April D. Mertens, BS serves in a pivotal role within state government, bringing her strong expertise in organizational leadership to manage processes that impact administrators and the communities they serve. April supervises two staff members and leads crucial functions such as board meetings, disciplinary letters, application reviews, and the development of state exams — including spearheading “write-in” answer options for the NAB exams.
She holds dual bachelor’s degrees in Business and Human Relations Management from Columbia College, conferred in 2018, and is an active member of the National Association of Boards (NAB). April’s career is marked by her commitment to education, oversight, and helping administrators excel through thoughtful guidance and training.
One of her greatest personal accomplishments is overcoming her fear of public speaking, which now allows her to lead with confidence and clarity. April is most proud of her family: a loving marriage of 27 years and her two grown sons, both hard-working men she describes as “great laborers and even greater people.”
April was recently honored in Who’s Who in America (2024) and credits her professional journey to influential mentors such as Les Jobe — the first person who told her “you can do it” — as well as John Langston and William “Bill” Koebel.
Outside of work, April enjoys reading and spending quality time outdoors, especially camping with her family. Looking ahead, her goal is to transform the current database into a fully electronic and digital system to streamline processes and better serve the public.