Meet the Team
The People Behind The HELM Team.
Years
of combined experience in public education
Small • Mid-Sized • Large Districts
Rural • Suburban • Urban Communities
District • State • Regional • National Leadership
Dr. Jared A. Cleveland
Dr. Jared A. Cleveland brings more than three decades of leadership experience at the district and state levels. He has served as Superintendent of the Springdale School District since 2020, following seven years as Deputy Superintendent, and previously served as Assistant Commissioner for the Arkansas Department of Education and Superintendent of the Lavaca and Magazine School Districts.
Named Arkansas Superintendent of the Year in 2023, Dr. Cleveland has held leadership roles with AASA, the Arkansas Activities Association, and the Arkansas Association of School Administrators. His career has been defined by preparing students for the future through strong instruction, innovation, technology, and meaningful real-world learning.
Dr. Matt McClure
Dr. Matt McClure is a nationally recognized education leader with nearly three decades of experience in teaching, school leadership, and district transformation. A former President of ASCD, he represented more than 100,000 educators worldwide and has served as a teacher, principal, assistant superintendent, and superintendent.
Named Arkansas Superintendent of the Year in 2010, Dr. McClure led a nationally recognized transformation of the Cross County School District while securing more than $15 million to expand opportunities for students. He later co-founded LEAD 21, a principal preparation initiative focused on developing leaders capable of transforming schools and improving student outcomes.
Skipper Ward
John “Skipper” Ward brings more than two decades of executive leadership experience, including 20 years as an Arkansas public school superintendent. Having led both the Horatio and Magnolia School Districts, he built his career around developing people, strengthening organizations, and creating cultures where teams can thrive.
Named Arkansas Superintendent of the Year in 2022, Skipper has held leadership roles with AAEA, AASA, and the Arkansas Activities Association. At The HELM Team, he draws on his extensive experience to help executives, leadership teams, and school boards strengthen relationships, navigate difficult decisions, build effective teams, and create healthy organizational cultures.
Benny Weston
Benny Weston is a distinguished Arkansas educational leader with over four decades of experience in regional and district-level administration. He served as Superintendent of both the Mena and Mount Ida Public School Districts and as Executive Director of the DeQueen-Mena Educational Service Cooperative, providing strategic oversight in curriculum, finance, and legislative policy across member districts.
Honored as the 2020 Arkansas Superintendent of the Year and a two-time Arkansas Rural Education Superintendent of the Year, Mr. Weston has also served as President of AAA, AASA, and AREA. Throughout his career, he has remained dedicated to fiscal integrity, expanding student opportunities, and advancing rural public education.