Bethany Zecher Sutton joined the School Board on January 1, 2023.  She is a proud Arlington resident of more than 21 years. With two children in Arlington Public Schools (11th grader at HB Woodlawn and 8th grade at Thomas Jefferson Middle School), Bethany’s journey with APS began in 2011 at Randolph Elementary School, where she served as a PTA board member for 7 years, including 3 years as PTA President.

In 2018, Bethany joined the Advisory Council on Teaching & Learning (ACTL), which she chaired in 2021-22 and fall 2022. Within ACTL, she participated on several subcommittees, including the Advisory Committee on English Learners, the Math Advisory Committee, and the Career, Technical & Adult Education Advisory Committee. She also served on the APS South Arlington Working Group in 2015. In 2021-22, Bethany served on the Arlington County Food Security Task Force and she currently is a member of the Columbia Pike Partnership’s Community Advisory Council.

Bethany’s professional background includes nearly 25 years’ experience in higher education. She worked for 17 years at a national higher education non-profit organization with a focus on improving the quality of undergraduate education. More recently, Bethany has worked as a leadership coach and consultant, specializing in leadership development for women in higher education and nonprofit organizations.

For service to the Randolph PTA and leadership for the Randolph Food Pantry during the COVID-19 pandemic, Bethany received the APS Honored Citizen Award in 2021 and the Distinguished County Service Award in 2020 from Volunteer Arlington & the Leadership Center for Excellence.

Bethany’s educational background includes a graduate certificate in Leadership Coaching from Georgetown University; a master’s degree in history from UMass-Amherst, and a bachelor’s degree in history from the University of Mary Washington.

Office Phone: 703-228-6015

Email: bethany.zechersutton@apsva.us / school.board@apsva.us

Term expires December 31, 2026