Dr. William Datema Named 59th National PTA President

Datema brings four decades of professional experience in public health and education to the role, including tenures at the CDC’s Division of Adolescent and School Health and the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. He currently serves as the United States representative for the UNESCO Chair Global Health and Education. His predecessor, Yvonne Johnson, concludes a three-year term as the organization’s leader.

Addressing the challenges facing modern families, Datema identified chronic absenteeism, student mental health crises, and the erosion of special education programs as primary areas of concern. He emphasized that the National PTA must act as a primary advocate against federal funding shifts and social service cuts. National PTA executive director Howie Berman noted that Datema’s dual background in health and grassroots advocacy makes him uniquely suited to guide the association’s next chapter.