Ms. Joy Hofmeister
Rural Community Leaders Fellow (2023)
Oklahoma State Superintendent of Public Instruction (2015-23)
Joy Hofmeister was first elected as Oklahoma’s state superintendent of public instruction in November 2014 and won all 77 counties. Over the past eight years and 527,000 miles on her SUV, Hofmeister crisscrossed the state listening to communities large and small. She held leadership roles on dozens of state boards and commissions, including serving as a state regent for Oklahoma’s six regional universities and president of Oklahoma Educational Television Authority, America’s most-watched PBS network.
Now in the private sector, Hofmeister remains focused on improving schools, creating healthier and safer communities, and fighting for better opportunities for all Oklahomans with a special focus on micropolitan communities.
As a child, Hofmeister overcame the challenges of living with dyslexia and committed herself to helping students overcome their own challenges.
Hofmeister was first elected as Oklahoma’s state superintendent of public instruction in November 2014 and was reelected to begin her second term in January 2019. In office, Hofmeister led repeals of ineffective state exams; released a more meaningful and user-friendly school accountability system; raised academic standards; bolstered student safety; and brought statewide attention to the need for trauma-informed instruction. She also oversaw a $9 billion budget and a team of 400 employees at the State Department of Education. She held leadership roles on dozens of state boards and commissions, including serving as a state regent for Oklahoma’s six regional universities and president of the Oklahoma Educational Television Authority.
