Herschend elected VP of state education board

The co-owner and founder of Herschend Family Entertainment Corp. has been elected vice president of the Missouri State Board of Education.

Pete Herschend, of Branson, the current president of the board, was selected to serve in the role of vice president from January 2013 to June 2014, according to a news release.

The Rev. Stan Archie, a senior pastor at the Christian Fellowship Baptist Church in Kansas City and the state board's current vice president, was elected president during the board's Nov. 27 meeting in St. Louis.

Herschend joined the state board in 1991 and is currently finishing his third term, the release said.

The eight members of the State Board of Education are appointed by the governor and confirmed by the Senate. Members serve staggered eight-year terms, and one term expires each year. The board sets the standards, and approves courses and professional programs, for the state's public and private higher education institutions. The board's duties also include defining academic performance standards and assessment requirements for public schools; accrediting local school districts; and overseeing the distribution of federal funds to school districts, according to the board's website.

Atlanta-based Herschend Family Entertainment Corp. owns, operates and manages a number of attractions, including Silver Dollar City and Ride the Ducks.