Officers
HOLLY HOLLAND
PRESIDENT
Holly Holland serves as the Public Information Officer for the Calcasieu Parish School Board, where she’s been for over eight years. She is a product of Calcasieu Parish public schools, and following graduation she furthered her educational career at Henderson State University in Arkansas, earning a degree in Mass Media.
During her tenure as Public Information Officer, Holly has navigated the district through numerous natural disasters, a school shooting, a superintendent transition, and more. Prior to serving as PIO, she served in a Community Relations role at the Calcasieu Parish District Attorney’s Office and as a General News Reporter at KPLC.
Holly is the current president-elect of the Louisiana School Public Relations Association (LASPRA) and is a member of the National School Public Relations Association.
PAST PRESIDENT
Jackie Tisdell oversees all communications for Ascension Public Schools as the district’s Director of Communication, a position she has held since 2015. Ascension enrolls over 24,000 and employs 3,500 teachers and staff. Under her leadership, the district has earned seven national awards including the National School Public Relations Association’s Gold Medallion in 2017 and the Golden Achievement award in 2021. Prior to working in Ascension, Tisdell spent 12 years at the University of Louisiana System overseeing communications for the Board of Supervisors and its nine public universities.
She currently serves as the founding President of the Louisiana School Public Relations Association, President of the Leadership Ascension Foundation, and on the Advisory Council of the Ascension Early Childhood Ready Start Network. Her previous service included serving six years on the following: a parent representative on the Louisiana Board of Elementary and Secondary Education's Special Education Advisory Panel (SEAP), the Ascension Chamber of Commerce's Leadership Ascension Committee, and Volunteer Ascension's Board of Directors.
She earned a bachelor’s degree in English from Centenary College and a master’s degree in mass communication from Louisiana State University. Jackie has been married to Eric Tisdell for 22 years. They have two children, Jackson and Max, who attend Ascension Public Schools.
JACKIE TISDELL
MARY HELEN DOWNEY
PRESIDENT-ELECT
Mary Helen Downey serves as the Community Engagement Coordinator for the Rapides Parish School Board. She’s a graduate of Louisiana State University’s Manship School of Mass Communication, where she concentrated in Print Journalism. She earned her Master of Arts in Teaching degree from Northwestern State University. Having taught in the classroom for over a decade, she understands the importance and the impact of education.
Mary Helen has served as the campaign manager for three successful bond initiatives, in 2022, 2023, and 2025, garnering $138 million in funds for facility improvement and expansion. Her work centers around amplifying the voices and stories of over 22,000 students and 3,000 employees who are part of Rapides Parish Public Schools. She was recently named the National School Public Relations Association’s “Emerging Leader” of the South Central Region, an area encompassing six states.
She also serves as the President-Elect of the Louisiana School Public Relations Association (LASPRA) and is a member of the National School Public Relations Association.
TREASURER
Sarah Forsythe is the Public Information Manager for St. James Parish Schools. She is a graduate of Nicholls State University having earned a Bachelor's degree in Mass Communication with a concentration in Public Relations. Her love for communications never faltered as she went on to earn a Louisiana Teaching Certificate in Secondary English Education and taught for nearly a decade. Her love of PR and education shines through her current role as she spreads the joy of why St. James Parish Schools is #ThePlaceToBe.
Serving nearly 3,000 students, and over 500 employees, Sarah has produced work earning SJPS an NSPRA Golden Achievement Award in 2025 and several 2026 NSPRA Publications and Digital Media Excellence Awards. As a communications team of one, she leans on student interns for support in her role, while also building their resumes to become part of the next generation of successful communicators.
Sarah serves as the Treasurer of the Louisiana School Public Relations Association and is a member of the National School Public Relations Association.
SARAH FORSYTHE
SONJA BAILES
SECRETARY
Sonja Bailes is Public Relations Liaison for Bossier Schools, a position she has held for more than 12 years after spending 20 years in television news.
Sonja is a Journalism graduate from Louisiana Tech University, where she served as editor of the college newspaper and news director of the campus radio station. She landed her first television job at KNOE-TV in Monroe, then joined KTBS-TV in Shreveport as the consumer/investigative reporter before being tapped as co-anchor of the morning show. She now oversees internal, external and Superintendent communications for Bossier Schools, social media and facilitates media coverage and coordinates district events.
Aside from her professional life, Sonja is heavily involved in community service and non-profit work and is an Athena Award nominee and Virginia K. Shehee Most Influential Woman honoree.
MEMBERSHIP CHAIR
Ted Beasley has nearly 20 years of experience as an award-winning communicator and educator. An accomplished story-teller, Beasley has been recognized on the state and national levels for writing, crisis communication, social media, web design, video production, and photography. He currently serves as deputy chief of communication for the Louisiana Department of Education. Prior to his time with the LDOE, Beasley was communication director for Jefferson Parish Schools.
A Memphis native, he served Shelby County Schools as a writer, producer, and video coordinator. In that role, he was also an instructor for Germantown High’s nationally-recognized, student-led TV station GHS-TV. Beasley advised on over two dozen student Emmy-winning projects and oversaw live student newscasts, talk shows, and election night coverage. He earned his master’s in strategic communication from Arkansas State University and his bachelor’s in journalism and technical writing from the University of Memphis.
TED BEASLEY
DANIELLE EVANS
COMMUNICATIONS CHAIR
Danielle Evans is the Digital Media Coordinator for Ascension Public Schools. Originally from Houma, Louisiana, she joined the district in 2018. Danielle is a proud alumna of Nicholls State University, where she graduated with honors, earning a Bachelor of Arts in Fine Art with a concentration in Graphic Design and a minor in Art History.
With over a decade of experience in communications, website management, graphic design, and photography, Danielle has worked across both private and nonprofit sectors. At Ascension, her creative work has been recognized nationally, earning more than ten awards from the National School Public Relations Association (NSPRA). These honors include multiple Awards of Excellence in design, as well as Awards of Merit for website, social media, and photography. She has also received two Golden Achievement Awards—one for leading the conceptual development, design, photography, and assisting communications strategy of a district bond campaign, and another for her comprehensive creative work on a recruitment campaign. She also conducts yearly training for about 75 staff members on website administration and accessibility best practices, serving as both an expert and advocate for ADA compliance.
Danielle is an active member of the professional community, having presented at the National School Public Relations National Seminar and at state-level conferences such a Louisiana Teacher Leader Summit and the Louisiana School Public Relations Association (LASPRA) annual mini-conference. She currently serves as LASPRA’s Communications Chair.
In addition to her professional contributions, Danielle also is a passionate advocate for reading and literacy.