postsecondary program planning and completion efforts as well as high school to postsecondary articulation. He later managed the higher education and external engagement portfolios for Smarter Balanced at University of California-Santa Cruz.
With classroom experience at both the undergraduate and graduate levels, Dr. Mathias has taught courses in law, public policy and public administration. He is a member of the adjunct faculty in the School of Public Service at Boise State University, where he also serves on the Advisory Board.
A leader in both actions and title, Dr. Mathias is the only Black member of Idaho’s legislature. In addition to representing District 19 in the Idaho House of Representatives, he is a member of Idaho's Criminal Justice Commission and the National Black Caucus of State Legislators.
Across the roles in which Dr. Mathias serves, he employs a passion for leadership while possessing a rare ability to nurture healthy and productive discourses - especially in difficult settings - around education, public schools, and justice.
Dr. Mathias is a veteran of the U.S. Coast Guard. He earned a criminal justice degree from Boise State University, where he was a TRiO McNair Scholar and student body president. He holds a J.D. from Vermont Law and Graduate School, and a Ph.D. in Law and Public Policy from Northeastern University.