The Idaho Education Association (IEA) today announced that Peggy Hoy will assume the presidency of the state’s largest union in August. She was elected to the position by IEA members in May and succeeds current IEA President Layne McInelly.
Hoy has spent more than 30 years as an educator in the Twin Falls School District and has been active in building union membership and power since the beginning of her career. She repeatedly served as a delegate to IEA’s annual Delegate Assembly and held many roles within the Twin Falls Education Association, including president.
“Peggy is an extraordinary leader with a deep understanding of this union and a passion for its work,” McInelly said about Hoy’s election. “As a proud IEA member, I’m excited about where she’ll lead us in the coming years and look forward to my good friend’s success in her new role. Our members have made an excellent choice to lead them into the future.”
McInelly stepped into the union’s presidency in 2019 and was re-elected to the post in 2020 and 2023. He led thousands of IEA members through the upheaval caused by the COVID-19 global pandemic, a school shooting at Rigby Middle School in 2021 and a challenging time of quickly evolving education policy at the state level. He steps away after serving the two consecutive three-year terms allowed by the IEA’s Constitution.
Hoy brings a wealth of experience in education and union leadership to the office. She was elected to the National Education Association Board of Directors in 2019, representing thousands of the state’s educator members at the national level during her six-year term. A longtime advocate for underserved schools in smaller communities, she launched NEA’s Rural Schools Caucus to provide a voice and collective power for rural states at the national level.
Most recently, she served for two years as IEA’s governance organizer, partnering with local leaders across Idaho to strengthen member engagement, expand advocacy efforts, and develop the next generation of the association’s leaders.
Hoy is renowned for her community outreach, cultivating lasting relationships with everyone from local school board members to legislative committee chairs in the Idaho Statehouse.
Hoy assumes the presidency at a pivotal time for Idaho educators as schools navigate workforce shortages, educator retention, evolving state policy and ongoing efforts to strengthen public education.
“I’ve spent my career championing Idaho’s educators, and I am humbled and honored to be the latest steward of our 134-year-old association,” Hoy said. “Our public school educators are devoted to the students they serve, and I will be devoted to the issues that matter most to them: fair compensation, safer schools, laws and policies that help rather than hinder, and outstanding professional development and support. Together, we have real power to create change and deepen the community ties that already make Idaho’s public schools the center of life for our state’s families.”
Hoy begins her three-year term on Aug. 1.
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CONTACT: Mike Journee
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