Deborah Coates, President
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Resident of East Meadow UFSD
Deborah Coates has been a member of the Nassau BOCES Board since 2008. She was elected president in July 2024 and formerly held the positions of vice president and district clerk.
A public education advocate, Ms. Coates served as president and vice president of the East Meadow UFSD Board of Education. She also was a member of the Nassau BOCES Budget Review Committee.
Ms. Coates in 2009 served on the Nassau-Suffolk School Boards Association's (N-SSBA) Executive Committee, in 2015 she served as its Secretary/Treasurer and was a member of its Legislation and Nominating committees. Since 2003, Ms. Coates has been a member of the Board of Directors for R.E.F.I.T. (Reform Educational Financing Inequities Today) as ex-officio having served as President for three years.
For three decades, Ms. Coates was a member of the East Meadow School District’s PTA. There she received numerous honors for her work—including the National PTA Leadership Award. Other awards include: the Nassau BOCES Education Partner Award, the New York State School Board Association’s (NYSSBA) Everett R. Dyer Award for Distinguished School Board Service, the N-SSBA Outstanding School Board Service Award and is the 2021 SCOPE Education Services Award of Excellence winner.
Ms. Coates is an active community member, having served for over 20 years on the Community Association of Stewart Avenue and is a former chairperson of the Nassau County Jail Advisory Committee. She also served on the governing Board and co-chaired several committees for the East Meadow Kiwanis Club, where she continues membership. She was a member of the East Meadow Chamber of Commerce and served on its Board of Directors.
Ms. Coates has recently retired from being a certified medical assistant.