Our Team

Chong-Hao Fu is a career educator and former school leader who knows firsthand that excellent teaching changes lives. He has served as the CEO of Leading Educators since 2018.

Since joining Leading Educators 12 years ago as Chief Program Officer, Chong-Hao has led groundbreaking efforts to maximize the influence of our nation’s educators and accelerate learning in some of the fastest-improving school systems in the country. He is a nationally recognized thought leader on teacher leadership and professional learning, instructional practice, teacher teaming, AI-enabled improved, and sustainable systems change.

Beyond Leading Educators, Chong-Hao is actively engaged in efforts to shape the future of teaching and learning as the co-chair of the Research Partnership for Professional Learning, an advisory board member for the ASU Next Education Workforce, and a steering committee member for the Coalition to Reimagine the Teaching Role. He also serves on the board of directors for the New Teacher Center and is a member of Education Leaders of Color (EdLoC) and the Pahara Institute Fellowship.

Before his time at Leading Educators, Chong-Hao was the founding principal at KIPP Sharpstown in Houston, Texas. He began his teaching career as a middle and high school math teacher in Greenville, Mississippi. In 2016, Chong-Hao was a finalist for the Teach for America Peter Jennings Award for Civic Leadership. He holds a B.A. from Yale University and an M.Ed. from National Louis University.

Throughout her 22 years as an educator, Dr. LaKimbre Brown has made ensuring belonging and success for every student her personal mission. As the Chief Program Officer at Leading Educators, she leads national work to scale promising practices and educator support models.

Dr. Brown began her career as a Teach for America corps member (Phoenix ‘99), later becoming a coach, principal, and chief of schools. Most recently, she served as Chief of Schools for Lorain City Schools in Ohio, where 12 out of 15 schools showed gains on the state assessment and access to high-quality Pre-K programs tripled under her leadership. Previously as an Instructional Superintendent at District of Columbia Public Schools, she managed and coached principals for all dual-language campuses.

Dr. Brown earned her doctorate in educational leadership from Mills College, writing her dissertation on developing teacher leadership. She is the 2010 Newark Unified Elementary Principal of the Year, a National Board Certified teacher and coach, and a two-time Fulbright Scholar.

Simone is an educator and operational leader who enjoys proving the possible. As the Chief Operating Officer, she oversees strategic planning, people, technology systems and facilities operations for the organization.

Before she joined Leading Educators, Simone was a principal in KIPP Texas (formerly KIPP Houston). Prior to that she was an assistant principal, a science teacher, and a Teach for America corps member. Before taking on her current role at Leading Educators, she served as a Program Director and a Managing Director of Program. She holds a Masters of Education Administration from National Louis University and an MBA from Tulane University.

As a first generation college student, Simone understands first hand the transformative impact of equitable educational access on individuals, families, and generations. She believes that all students- regardless of demographics - deserve access to high quality education to build the lives they desire. Having dedicated her career to working with and for students of color, her mission is to contribute to work that aims to make that a reality.

She currently lives in Sacramento, California with her husband and her dog, Penny. She spends her free time finding new dog parks, binge watching Netflix, and exploring the beauty of northern California.

Daniel Obregon leads partnership, marketing, and communications efforts to grow Leading Educators' reach and support to school systems across the country.

Through more than 20 years of work in education, his leadership has created new paths to innovation and impact for organizations focused on improving access to high-quality education, post-secondary planning, and the future of work. Before joining Leading Educators, he was the Vice President of Marketing and Communications at Jobs for the Future (JFF), where he led national campaigns to promote equitable access to quality jobs and workforce development opportunities, including registered apprenticeships and non-degree pathways.

Previously, he has held pivotal leadership roles in various education technology organizations, including Naviance and the Common App, where he was instrumental in launching several products that today reach more than half of U.S. high school students each year.

Daniel holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Maryland and a master’s degree in communications from American University. He lives in Washington D.C. with his wife and three children.

Laura Meili leads efforts to research instructional improvement and professional learning, codify scalable practices, and create efficiencies around delivery of high-impact support models. She has been part of the Leading Educators team since 2014.

Previously, Laura led the redesign of Leading Educators’ programming focused on the Common Core State Standards, teaching and leading for equity, instructional leadership, and content cycles. Before joining Leading Educators, she worked in the Office of Professional Learning at the Chicago Public Schools. Laura started her career teaching reading and writing to middle school students on Chicago’s south side.

Laura graduated from the University of Michigan with a B.A. in Psychology and earned her M.Ed. in Literacy, Language, and Culture from the University of Illinois at Chicago. She lives in Chicago where she spends her free time playing volleyball and pickleball, doing yoga, and reading too many books at once.

Javier Cortez Infantas oversees all finance functions to ensure the sustainability of our mission, including accounting, budgeting, and forecasting. Additionally, he leads the implementation of finance policies and procedures, cost modeling and pricing, and investment management to better respond to the changing financial realities of school systems.

Javier holds an MBA from Duke University and an M.Ed from Yale University. Throughout his career, he has served as a private equity manager, head of finance for a motion unit of Intercorp, and most recently in financial leadership roles at KIPP New Orleans and Orleans Parish School Board. He was born and raised in Lima, Peru, and currently resides in Memphis, TN. In his free time enjoys watching and playing soccer with his son, exploring restaurants, going to heavy metal concerts, and playing the electric guitar.

Marishka grew up in East Los Angeles and Whittier, CA. As a first-generation college student, she was inspired by her parents to overcome obstacles and pursue higher education to pursue personal and professional aspirations. She has dedicated her career to working with communities and schools in historically marginalized and under-resourced communities at a national level.

She began her teaching career in LAUSD schools in South LA and Southeast LA neighborhoods and continued serving in public schools for nine years as a K – 2 teacher, a school-based, intervention coach serving teachers and students across grades K – 5, and a middle school Assistant Principal.

She then served as the Director of Teacher Development at the Partnership for LA Schools serving seventeen urban public schools that ranged from grades K-12 and was a key member of PLAS' central support instructional team. In this capacity, she supported principals to drive teacher effectiveness and to grow and leverage teacher leaders to become strong members of Instructional Leadership Teams. She continued to focus on areas of school leadership, teacher development, teacher leadership, school transformation, and systems level change while at TNTP as a project director supporting principals and teachers to implement standards based instruction primarily in school turnaround settings.

Most recently at New Teacher Center, she served as a founding leader of a national school leadership program as a senior director and led the program strategy for the federally awarded Education Innovation and Research grant across 120 rural and urban schools.

A former school leader and instructional coach, Marishka attended Scripps College (undergrad), Harvard Graduate (Education policy and management), UCLA Graduate (school leadership). She currently lives in Shaker Heights, OH and enjoys spending time with her husband and 2-year old daughter, riding her Peloton bike, cooking, and gardening.

Dr. Mitchell Brookins is a teacher first, and he has spent years studying, exploring, and refining his practices to yield student learning. As an expert in instructional leadership, he leads implementation for our partnership with Baltimore City Public Schools.

Mitchell has taught on the Southside of Chicago, been a district leader of RtI and literacy in Chicago Public Schools, and served as a school administrator in Chicago Public Schools and New Orleans. Mitchell’s professional engagements include: Literacy Content Reviewer for EdReports, Professional Learning Facilitator for the National Board Professional Teaching Standards, Professional Development Facilitator for UnboundEd, and a member of the Board of Directors for The Reading League.

Mitchell's instructional leadership as a school administrator has yielded the following results: 19-point growth in the School Performance Score, which moved ReNEW Cultural Arts Academy from a “D” to a “C” in one year, an average of 24% growth in Math and 16% growth in Reading over two years at ARISE Academy, and finally, Dwight Eisenhower was recognized for having the greatest growth gains of all open-enrollment charters in New Orleans and the School Performance Score increased by 12 points which resulted in the school’s letter grade moving from a “D” to a “C” in one year.

Mitchell has a B.A. in Elementary Education and Religious Studies from Illinois Wesleyan University, a M.A. in Teacher Leadership from Roosevelt University, and a PhD in Educational Administration at the University of New Orleans.

Erin is an educator and strategist who is passionate about working with school districts to reimagine their professional learning models so that all students receive the excellent education they deserve. She leads high-impact systemic partnerships to build and sustain the conditions, teaching, and leadership to ensure that the students furthest from opportunity succeed in school and in life.

Before joining Leading Educators, Erin worked to support teachers and students in a variety of roles throughout her career, including as an instructional coach, a senior district leader, a school building leader, and an associate professor. She began her career in education as a third grade teacher in Tulsa, and remains dedicated to serving students in Oklahoma and beyond.

Erin recently completed her PhD in Social Foundations of Education at Oklahoma State University. She holds an M.Ed in Educational Administration, Curriculum and Supervision from the University of Oklahoma and a bachelor’s degree from The Ohio State University.

In addition to addressing inequities in education systems, Erin is also passionate about maternal health disparities after the premature birth and extended NICU stay of her daughter.

Lakita is an experienced leader in education with a demonstrated history of impact in school leadership, leadership development, and education management. She leads the teams working in partnership with schools in Yakima, WA and Oakland, CA

Before joining Leading Educators, Lakita was the Senior Director at Leading Elephants where she provided support for leaders through individual and group executive coaching, the design and facilitation of adult learning experiences, and customized organizational consulting. She previously served as the Senior Director of Leadership Development for the Tennessee Department of Education in the Human Capital Division and redesigned the leadership academy for new principals and assistant principals. She also previously served as New Leaders’ Executive Director for the Midwest Region where she provided strategic direction and program development input to support districts in addressing leadership development needs. Lakita began her career teaching in Chicago Public Schools and went on to successfully execute the start of a new contract school in Chicago.

Lakita holds a Doctor of Education from Vanderbilt University’s Peabody College; two Master’s degrees, one in Curriculum & Instruction and the other in Administration & Supervision. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education from Florida A&M University. Lakita enjoys spending quality time with her family in Naperville, IL. She loves to travel and is a self-proclaimed foodie.

Katie is a strategist and problem solver who is deeply committed to supporting educators at all levels translate their aspirations for students to all students.

Before joining Leading Educators, Katie worked alongside and coached school leaders in New Orleans and Baltimore. Most recently, she designed school review processes that provided school-wide data to identify challenges, illuminate solutions, and inform continuous improvement.

Katie holds an M.B.A. from Brandeis University. A Louisiana native, she recently moved to Indianapolis with her husband and three sons. She and her family love attending Louisiana festivals and taking beach trips on long weekends.

Michael leads partnership growth across the country in support of excellent teaching and accelerated student outcomes.

Prior to joining Leading Educators, Michael served as a K-8 Common Core Math Subject Matter Expert for LearningList.com. Michael also worked in the DeKalb County Schools System, serving as a Coach and Curriculum Leader.

Michael earned his Master of Science in Education degree—majoring in Learning Design and Technology—at Purdue University, and his bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Morehouse College. He is committed to providing opportunities for students in his community, leading college tours that have taken over 1700 students to tour local HBCUs. When not working, Michael enjoys traveling, spending time with family, and coaching youth football.

Emily designs and facilitates professional development to build the capacity of teacher leaders.

Before joining Leading Educators, Emily worked as a coach and facilitator supporting district and school leaders and teachers to create systems and structures to transform teaching and learning to ensure equity for students. She has also designed experiences for online and social learning platforms and loves to think about different ways of supporting adult learning to deepen practice.

Emily started her career as an elementary teacher in San Jose, California, and her students continue to provide focus, inspiration and guidance for her work for equity, even though they’re all grown up. She holds a B.A. in Political Science and History from the University of New Mexico.

Amanda leads design and facilitates professional learning for district and teacher leaders in Omaha. She is passionate about grounding folks in their vision and creating spaces that encourage innovation while keeping students at the center.

Previously, Amanda coached instructional leaders in District of Columbia Public Schools as a Leadership Coach through LEAP. Before joining Leading Educators, Amanda was a middle school special education teacher, English Language Arts instructional coach, and department chair.

Amanda holds a B.A. in Economics & Sociology from New York University & a MAT in Elementary Education from American University. She loves staying on top of the most current news and pop culture phenomena, road tripping while listening to podcasts, and finding the best places to visit in the new cities she passes through.

Dr. Keli Swearingen is the Senior Director for Michigan partnerships.

For the past 12 years, Keli has directly supported charter schools and regions with two fervent beliefs: master educators are made through years of deliberate coaching and support; and educational equality requires teachers, coaches, and leaders to pivot our practices, adapt, and maintain the resilience needed to persevere through the work required to alter-reality and provide equitable opportunity. Throughout her work with KIPP Public Schools and Democracy Prep Public Schools, Keli supported K-12 alignment, assessment, teacher and instructional leader development and coaching. Keli has a background in assessment and measurement, which she used to lead the development of next generation assessments for ELA and math, as well as aligned data-driven instructional protocols that support implementation of standards aligned curriculum and strategic interventions.

Keli founded Ascend’s second elementary school in Brownsville (serving as school director) and later coached data and analytics for all schools in the Ascend Learning network. Keli was a research fellow at the Florida Center for Reading Research and an Ed Psych and Classroom Assessment instructor for FSU’s College of Education. She has a master’s in library science and a doctorate in educational psychology. Keli started this journey as a Teach For America corps member teaching high school ELA in New Orleans (CM ’02).

Keli is from Panama City, Florida and currently resides in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. When not nerding out on instruction and assessment, Keli enjoys spending time with her wife, Norah. She also enjoys working on Jeeps, playing music (bass and kit), watching Florida State football (Go Noles!), and watching Saints football (Who Dat!).

Alisha Watts Burr is a teacher development specialist and educator driven by a love of learning and commitment to high-quality education for all students. As the Senior Director of Networks for our partnership with Charleston County School District (CCSD), Alisha leads a content design team in developing and delivering professional learning customized to the needs of CCSD teachers and students. In prior roles at Leading Educators, Alisha has worked with Tulsa Public Schools and District of Columbia Public Schools.

Before joining Leading Educators, Alisha was a special education math teacher and academic dean at Washington, DC’s highest performing charter middle school.

Alisha holds an A.B. in Psychology from Princeton University and a M.A. in Social Psychology from the University of Arizona. She lives in Maryland with her husband and two sons. Alisha enjoys spending time with her family, creating and enjoying good food, and traveling to sunny places.

Naima Richardson is the Senior Director for Science of Reading Partnerships.

Before joining LE, Naima served public schools for 20 years as a teacher, instructional coach, and assistant principal in New York City and the District of Columbia. In her most recent role as Assistant Principal/Instructional Coach, she provided professional development and weekly debriefs that led her teacher team through a curriculum restructuring, resulting in improved student performance on state assessments. Naima holds a Master of Science in Educational Leadership from Baruch College and a Master of Arts in Educational Leadership, Politics, and Advocacy from New York University.

Naima’s educational experiences in public schools, Prep for Prep 9 and boarding school showed her the importance of igniting students’ potential while providing strategic support. Naima’s support currently comes from her family and friends who encourage her to dance, travel and participate in the occasional thrill-seeking activity.

Monique is a Senior Director guiding Illustrative Math implementation alongside leaders in three LAUSD local districts. Monique worked in a similar capacity previously at LE to support partnerships in DC Public Schools, Atlanta Public Schools, and program design in our Louisiana region.

Before joining Leading Educators, Monique has worked for charter management and non-profit organizations as a teacher, school leader, and effectiveness coach.

Monique is a Teach For America alumna and has earned a B.A. from Temple University and a M.S. in Teaching and Early Childhood Leadership from Pace University and Bank Street College of Education. Monique lives in Washington, D.C. with her husband and three children. In between family dance parties, Monique loves indoor cycling and cooking new recipes.

Ana grew up in Lansing, Michigan as a first-generation, Argentinian, immigrant. Witnessing educational inequities during her own grade school experience, specifically around math education and high school attrition, was the catalyst for deciding to dedicate her life and career to educational equity.

Ana began her teaching career working in state prisons in Michigan providing GED instruction to those incarcerated. She then shifted to teaching in youth detention centers and teaching GED classes at community centers in Lansing. Ana moved to Indianapolis in 2010 and taught traditional middle and high school math for a few years before becoming the lead teacher and instructional coach at the Excel Center; a high school diploma program for students who had previously discontinued high school and are returning to earn their diplomas.

Ana has also served as a program coordinator in the Indianapolis community focusing on building more equitable education systems for families experiencing homelessness. She is currently a PhD candidate in Indiana University's Urban Education Studies program. Her research focus is investigating how systemic racism impacts math education, the construction of learner identities in math classrooms, and high school attrition. In my free time, Ana loves to paint, podcast, cook, spend time with friends and family, play with her 3-year-old son, and travel to Lake Michigan as often as possible.

Tori is a Director of Content with Leading Educators. She supports school leaders and teachers in the Chicago area by designing professional development focused on providing students with equitable standards-based math instruction.

Previously with Leading Educators, she coached instructional leaders across Chicago as an Instructional Leadership Coach. Before joining Leading Educators, Tori worked as an instructional coach with a charter school in Chicago. She has worked in education for over 26 years as a teacher, Lead Teacher, Assistant Director, Math Coordinator, and Instructional Coach.

Tori holds a B.A. in Early Childhood Education from Tufts University and a M.A. in School Leadership from Concordia University. She lives in a suburb of Chicago where she enjoys exploring the different neighborhoods of Chicago, reading, baking, and spending time with friends and family.

Daniele E. Coplin is an operations leader who believes that data driven instruction and operations is the backbone to a strong academic program. She will be the primary collaborator for logistics, data collection and analysis processes, and building collaborative internal structures for the team.

Before joining Leading Educators, Daniele supported the regional operations team of KIPP Capital region as an advisor.

Daniele holds B.A. in Spanish from Hampton University and an M.A. in Latin American Studies from The University of Texas at Austin. Daniele enjoys cross-stitching and traveling.

Candice is a critical thinker who anticipates and resolves issues while strategically executing tasks. She leads operations, event logistics, client management, and data evaluation for the Greater Grand Rapids region. She is a proud Grand Rapids Public Schools alum!

Before joining Leading Educators, Candice worked with college students as she created and executed programs to retain students of color.

Candice holds an M.S. in Student Affairs/College Student Personnel Administration from Illinois State University and a B.A. in Business Administration from Grand Valley State University.

Kara Hayes is an Executive Support Coordinator, supporting the Leading Educators Leadership, Program, and Operations teams.

Kara was born and raised in the New Orleans area, attending and ultimately teaching in the city’s public schools. After a brief hiatus from the classroom to open a cafe geared toward families and children, Kara returned to teaching in 2020 just as schools were being impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Witnessing firsthand the vast inequities in how students, schools, and families were supported to manage and facilitate online learning, she was drawn to Leading Educators’ work to change that reality. Kara loves travel and interior design, and is eager to begin exploring the world again once we are all able to venture further from our homes!

Albert is a father, partner, and lifelong Lakers fan. As the Managing Director, Albert leads the Program Strategy & Innovation team’s innovation and cross-team systems work in close collaboration with projects, networks, and the Data and Evaluation team.

He most recently served as the program director for The Broad Residency, where he was responsible for the strategy, design, and execution of the learning experiences that developed K-12 leaders, ensuring they have the skills and mindsets necessary to lead effectively and equitably. Prior to The Broad Center, served as deputy director of operations and program expansion for Ramapo for Children, managing director of program design for iMentor, and national director of education for YouthBuild USA.

Albert holds a Bachelor of Arts and a Master of Arts in philosophy from Boston College and a Masters of Education in Education Leadership from Boston University with a graduate certificate in program planning, management, monitoring and evaluation. He is also a proud graduate of Los Angeles Unified School District.

Adan works at the intersection of communications, public policy, market development, and coalition building to further collective action toward what all students deserve grounded in what works. As Senior Director of Communications, he leads Leading Educators'' thought leadership, advocacy, and community engagement efforts.

Adan has served in various external relations and programmatic roles at Leading Educators over 9.5 years, contributing to key frameworks including Teaching for Equity, Open Up Opportunity, and the Value Add of Technology on Teaching. Previously, he supported 30 open-enrollment public charter schools in Washington, D.C. to strengthen teacher leadership as a regional program manager and served on the steering committee for two national institutes. Before that, Adan developed evaluation strategies for educator voice programs in NY, CO, and MI at America Achieves. He has also coached young social entrepreneurs and co-instructed courses in public leadership with the College Park Scholars and Rawlings Undergraduate Leadership Fellows programs at the University of Maryland.

Adan holds a M.P.P in social policy and nonprofit management from the University of Maryland and a B.A. with Honors in political science from the University of Arizona. He lives in Washington, D.C. and spends his free time taking in the arts, playing intramural kickball, volunteering as an advisory board member for NewMexicoKidsCAN, and performing the occasional karaoke solo.

Alexandra Magiera is the Senior Director of Innovation at Leading Educators, where she works to reimagine what’s possible in education by bringing fresh ideas and practical solutions to the field.

She has led pioneering projects, including a tech-enabled literacy pilot in NYC and the School Teams AI Collaborative, which explore how technology and design can help educators tackle today’s challenges and prepare for the future.

Alex’s passion for innovation is deeply rooted in her early experiences as a teacher, where she saw firsthand the power of listening to and learning from students and families—especially our youngest learners. This perspective fuels her work to design programs that elevate student voice and empower educators.

Over her career, Alex has partnered with teachers, district and system leaders, and state leaders across the country to create and scale meaningful solutions. With over 15 years of experience in public education and expertise in strategic foresight, service design, and human-centered design, she’s dedicated to helping educators meet the evolving needs of students and communities.

Antoinette Melvin serves as Leading Educators' strategy leader for support and innovation around ELA instruction. She has a strong passion for English language arts, seeing it not only as an important field in education but also as a powerful tool to be utilized in the mission toward an equitable future for all.

Antoinette was most recently a senior associate at edCount, LLC, where she worked with federal, state, and district-level clients nationwide on projects related to ELA content development, assessments, and data. In addition, she worked to initiate the company’s equity mission as the Director of Antiracism and Equity. She spent several years as an ELA teacher, curriculum specialist, and instructional coach in southeast North Carolina.

She holds a B.S. in Secondary English Education and an M.A. in English with a focus on multicultural and transnational literatures, both from East Carolina University. Literacy is truly her life as she spends much of her time reading, writing, and keeping herself open to learning and growing through new experiences.

Tyler Nakatsu is the Senior Director of Digital Products and Strategy, shaping Leading Educators' portfolio of digital products and services.

He most recently served as director of communications at JFFLabs, the innovation lab of Jobs for the Future, where he was responsible for producing and executing strategic go-to-market campaigns for the insights, incubation, and investment innovations of the organization. Tyler was a founding member of JFFLabs and was instrumental in bringing new solutions and startups from ideation to national-scale social impact.

In previous roles, Tyler led digital campaigns with agencies, nonprofits, and startups, such as Getting Smart, YouthBuild USA, and Palazzo Creative. In these, he managed the development of digital storytelling projects for brand awareness and engagement for B2B marketing strategies. He also produced product, brand, and profile videos and project-managed the creation and launch of publications, websites, and social media assets.

Tyler is a graduate of The Edward R. Murrow College of Communication at Washington State University. He served on the advisory council for the Digital Marketing Certificate Program at the George Washington University School of Business. He currently lives in NYC.

Lauren oversees partnerships with schools, districts, states, and organizations, and builds upon new opportunities for partnership around the country.

Lauren came to Leading Educators following her post as the Academic Director of Bard Early College in New Orleans, where she recruited and supported students and faculty. Her work in teaching began with her 9th grade English students at New Orleans Charter Math and Science High School in 2007, but Lauren's interest in education has been with her from a young age as a student in New Orleans public schools.

Lauren holds a B.A. in English Literature from Smith College and an M.A. in Education Policy from Brown University.

Araceli Flores leads design of math professional learning for our innovation portfolio.

Previously with Leading Educators, Araceli supported design and facilitation for a series of statewide content-based learning sessions in Kentucky, also leading design of custom content cycles and providing coaching to district leaders. In support of Baltimore City Public Schools, she has designed Eureka Math-based content cycles, led internalization sessions with content leaders, and worked side-by-side with district staff to co-construct future professional learning.

Araceli taught elementary and middle school math in Washington, DC where she also served as the Deputy Director of Math Instruction for Friendship Public Charter Schools, as well as the Deputy Chief of Math Professional Development for DC Public Schools. Araceli loves applying ratios and proportional reasoning to her two main hobbies - baking and home improvement projects.

Kelley is responsible for the execution of New Orleans-based programming, including project management, event planning, communications, and data management.

For over 6 years, Kelley worked in fund development and volunteer management, having most recently served as the Development Director with Boys Hope Girls Hope of Greater New Orleans. Kelley’s experience as part of the inaugural class of the Greater New Orleans Foundation’s Emerging Leaders program was a driving force behind her passion to work with Leading Educators. The program, designed to develop the leadership skills of middle managers with non-profit organizations, was life changing.

Kelley holds a B.S. in Magazine Journalism from Boston University. She currently lives in New Orleans.

Brielle is a passionate and innovative education leader committed to high standards, equity, and access for all students. She supports the growth and sustainability of ongoing partnerships with school systems to ensure exponential success.

Previously, Brielle led strategic planning for partnerships in Baltimore, Oakland, Grand Rapids and Chicago as an Associate Director of Networks. As the National Delivery Manager at Leading Educators she managed logistics and operations for national events. Before joining Leading Educators, Brielle supported teacher leadership initiatives with the Partnership for Los Angeles schools and managed several large scale professional learning opportunities for educators across LAUSD. Prior to joining the non-profit sector, Brielle worked as an elementary special education teacher at a turnaround school in the Bronx, NY.

Brielle holds an M.A. in Elementary Special Education from Hunter College and a B.A. in Sociology from Fordham University. She lives in South Bend, Indiana, with her husband, two kids and dog and spends her free time reading, hiking and traveling.

Sandra is a former and forever teacher who continues to be motivated by her experiences in the classroom. She is a systems leader driven by her belief in the power of self-determination as a right for every child. She designs innovation pilots rooted in the intersection of teaching, technology, and belonging.

Previously at Leading Educators, she designed ELA professional learning content for our partnership in Yakima, WA and coordinated national design of sessions and tools focused on literacy, numeracy, leadership, change management, and equity. Before joining Leading Educators, Sandra spent seven years teaching students from third through eighth grade in Washington, DC, serving as a classroom teacher, reading interventionist, and intervention coordinator.

Sandra holds an M.Ed from George Mason University and a B.A. in Sociology from Wheaton College (IL). She currently lives in New Hampshire with her husband and three children. She spends her free time trying to imitate creative play activities designed by Instagram-moms (with varying levels of failure and success).

Fernando is an operations professional with specialized proficiency in project management and a commitment to improving organizational and team effectiveness. He is not just about the work; he’s about the people who make the work possible.

Before joining Leading Educators, Fernando was an Operations Manager for the Search Division at Stronger Consulting. He managed recruitment and selection processes and improved upon the organization’s systems and internal processes.

Fernando holds a B.A. in Economics and Environmental Studies from Brown University. He currently lives in Los Angeles, CA and spends his free time playing board games and trying out new pizza places.

Kami McDonald is a dedicated advocate for equitable instruction to students in every classroom. She contributes to crafting compelling messages that influence decision-makers to invest in environments where educators are empowered to reach their full potential for students.

She returns to Leading Educators after joining the organization in 2016 as executive assistant and special projects coordinator and supporting with fundraising on the Development Team.

Kami holds a B.A. in Public Relations and a B.A. in Mass Communication from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. She lives in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Kami spends her free time putting a Southern twist on new recipes and adding her mixed genre "no skips" streaming music playlist.

Laura is an experienced content creator who believes the best way to engage an audience is to tell a compelling story. She supports organizational storytelling, digital community building, and media relations.

Laura joined Leading Educators after working in television production for 17 years. She has produced hundreds of hours of television for national cable and broadcast networks including CBS, Hallmark Channel, SyFy, and Destination America among others. She earned two Daytime Emmy nominations for her work on Home & Family on the Hallmark Channel.

Laura holds a B.A. with honors in Broadcast Journalism from UW-Milwaukee and a M.S. in Television Production from Boston University. She lives in Stevens Point, WI and spends her free time helping on her family’s sheep farm, spending time with her niece and nephew, and spoiling her rescue dogs, Alice & Charlie.

Tony has a passion for uplifting and empowering youth and those who work within community through life changing experiences.

Before joining Leading Educators, Tony has held various positions within education in Detroit, including multiple positions at different non-profit organizations, being a program coordinator at The University of Michigan while assisting first generation students though matriculation, and teaching as well as being a Dean of Students in at-risk schools throughout the city. He also spent time as a research assistant and social media consultant at Wayne State University. He was introduced to serving the community after joining a fraternity, Kappa Alpha Psi Inc, during his time at UofM.

For fun, Tony likes to spend time with family and friends, listen to music and watch sports. He considers himself down to earth and welcoming to others. Tony is a Detroit native and holds a B.A. in Psychology from the University of Michigan. Go Blue!

V. Châu is a dynamic brand-storyteller with over a decade of experience working with minority-owned businesses, corporate clients and nonprofits. They will join us as the Content
Coordinator here at LE. In this role, V will help craft digital storytelling pieces to elevate LE’s brand.

Before joining Leading Educators, V. consulted with education management organizations at a grassroot and national capacity, where they uplifted digital stories through the lens of D.E.I. Recently, they worked with a women-owned B2B consulting company as a marketing strategist.

V. Châu holds a Bachelor of Arts in Communications and Political Science from the University of Cincinnati. As a first-gen college grad and new American, V. is committed to racial justice, economic sustainability and social impact. In their spare time, they enjoy making globally-inspired comfort food, deep-diving into their favorite book, and recharging by the
sun and sea.

Maxine is a strategic leader with deep experience in Development and Operations. From her time with organizations like City Year, the American Lung Association, the Girl Scouts, and most recently, the ACLU of Wisconsin, Maxine knows the power of strong coalitions and strategic thinking.

Maxine received her Bachelor’s Degree in Communication from UW-Milwaukee. She is a member of various national professional organizations, including Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., the Association of Fundraising Professionals, and Women of Color in Philanthropy. Maxine also has experience serving on the ad hoc community-based finance committee for a suburban Milwaukee school district.

Maxine is passionate about all things social justice, loves music, and is unabashedly obsessed with most reality television shows. She is happiest with her wife Shana raising their two sons Lincoln and Lucas not far from the shores of the beautiful Lake Michigan.

Karla Hooper is the Senior Director of Development. With over 20 years of working in the non-profit industry, Karla has a deep understanding of context and nuance as it relates to development work. She has comprehensive experience in fundraising, grant management and writing, and managing all aspects of funder relationships.

Before joining Leading Educators, Karla served as the Executive Director and Development Director at the Diabetes Association of Atlanta. Prior to that, she held development roles at Emory’s School of Public Health and CARE USA. For the past twenty years, her development career has created practices and standards for equity in healthcare and higher education.

Karla is an honors graduate of Emory University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in History and Mercer University with a Masters of Divinity. She lives in Atlanta, GA and spends her time reading historical fiction novels, outdoor DIY projects and traveling on beach getaways. Karla is an active member of her community and sits on several advisory groups. She’s also passionate about working with youth and women to live life with grace, ease and purpose. Having grown up in the south, equity for Karla is personal. She believes that education is the key to achieving equity in our country and is looking forward to using her skillset to contribute to that reality.

Victoria is an experienced fundraising strategist with a record of success leading revenue-generating initiatives at national education nonprofits and managing grant projects aimed at improving instructional mentoring and coaching programs. She is motivated by a deep commitment to educational equity and developing philanthropic relationships that drive impact.

Victoria holds an M.A. in Public Policy from Johns Hopkins University and a B.A. in Anthropology from Cornell University. Based in Boston, Victoria is a proud mom of two humans and a dog, and loves to spend time with her family exploring cities and forests alike.

Jayme is a development professional with over 20 years of working in the non-profit field. She is Director of Development and works to bring financial resources to LE to ensure success of partners, programs, and participants.

Before joining Leading Educators, Jayme worked for Clarke University in Dubuque, IA as a Major Gifts officer, and prior to that role she worked for Girl Scouts of Eastern Iowa and Western Illinois.

Jayme holds a BA from University of Northern Iowa in Leisure, Youth and Human Services, with a focus on Non-Profit Management. She lives in Dubuque, IA and spends her time reading, cooking, and enjoying life with her husband, two teenagers, and dog Dale (the true star of the Ironside family).

Darren Thomas II is a development professional with a wealth of experience in annual and major gift fundraising, grant writing and management, corporate and foundation partnership development, and donor stewardship.

Before joining us, Darren served as the Director of Strategic Initiatives for the Tennessee Charitable Care Network (TCCN), where he led fund development and partnership efforts for a statewide network of healthcare clinics. He has also held leadership roles with the National Civil Rights Museum and Communities In Schools of Memphis, and Porter-Leath.

Darren holds a B.A. in Commerce and Business from Rhodes College and an M.A. in Pastoral Counseling from Asbury Theological Seminary. Based in Memphis, TN—one of his favorite cities—Darren enjoys Spartan races, community engagement, youth mentoring, and spending quality time with his family.

Kali is the Director of Development Operations. She oversees all aspects of development operations including but not limited to: database management; grants management calendar; prospect research; gift processing; events; and cross-functional process improvement to support the growth of philanthropic engagement with our mission.

Before joining Leading Educators, Kali was the Development Relations Manager at the ACLU of Wisconsin, working with a portfolio of donors to increase philanthropic support, managing donor communications, and implementing stewardship activities. Prior to this role, she was the Development Coordinator for the ACLU of Wisconsin, providing frontline support for members and donors, and managing the organization’s grants and database.

Kali holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology, with a minor in Communications, from the University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee. She currently resides in Milwaukee, Wisconsin with her husband and dog, Millie, and enjoys spending her free time exploring the city with her family.

Katie is a strategist and problem solver who is deeply committed to supporting educators at all levels translate their aspirations for students to all students.

Before joining Leading Educators, Katie worked alongside and coached school leaders in New Orleans and Baltimore. Most recently, she designed school review processes that provided school-wide data to identify challenges, illuminate solutions, and inform continuous improvement.

Katie holds an M.B.A. from Brandeis University. A Louisiana native, she recently moved to Indianapolis with her husband and three sons. She and her family love attending Louisiana festivals and taking beach trips on long weekends.

Dr. Mark Healy is a highly skilled instructional leader, widely recognized for a diverse career as an educator and accomplished leader within high-need districts and charter networks. He leads short-term engagements with school system leaders to establish the conditions and strategy for successful instructional initiatives.

Before joining Leading Educators, Mark was a teacher, curriculum developer, professional development facilitator, adjunct faculty member, school principal, instructional expert, and district leader across Canada and the United States. Most recently, he was the Senior Director of Program and Partnerships with New Teacher Center, overseeing diverse partnerships, offering academic strategy leadership, and fostering adaptive change in school districts across the country.

Mark holds a Doctorate in Educational and Organizational Leadership from the University of Pennsylvania. In his free time, Mark loves to travel around the world and attend HIIT classes at his local gym.

Solona is a problem solver and strategic thinker who is passionate about working with educators to create learning environments that allow all students to see themselves as life-long learners of science.

Before joining Leading Educators, Solona worked with state, district, and school leaders to develop strategies and implement systems for increasing leader capacity and teacher effectiveness. Most recently, she supported the implementation of a state-wide coaching model.

Before pursuing a career in education, Solona worked as a chemist and co-invented a commercially sold adhesive.

Solona Hollis holds a B.S. in Chemistry from Dillard University and completed her education certification at Mercer University. An Atlanta native, she spends free time with her two sons and her dog, Layla. Solona works to promote autism awareness and advocacy in her local community.

Amanda Drenth designs science curriculum-based professional learning and supports direct curriculum implementation as a Director of Science Strategy.

Amanda is a former platelet research scientist who became an educator in 2008. Throughout her teaching career, Amanda has taught every grade level from K-8. Most recently, she was a 4th grade teacher. She was a teacher in her most recent district for 8 years where she served as the President of the South Berwyn Education Association (SBEA) for four years. During her time teaching in Berwyn, she worked in collaboration with the Illinois Safe School Alliance to adopt policies to protect transgender students’ rights at the elementary and middle school levels; making her district the first school district in Illinois to have such protections.

Amanda grew up in her hometown of Maywood, Illinois, the daughter of an Irish mother and an immigrant Mexican father. Involved in political activism since her childhood, she was the Co-chair of the original Women’s March for Illinois, bussing over 3,000 people to Washington, D.C. in 2017. She was the co-chair of the 2021 inaugural Juneteenth Celebration in her current hometown of Berwyn, Illinois.

As a lady living with ADD, Amanda is the proud mother of 3 neurodiverse children, and has been married for the past 22 years to her husband Chris, who is an art teacher. In her spare time, Amanda enjoys being the frontwoman and vocalist for her 90s cover band, and is also a singer and original songwriter with 1 album done, and one in progress.

Jessica Jenkins is a Director of System Strategy. Driven by her passion for college access, Jessica works to operationalize commitments to equity for students in greater Chicago.

Previously, she supported Chicagoland partnership implementation across four unique projects. Before joining Leading Educators, Jessica worked as an education policy and management consultant, leading a cohort of districts in Arkansas to design new teacher leadership pathways to reach more students with excellent teaching. She began her career as a college advisor at a rural high school in Stokes County, North Carolina with the College Advising Corps.

Jessica holds a BA in Psychology and Sociology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and an MPP from Duke University’s Sanford School of Public Policy. She enjoys rooting for the Tar Heels, reality competition shows, and policy podcasts.

Kristine is a passionate educator determined to make a positive impact on the educational landscape. As the Director of System Strategy, she helps shape the launch of state or district-level projects that include instructional strategy advising and new offerings.

Previously, Kristine was a Director of Content and Coaching on the Grand Rapids partnerships and worked as an elementary teacher in the Grand Rapids Area. She also spent time as a School Innovation Partner working closely with building leaders in schools with historically underserved students to develop systems of improvement to foster sustainable building transformation. Kristine also held the role of Curriculum Director where she developed systems of professional learning, supported the district instructional vision and established coaching structures to support teachers.

Kristine holds an M.A. in Curriculum and Instruction from Michigan State University and a B.A. in Elementary Education from Bethel University. She lives in Lake Odessa, Michigan, with her husband and three children. Kristine enjoys hiking, reading and being a parent cheerleader at her childrens’ events.

Daniele E. Coplin is an operations leader who believes that data driven instruction and operations is the backbone to a strong academic program. She will be the primary collaborator for logistics, data collection and analysis processes, and building collaborative internal structures for the team.

Before joining Leading Educators, Daniele supported the regional operations team of KIPP Capital region as an advisor.

Daniele holds B.A. in Spanish from Hampton University and an M.A. in Latin American Studies from The University of Texas at Austin. Daniele enjoys cross-stitching and traveling.

Candice is a critical thinker who anticipates and resolves issues while strategically executing tasks. She leads operations, event logistics, client management, and data evaluation for the Greater Grand Rapids region. She is a proud Grand Rapids Public Schools alum!

Before joining Leading Educators, Candice worked with college students as she created and executed programs to retain students of color.

Candice holds an M.S. in Student Affairs/College Student Personnel Administration from Illinois State University and a B.A. in Business Administration from Grand Valley State University.

Dr. Mitchell Brookins is a teacher first, and he has spent years studying, exploring, and refining his practices to yield student learning. As an expert in instructional leadership, he leads implementation for our partnership with Baltimore City Public Schools.

Mitchell has taught on the Southside of Chicago, been a district leader of RtI and literacy in Chicago Public Schools, and served as a school administrator in Chicago Public Schools and New Orleans. Mitchell’s professional engagements include: Literacy Content Reviewer for EdReports, Professional Learning Facilitator for the National Board Professional Teaching Standards, Professional Development Facilitator for UnboundEd, and a member of the Board of Directors for The Reading League.

Mitchell's instructional leadership as a school administrator has yielded the following results: 19-point growth in the School Performance Score, which moved ReNEW Cultural Arts Academy from a “D” to a “C” in one year, an average of 24% growth in Math and 16% growth in Reading over two years at ARISE Academy, and finally, Dwight Eisenhower was recognized for having the greatest growth gains of all open-enrollment charters in New Orleans and the School Performance Score increased by 12 points which resulted in the school’s letter grade moving from a “D” to a “C” in one year.

Mitchell has a B.A. in Elementary Education and Religious Studies from Illinois Wesleyan University, a M.A. in Teacher Leadership from Roosevelt University, and a PhD in Educational Administration at the University of New Orleans.

Erin is an educator and strategist who is passionate about working with school districts to reimagine their professional learning models so that all students receive the excellent education they deserve. She leads high-impact systemic partnerships to build and sustain the conditions, teaching, and leadership to ensure that the students furthest from opportunity succeed in school and in life.

Before joining Leading Educators, Erin worked to support teachers and students in a variety of roles throughout her career, including as an instructional coach, a senior district leader, a school building leader, and an associate professor. She began her career in education as a third grade teacher in Tulsa, and remains dedicated to serving students in Oklahoma and beyond.

Erin recently completed her PhD in Social Foundations of Education at Oklahoma State University. She holds an M.Ed in Educational Administration, Curriculum and Supervision from the University of Oklahoma and a bachelor’s degree from The Ohio State University.

In addition to addressing inequities in education systems, Erin is also passionate about maternal health disparities after the premature birth and extended NICU stay of her daughter.

Lakita is an experienced leader in education with a demonstrated history of impact in school leadership, leadership development, and education management. She leads the teams working in partnership with schools in Yakima, WA and Oakland, CA

Before joining Leading Educators, Lakita was the Senior Director at Leading Elephants where she provided support for leaders through individual and group executive coaching, the design and facilitation of adult learning experiences, and customized organizational consulting. She previously served as the Senior Director of Leadership Development for the Tennessee Department of Education in the Human Capital Division and redesigned the leadership academy for new principals and assistant principals. She also previously served as New Leaders’ Executive Director for the Midwest Region where she provided strategic direction and program development input to support districts in addressing leadership development needs. Lakita began her career teaching in Chicago Public Schools and went on to successfully execute the start of a new contract school in Chicago.

Lakita holds a Doctor of Education from Vanderbilt University’s Peabody College; two Master’s degrees, one in Curriculum & Instruction and the other in Administration & Supervision. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education from Florida A&M University. Lakita enjoys spending quality time with her family in Naperville, IL. She loves to travel and is a self-proclaimed foodie.

Claudine is the Senior Director of Programming working with district, school and teacher leaders to ensure that schools and system partnerships are effectively supported.

Before joining Leading Educators, Claudine provided targeted, individualized coaching support for new and experienced teachers in schools within the Academy for Urban School Leadership (AUSL) network of Chicago Public Schools. Prior to her work at AUSL, Claudine was a middle school teacher through the Inner City Teaching Corps, and a teacher and Math coach at the University of Chicago Charter School - Donoghue Campus.

Claudine holds a B.A in Sociology and French Literature from Boston College and a M.S.Ed in Education and Social Policy from Northwestern University. She currently lives outside of Detroit with her husband and their two children. When not working, Claudine enjoys indoor cycling, watching college sports, and hanging out with her family and friends.

Michael leads partnership growth across the country in support of excellent teaching and accelerated student outcomes.

Prior to joining Leading Educators, Michael served as a K-8 Common Core Math Subject Matter Expert for LearningList.com. Michael also worked in the DeKalb County Schools System, serving as a Coach and Curriculum Leader.

Michael earned his Master of Science in Education degree—majoring in Learning Design and Technology—at Purdue University, and his bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Morehouse College. He is committed to providing opportunities for students in his community, leading college tours that have taken over 1700 students to tour local HBCUs. When not working, Michael enjoys traveling, spending time with family, and coaching youth football.

Emily designs and facilitates professional development to build the capacity of teacher leaders.

Before joining Leading Educators, Emily worked as a coach and facilitator supporting district and school leaders and teachers to create systems and structures to transform teaching and learning to ensure equity for students. She has also designed experiences for online and social learning platforms and loves to think about different ways of supporting adult learning to deepen practice.

Emily started her career as an elementary teacher in San Jose, California, and her students continue to provide focus, inspiration and guidance for her work for equity, even though they’re all grown up. She holds a B.A. in Political Science and History from the University of New Mexico.

Amanda leads design and facilitates professional learning for district and teacher leaders in Omaha. She is passionate about grounding folks in their vision and creating spaces that encourage innovation while keeping students at the center.

Previously, Amanda coached instructional leaders in District of Columbia Public Schools as a Leadership Coach through LEAP. Before joining Leading Educators, Amanda was a middle school special education teacher, English Language Arts instructional coach, and department chair.

Amanda holds a B.A. in Economics & Sociology from New York University & a MAT in Elementary Education from American University. She loves staying on top of the most current news and pop culture phenomena, road tripping while listening to podcasts, and finding the best places to visit in the new cities she passes through.

Dr. Keli Swearingen is the Senior Director for Michigan partnerships.

For the past 12 years, Keli has directly supported charter schools and regions with two fervent beliefs: master educators are made through years of deliberate coaching and support; and educational equality requires teachers, coaches, and leaders to pivot our practices, adapt, and maintain the resilience needed to persevere through the work required to alter-reality and provide equitable opportunity. Throughout her work with KIPP Public Schools and Democracy Prep Public Schools, Keli supported K-12 alignment, assessment, teacher and instructional leader development and coaching. Keli has a background in assessment and measurement, which she used to lead the development of next generation assessments for ELA and math, as well as aligned data-driven instructional protocols that support implementation of standards aligned curriculum and strategic interventions.

Keli founded Ascend’s second elementary school in Brownsville (serving as school director) and later coached data and analytics for all schools in the Ascend Learning network. Keli was a research fellow at the Florida Center for Reading Research and an Ed Psych and Classroom Assessment instructor for FSU’s College of Education. She has a master’s in library science and a doctorate in educational psychology. Keli started this journey as a Teach For America corps member teaching high school ELA in New Orleans (CM ’02).

Keli is from Panama City, Florida and currently resides in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. When not nerding out on instruction and assessment, Keli enjoys spending time with her wife, Norah. She also enjoys working on Jeeps, playing music (bass and kit), watching Florida State football (Go Noles!), and watching Saints football (Who Dat!).

Chavon VanHooks is driven to make a difference in the field of Education. Through her 15 years of service, she worked as a teacher of middle and high school students and a professional learning coach for K-8 Title I schools within the Shelby County Schools System in Memphis, TN. Following that work, Chavon served as a district level middle school math coach for IZone priority schools also in Memphis, TN.

Born and raised in Flint, MI, Chavon discovered her passion for education at an early age. She would always “play school” with her family and friends. That passion drove her to earn her Education Specialist degree – emphasis in Educational Leadership and Master of Education degree - majoring in curriculum and instruction both from Union University and her Bachelor of Science in Education degree – majoring in mathematics from Central Michigan University.

When Chavon is not changing lives through her work in education, she enjoys spending time with family, decorating, and solving puzzles.

Alisha Watts Burr is a teacher development specialist and educator driven by a love of learning and commitment to high-quality education for all students. As the Senior Director of Networks for our partnership with Charleston County School District (CCSD), Alisha leads a content design team in developing and delivering professional learning customized to the needs of CCSD teachers and students. In prior roles at Leading Educators, Alisha has worked with Tulsa Public Schools and District of Columbia Public Schools.

Before joining Leading Educators, Alisha was a special education math teacher and academic dean at Washington, DC’s highest performing charter middle school.

Alisha holds an A.B. in Psychology from Princeton University and a M.A. in Social Psychology from the University of Arizona. She lives in Maryland with her husband and two sons. Alisha enjoys spending time with her family, creating and enjoying good food, and traveling to sunny places.

Naima Richardson is the Senior Director for Science of Reading Partnerships.

Before joining LE, Naima served public schools for 20 years as a teacher, instructional coach, and assistant principal in New York City and the District of Columbia. In her most recent role as Assistant Principal/Instructional Coach, she provided professional development and weekly debriefs that led her teacher team through a curriculum restructuring, resulting in improved student performance on state assessments. Naima holds a Master of Science in Educational Leadership from Baruch College and a Master of Arts in Educational Leadership, Politics, and Advocacy from New York University.

Naima’s educational experiences in public schools, Prep for Prep 9 and boarding school showed her the importance of igniting students’ potential while providing strategic support. Naima’s support currently comes from her family and friends who encourage her to dance, travel and participate in the occasional thrill-seeking activity.

Monique is a Senior Director guiding Illustrative Math implementation alongside leaders in three LAUSD local districts. Monique worked in a similar capacity previously at LE to support partnerships in DC Public Schools, Atlanta Public Schools, and program design in our Louisiana region.

Before joining Leading Educators, Monique has worked for charter management and non-profit organizations as a teacher, school leader, and effectiveness coach.

Monique is a Teach For America alumna and has earned a B.A. from Temple University and a M.S. in Teaching and Early Childhood Leadership from Pace University and Bank Street College of Education. Monique lives in Washington, D.C. with her husband and three children. In between family dance parties, Monique loves indoor cycling and cooking new recipes.

Olivia is a content specialist and coach fueled by the belief that literacy is a basic human right. She supports instructional leaders in Baltimore by leading ELA professional learning experiences and coaching.

Prior to joining Leading Educators, Olivia spent the last decade as a kindergarten teacher, curriculum specialist, and instructional coach for New Orleans public schools. She also facilitates ELA and Leadership development centered on educational equity for UnboundEd. Her impact was most recently highlighted in supporting instructional initiatives that yielded Eisenhower Elementary's “highest gains” recognition for all open-enrollment charter schools in New Orleans.

Olivia holds a Bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education from Louisiana State University and is nearing completion of a Master’s in Educational Leadership from Xavier University in New Orleans. Olivia lives just outside of the city with her husband and toddler. She enjoys festivals, boating, and makeup artistry.

Alexandra Benjamin is a lifelong learner and passionate educator who believes in the urgent need for black and brown students to be educated in schools rooted in equity and excellence. She will be coaching NYC instructional leaders in best practices for literacy instruction through various coaching and professional development opportunities.

Before joining Leading Educators, Alexandra served as a school principal in New York City.

Alexandra holds a BA from Iona University in English Literature, MA from The College of Notre Dame in School Leadership, and MS from Fordham University in Literacy 5-12. Alexandra lives in New York City and enjoys spending time reading, exercising, and traveling.

Michelle is a lifelong teacher. She leads professional learning design, systems strategy, and coaching support for educators in Detroit.

Before joining Leading Educators, Michelle was the Vice Principal of Academics at the New Orleans Charter Science and Math High School, the same school where she learned that teaching is the best career in the world. She was previously a teacher educator at Southeastern Louisiana University and the Stanford Teacher Education Program (STEP). She began her career in education as a high school English and reading teacher in New Orleans.

Michelle holds a Ph.D. from Stanford University’s Graduate School of Education. Her graduate work focused on classroom observation and effective literacy practices in secondary ELA classrooms. She earned a B.A. from New College of Florida where she pursued a dual concentration in Literature and Hispanic Language and Literature.

Aneka Bruce is a passionate educational leader with the goal of providing equitable access to mathematics for all students through curriculum writing & professional development facilitation. In her role as the Director of Content for Mathematics, Aneka will support the curriculum development & math adoption in the Yakima School District.

Prior to joining Leading Educators, Aneka taught middle and high school level mathematics throughout her tenure in the NYC Department of Education in her hometown of Brooklyn, NY. She then transferred those skills outside of the classroom as a Math Intervention Manager, Instructional Coach, and Assistant Principal in middle and high schools in Southeast DC.

Aneka's passion for education also encompasses health & wellness. She is a graduate of Penn State University's Kinesiology, Movement Science Program B.S. and St. John University's Masters of Education in Secondary Mathematics Program. Blending both passions, Aneka is also a proud U.S. Army Soldier serving as an Army Medical Officer. She continuously strives to cultivate strong leaders and educators within both fields for hopes of a brighter future for America's youth. In her free time, Aneka enjoys exploring trails and hiking with her friends before indulging in a hearty brunch.

Ashley believes all students deserve access to equitable instruction. As a director of content, Ashley designs professional learning for Omaha ELA coaches and teachers and works alongside literacy leaders.

Ashley began her career as a 5th grade teacher in her hometown of Rockford, IL. She moved to pursue her graduate studies at Western Michigan University, where she served as a reading specialist in the university’s reading clinic and taught content area literacy upon graduation. Before joining Leading Educators, Ashley served as a Literacy Coach for two Chicago charter school campuses.

Ashley holds a M.A.Ed. in Literacy Studies from Western Michigan University and a B.S. in Elementary Education from Western Illinois University. Ashley lives in Chicago with her husband Daniel and her two sons Daniel Jr. and Dylan.

Marvin is a Director of Coaching and Content focusing on school leadership. He serves Michigan-area partners as a mentor, instructor, and coach.

Marvin has served in communities within New York City and Detroit as a school leader. Before joining Leading Educators, Marvin managed instructional programming, curriculum and assessments, teacher and leader coaching, strategic planning, and school level professional learning at Phalen Leadership Academies.

Marvin holds a B.A. in Political Science and Sociology from the University of Michigan. Additionally he holds a M.Ed in Elementary Education from DePaul University and M.A. in Education Leadership and Policy from the University of Michigan. He lives in Detroit, Michigan. In his free time, he enjoys spending time with his son, traveling, playing golf, reading, watching sports, and visiting museums.

LeAnita is a partner to school teams within Chicago Public Schools, who uses her experiences in and out of the classroom to support them in working toward educational equity. She works to build capacity and understanding of equitable instructional practices through design and facilitation of curriculum specific professional learning for teachers as well as through coaching of school leaders and teacher teams.

Before joining Leading Educators, LeAnita provided targeted, individualized coaching to new teachers in schools within the Academy for Urban School Leadership (AUSL) network of Chicago Public Schools. That role evolved into a Network Instructional Coach where she supported teachers, teacher leaders, and school leaders in deepening their understanding of standards aligned instruction through coaching support and professional development. Prior to her work at AUSL, LeAnita was a primary and intermediate classroom teacher with Atlanta Public Schools and later with the University of Chicago Charter School-Donoghue Campus.


LeAnita holds a B.S in Early Childhood Development from Northern Illinois University and a M.A.Ed in Instructional Leadership from Argosy University.

Sydney is an equity-driven educator who hopes to assist teachers in creating affirming, rigorous, and exciting learning experiences for students. She is an Instructional Leadership Coach based in New York and will thereby ensure that Leading Educators programming makes a meaningful impact on how instructional leaders influence teacher practice.

Before joining Leading Educators, Sydney worked with the Philips Brooks House Association, a university student- led nonprofit organization that provides academic support and recreational experiencers to underserved communities in Boston. After moving to New York, Sydney spent her professional time teaching ELA, developing curriculum, mentoring teachers, and fostering community throughout schools in Brooklyn.

Sydney holds a BA in Psychology from Harvard University and a Masters in Education from the Harvard Graduate School of Education. During her free time, Sydney enjoys spending time with her baby nephew, cooking, and discovering new music.

Michael is an Instructional Leadership Coach-ELA based in New York City, where he is responsible for coaching teachers and school leaders in the implementation of HMH's Into Reading curriculum.

Before joining Leading Educators, Michael began his career in education in Charlotte, North Carolina as a Teach for America corps member committed to providing an impactful, just, and joyful academic experience as a middle school history teacher. After years of service in Charlotte, North Carolina, Michael relocated to New York City, where he continued to make a difference in the lives of students in the Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brownsville, and Bushwick communities of Brooklyn, New York, as an ELA teacher and school leader- igniting his student’s personal passion and love of literacy. Michael has made a mark as a servant leader in the public school and public charter school sector, having served in various roles such as an Instructional Coach and mentor, Dean of Students, Academic Dean of Instruction, and Principal Fellow.

Michael holds a BA degree in Sociology from his beloved Alma Maters, Hampton University, and an M. Ed in Educational Leadership and Administration from The George Washington University. In his personal time, Michael enjoys traveling, music, working on voiceover projects, brunch, and spending time with family and friends.

Ana grew up in Lansing, Michigan as a first-generation, Argentinian, immigrant. Witnessing educational inequities during her own grade school experience, specifically around math education and high school attrition, was the catalyst for deciding to dedicate her life and career to educational equity.

Ana began her teaching career working in state prisons in Michigan providing GED instruction to those incarcerated. She then shifted to teaching in youth detention centers and teaching GED classes at community centers in Lansing. Ana moved to Indianapolis in 2010 and taught traditional middle and high school math for a few years before becoming the lead teacher and instructional coach at the Excel Center; a high school diploma program for students who had previously discontinued high school and are returning to earn their diplomas.

Ana has also served as a program coordinator in the Indianapolis community focusing on building more equitable education systems for families experiencing homelessness. She is currently a PhD candidate in Indiana University's Urban Education Studies program. Her research focus is investigating how systemic racism impacts math education, the construction of learner identities in math classrooms, and high school attrition. In my free time, Ana loves to paint, podcast, cook, spend time with friends and family, play with her 3-year-old son, and travel to Lake Michigan as often as possible.

Tori is a Director of Content with Leading Educators. She supports school leaders and teachers in the Chicago area by designing professional development focused on providing students with equitable standards-based math instruction.

Previously with Leading Educators, she coached instructional leaders across Chicago as an Instructional Leadership Coach. Before joining Leading Educators, Tori worked as an instructional coach with a charter school in Chicago. She has worked in education for over 26 years as a teacher, Lead Teacher, Assistant Director, Math Coordinator, and Instructional Coach.

Tori holds a B.A. in Early Childhood Education from Tufts University and a M.A. in School Leadership from Concordia University. She lives in a suburb of Chicago where she enjoys exploring the different neighborhoods of Chicago, reading, baking, and spending time with friends and family.

Reanna is an educator and facilitator. She works hard to develop strong professional development to support district leaders, coaches, and teachers in delivering high quality and equitable ELA instruction.

Before joining Leading Educators, Reanna partnered with districts across the country to implement strong ELA practices. She was a contributing author of the EL Education K-2 curriculum and taught in schools in several different states.

Reanna holds an M.A. from Columbia Teachers College. She currently lives in Charlotte, NC with her husband, daughter, and dog and enjoys spending time at festivals and fairs as often as possible.

Chae D’Ann Ray is a Director of Content and Coaching for Secondary Literacy with the Omaha partnership and is passionate about literacy, curriculum, and supporting teachers in providing excellent instruction in their classrooms.

Before joining Leading Educators, Chae served as a teacher, instructional coach, and Assistant Principal in Houston and Austin, TX. Chae is a National Board Certified Teacher and a 2019 Kinder Excellence in Teaching Award winner. Most recently she served as a Director of ELA Curriculum and Achievement, serving teachers and leaders in improving literacy outcomes for K-12 students at a high-performing charter network.

Chae holds an M.Ed. in Instructional Leadership from Sam Houston State University and a B.A. in English from University of Houston. Chae lives outside of Houston, TX with her husband and daughter. She loves making memories with her family, trying new restaurants, and traveling.

Alexa Rowek is a lifelong teacher and learner. She believes in the power of relationship building, and humor to move the needle not just at work, but as a friend and mom of two! She provides coaching support and professional learning design for educators in Detroit.

Before joining Leading Educators, Alexa was the Achievement Director of Special Education at KIPP New Jersey where she supported K-12 Principals and Assistant Principals through strategic planning, coaching, and professional development to implement strong special education programming. Prior to that at KIPP, Alexa was a Special Education math and ELA teacher as well as an Assistant Principal at TEAM Academy. She began her career in education as a high school Math and ELA teacher in New York City.

Alexa holds a M.Ed in Special Education from Pace University, and received a post-masters certification as a Learning Disabilities Teacher Consultant (LDT-C) from William Paterson University. She earned a B.A. from Dickinson College in Psychology and focused on studying the brain.

Jen is an educator who is especially passionate about early childhood education and teaching kids how to read and write. As a Director of Content and Coaching, she leads the design and facilitation of learning experiences focused on understanding the science behind how brains learn to read and how to apply this knowledge. She also coaches educators around their planning and practice to ensure that all students receive high quality literacy instruction and become strong readers, and supports school teams to work toward systemic change..

Jen holds a B.S. in Child Development and an M.A. in Teaching and Curriculum, both from Michigan State University. Before joining Leading Educators, she was a classroom teacher for 10 years in Godwin Heights Public Schools and worked as a coach for a non-profit focused on supporting school transformation. She is honored to be able to serve the students and educators in the districts that she both attended and taught in.

Jen lives in Grand Rapids, MI with her teenage twins. She loves traveling, baking, surfing, going to concerts and comedy shows, spending time outside, and cooking.

Ikecia is one of the Directors of Content and Coaching on our Charleston project. She loves coaching others professionally and personally because coaching has helped her find her niche in life and she would like to pay it forward.

Before joining Leading Educators, Ikecia served as Director of Math for Compass Community Schools in Memphis, TN. She also served as a professional development advisor for Shelby County Schools as well as a classroom teacher for Shelby County Schools in Memphis, TN..

Ikecia holds a Bachelor’s in Middle Grades Education: Math and Science from UT Chattanooga, a Masters’ in Curriculum and Instruction from University of Phoenix, and a leadership endorsement from Christian Brothers University. She lives in Huntsville, AL where she enjoys experiencing life with her husband, provides mentorship to high school senior girls through the AUM Foundation, and going for rides on her Peloton.

Kate is a career educator who believes that learning is a lifelong process, and that we, in education, have a responsibility to continuously develop more equitable systems, conditions, experiences, and opportunities both for children and adults alike. Kate is passionate about continuous improvement, coaching, community-based programing, bilingual education, and curriculum development.

Before joining Leading Educators, Kate served for 16 years as a classroom teacher, instructional coach, curriculum designer, and in various school leadership roles in the NYC and Atlanta communities. Recently, as a Director of Curriculum and Instruction and Assistant Principal at a school in south Atlanta, she enjoyed the opportunity to combine her passions for coaching and curriculum development in order to connect, empathize, and build relationships with teachers, school leaders, and external stakeholders.

Kate earned her doctorate in Leadership and Learning in Organizations from Vanderbilt University. Her research focused on examining how community-based organizations that utilize multi-stakeholder models can impact local education in rural communities. Kate also holds an MA from Columbia University Teachers College in Bilingual, Bicultural Education and a bachelor’s degree from George Washington University in D.C.

When not at work, Kate is an avid nonfiction reader, she enjoys singing and making music with her friends and siblings, as well as spending time volunteering during local elections, hiking, swimming, going to the movies, and enjoying time with her niece, friends, and family.

George is a Director of Content - Math who designs professional learning experiences for instructional leaders in Los Angeles as they begin implementation of the Illustrative Math curriculum.

Prior to joining the LE staff, he worked at Teach for America training and supporting instructional coaches and corps members. During his 12 years in the classroom, he spent the majority of his time teaching 3rd and 4th grade, and he spent multiple years as a Director of Curriculum and Instruction supporting grades 3-8. LE has a special place in his heart, as he was also a member of LE’s 2012 Cohort.

George has a Masters in Elementary Education and BS in Psychology from Indiana University. He lives in New Orleans and is active in multiple Stonewall Sports leagues. He enjoys playing video games and walking his dog, Rex, on the bayou.

Dr. Brittany Whitby is an educational leader who is passionate about improving educational outcomes for all students. She designs and facilitates math-centered professional learning to support teachers and school leaders across Detroit.

Before joining Leading Educators, Brittany served as the Director of Mathematics for an ECE-8 charter school in Washington, D.C., where she designed effective math programming,
coaching, and support for teachers and leaders. Throughout her career, Brittany has served as a teacher, school leader, and coach across charter and public schools.

Brittany holds an Ed.D in Leadership and Learning in Organizations from Vanderbilt University. Her capstone focused on creating meaningful leadership support for Black educators who aspire to school leadership in urban communities. She also holds an M.Ed in Elementary Education from Johns Hopkins University and a B.A. in Psychology from Hampton University. Brittany loves solo travel and running in her free time.

Britney creates research-based content for direct-to-teacher workshops, and teacher-led PLCs for more equitable, rigorous math instruction for high school math.

Prior to joining Leading Educators, Britney was a dedicated teacher turned school leader. Beginning her career as a high school math teacher in Fairfax County Public Schools, Britney enjoyed seeing the growth in both student success and student mindset. After 5 years, Britney became a founding teacher at Washington Leadership Academy, a Tier 1 public charter school in Washington, DC.

At WLA, Britney grew from founding math teacher to math instructional coach and assistant principal helping the school achieve its Tier 1 status through her development of the math program. Britney enjoys designing and facilitating professional developments and has partnered with organizations across the country to help educators achieve success in their classrooms. Britney enjoys vinyl crafting using her Silhouette Cameo machine and all things Virginia Tech! Go Hokies!

Heather is a literacy leader who believes that all children can learn to read if they have access to evidence-based literacy approaches. She supports the implementation of our Baltimore partnership.

Before joining Leading Educators, Heather spent over fifteen years as a classroom teacher, literacy instructional coach, and systems level leader in the DC area. While working at DC Public Schools, she served as an inaugural member of the LEAP team, working alongside LE partners to implement this groundbreaking initiative. In this role, she designed districtwide literacy professional development experiences, as well as provided leadership coaching to school-based instructional leaders. Most recently, she served as the Senior Manager of Literacy Professional Development Design at Amplify.

Heather earned her doctorate in Educational Policy & Leadership, with a concentration on Early Literacy Intervention, from American University. Her dissertation focused on centering the experiences of BIPOC school principals as they strategically implemented programing to align to Reading Science. She holds an M.Ed. from Boston University and a bachelor’s degree from James Madison University. Heather also serves on the board of The Reading League’s DC Chapter. She enjoys spending time with her husband, a career Special Educator, her son James, and their new puppy.

Rebecca is an Instructional Leadership Coach for Math working with the Houston partnership. She is an experienced educator beginning her 25th year serving students and families in public education in the greater Houston area. Rebecca has worked in different capacities within a variety of public education settings. Her experience includes teaching at both the elementary and middle school level, working as an instructional specialist and instructional coach and serving as a Dean and Assistant Principal in a high performing charter network.

As a first-generation college student herself, Rebecca is aware of the challenges students face when the path to college is not smoothly paved. Rebecca’s beliefs are centered around the philosophy that all students deserve a quality education and highly effective teachers make the most important impact on student learning.

When she is not working, Rebecca enjoys spending time with her teenage and young adult children and her husband. Family activities include playing sports, exercising, and shopping. She also enjoys reading and crocheting when time allows.

Regina is an instructional leadership coach who supports ELA coaches and PLC leaders at Charleston County Public Schools.

Regina joined Leading Educators from Shelby County Schools. She has been an educator for 15 years, serving as a teacher leader for the majority of her career. Throughout her career, Regina has supported colleagues become effective teachers that implement best practices and data-driven instruction.

She holds a B.S. in Education, a Master’s of Education in Reading Curriculum and Instruction, and a Master’s of Science in Human Resource Management.

Andrea "Fitz" Fitzgerald is an Instructional Leadership Coach for math in Charleston. She has been in education for 13 years and most recently served as the math lead with Instruction Partners where she worked with Memphis charter schools and networks. Fitz is also the author of the "Rookie's Playbook: A New Teacher's Practical Playbook to Thriving in the First Year's of Teaching". Prior to doing both ventures, she was a high school math advisor and math teacher at Shelby County Schools.

Fitz worked in the NBA for several years and entered the educational field thinking that it would just be "teaching math" but quickly learned that this work is truly about seeing students believe in themselves. Fitz earned a B.S. in Computer Information Systems from Carson-Newman College, a M.S. in Sports Management from Slippery Rock, and a M.A. from Cambridge College.

Rashay is a Director of Content and Coaching and the ELA lead for our work with the Transformation Schools in Charleston. Rashay has years of coaching and design experience, most recently with TNTP, where she led multiple HQIM implementation projects across various states.

Before joining Leading Educators, Rashay supported the creation and implementation of a statewide coaching model strategy for the state of Kentucky, coached and supported facilitation for instructional coaches in St. Louis around high-quality instructional materials, supported facilitation around Learning Acceleration for district leaders in Iowa, and created a strategy around supporting black educators who are a part of the Black Educator Excellence Cohort during her time at TNTP. She has also supported the teacher preparation program through both a coaching lens and through a recruitment and retention lens. Before joining the education consultant world, she was a founding Kindergarten teacher at KIPP Indy Unite. She founded a new grade for five consecutive years and looped up with her students.

Rashay has a Bachelor’s in Early Childhood Education from The Ohio State University and an MA in Teaching from Marian University. She also completed Marian University’s Building Level Administrator program. In her free time, Rashay enjoys traveling and spending time with her family, planning themed events, going to concerts and movies, cheering on THE Buckeyes, and bringing the sunshine with her wherever she goes.

Shondele Gillens Vazquez, is a dancer, a lifelong learner, and educator committed to developing teacher leaders into effective advocates for scholars whose voices are silenced by trauma and inequitable practices. As an educator for eight years, an instructional coach on Chicago’s South and West Side for another eight and now transitioning to Instructional Leader, Shondele works daily to look beyond numbers into tangible practices that give scholars access and voices.

She enjoys creating spaces where educators share experiences and problems of practice in an effort to learn from one another and develop collegial relationships. She is rooted in the belief that teachers with an awareness of strengths and influence have a special set of leadership skills necessary to influence and support educational efforts to promote equity and advocacy for children of color.

Shondele is driven by her strong desire to be an advocate for students whose voices are not recognized as appropriately powerful. She is excited to be a part of a team that believes all kids deserve to be heard while being committed to the “dance” that empowers and liberates teachers to be leaders in this necessary work.

Ginny is an Instructional Leadership Coach partnering with schools within the LAUSD local districts to effectively implement their Math curriculum and give more equitable instruction for all their students.

Before joining Leading Educators, Ginny worked as the Special Education Manager for KIPP SoCal, supporting teachers to provide inclusive, strengths-based instruction for students in both general and special education settings. She started her career as a teacher at the University of Chicago Charter School serving students with various learning needs. She then worked as an Instructional Coach for the Academy of Urban School Leadership coaching and providing professional learning to teachers within the Chicago Public School district.

Ginny holds a Masters Degree in Childhood and Special Education from New York University. She currently lives in Long Beach, CA where she and her husband share their love of travel, sports, and food with their 2 daughters.

Morgan Qin is an Instructional Leadership Coach – Math for the Chicago team.

Over the last few years, Morgan worked as an Implementation Support Specialist for Great Minds, facilitating coaching conversations with teachers in their instruction of the Common Core math standards through Eureka math. Before working for Great Minds, Morgan was a third-grade teacher within Chicago Public Schools in the AUSL network.

Morgan currently lives in Chicago with her husband, Simon, and their dog, Roscoe. She enjoys reading, watching Liverpool soccer games, and spending time with friends and family.

Rebecca enjoys working with complex teams to help improve the delivery of programs and strategies. As the Associate Director for our partnership with Charleston County School District, she supports implementation of curriculum-based professional learning and teacher leadership development.

Prior to joining Leading Educators, Rebecca worked at a large community foundation supporting grantmaking across the Chicago region and an environmental organization leading coalitions of nonprofits, businesses, and governmental entities to protect natural resources. Rebecca taught reading in Ghana for a semester as a volunteer and has also volunteered as a running coach and an adult literacy tutor. She is currently an associate board member of a workforce development organization.

Rebecca holds a Masters of Public Service Management from DePaul University and a B.S. in geology. She lives in Chicago and enjoys biking in and out of the city and travels abroad to hike, scuba dive, and eat new foods.

Danielle Parker is the Program Manager for Chicago-based partnerships. She joined Leading Educators as a recent classroom teacher after navigating in-person and virtual instruction during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Danielle taught in Kansas City, MO and Chicago for five years. In her free time, she enjoys listening to comedy shows, reading a good book, or spending time outdoors.

Sabrina Ware is a dedicated students services and higher education professional with a passion for education and student success. She believes in creating meaningful experiences for students both inside and outside of the classroom by creating educational, multi-cultural, diverse and inclusive, social justice programming.

With a decade of event production experience, Sabrina has an extensive background in providing both in-person and virtual events with logistical support. In any work setting, Sabrina works to build and maintain relationships through collaboration with those around her, providing support to ensure the success of programs, and most importantly, our students.

Kristina Rubio is passionate about creating spaces of belonging for students on every academic campus and serving the greater good in her communities. Blending her passion for education and connecting members of the community, she is responsible for programming, logistics, and data management for the Leading Educators team in Los Angeles and Cincinnati.

Previously, Kristina served the San Gabriel Valley of Los Angeles on behalf of the American Cancer Society via Relay for Life events where she empowered volunteers to engage with their communities to continue the fight against cancer. Additionally, she led the planning and execution of special events for the Stamp Student Union at the University of Maryland, College Park.

Kristina holds a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from the University of Tennessee and a Masters of Education in College Student Personnel Administration from James Madison University. She currently resides in Los Angeles where she can typically be found working on her yoga practice, trying to find the best breakfast burrito around, and planning which part of the world to explore next.

Kenneth is a project manager & marketer who understands the power of collaboration & advocates for teamwork. Before joining Leading Educators, Kenneth worked in the sports and entertainment field where he led the Reebok basketball influencer marketing team & worked with a number of athletes, agents, and entertainers.

Kenneth is a New York City native, proud Morehouse College alumnus, and also completed his Master’s degree in Sports Product Management at the University of Oregon in 2018. He currently lives in Atlanta, Georgia and enjoys reading, health & fitness, traveling, & trying new restaurants.

Kenneth is very excited to pivot into the education field, and has always been a huge supporter of transformative education. He is looking forward to creating engaging & enriching learning experiences for students. Joining Leading Educators perfectly aligns with his passion for uplifting the next generation of thinkers, creators, and leaders.

Kemi is a devoted and enthusiastic advocate dedicated to making a difference in education. She is the Associate Director of Networks and is excited to work in expanding and improving system-level conditions for professional development, teaching, and learning.

Before joining Leading Educators, Kemi served as an administrative professional in postsecondary institutions for over 8 years, managing programs, advising students, and collaborating with cross-functional departments to examine metrics and develop plans for accomplishing institutional initiatives. She is enthusiastic about leveraging her experience and skills to create a meaningful impact in primary and secondary education.

Kemi holds an MA in Higher Education Administration from Southern New Hampshire University. In her free time she cohosts a podcast entitled “Your Advisors Will See You Now” which serves as a resource to aid families and students in career and college readiness.

Tameka is an educator and instructional leader who is passionate about empowering teachers to explore innovative teaching methods and foster innovation in the classroom that is tailored to meet the diverse needs of all scholars. She serves as the Director of Content and Coaching with the Charleston partnership.

Before joining Leading Educators, Tameka served as a district Professional Learning Coach/Advisor and Instructional Support Advisor at Memphis Shelby County Schools (MSCS). Throughout her 15+ year career in education, Tameka has served in multiple capacities within MSCS as an educator, master teacher, new teacher mentor/coach, Professional Learning Community (PLC) Coach, district Professional Learning Coach/Advisor - literacy (6-12), 9th Grade Academy Principal, assistant principal, and district Instructional Support Advisor – literacy (K-12) supporting both traditional and alternative schools in her hometown Memphis, TN. As a district Advisor, she served as an ELA content expert and provided K-12 literacy instructional coaching support, curriculum implementation, and professional learning to district leaders, school leaders, teacher leaders, and teachers improving literacy outcomes for K-12 scholars.

Tameka holds a B.S. in Education from the University of Memphis and a M.Ed. in Educational Leadership from Grand Canyon University with an endorsement in Administrator Prek-12. Tameka lives in Cordova, TN with her husband and children. She loves traveling, making memories with loved ones, and encouraging others to live life to the fullest.

Bekki Sarradet is an educator and organizational learning strategist. As the Senior Director of Network Support, Bekki leads the knowledge management and organizational learning initiatives at Leading Educators.

Bekki started her career in education as a classroom teacher in Colorado Springs, Colorado before moving into instructional coaching and consulting roles with various national organizations. Bekki spent over a decade at TNTP where she served in multiple roles including Training and Resource Manager, Site Advisor, Director of Strategy and Operations, and Director of Academics. Most recently, Bekki worked as the Executive Director of Professional Learning at NIET.

Bekki holds a MAT, Integrated Natural Sciences from Colorado College and a BA in Sociology from the University of Northern Colorado. She lives in Mandeville, Louisiana with her husband and daughter. Outside of work, Bekki enjoys camping, riding bikes along Mandeville’s lakefront, attending concerts, and hosting get-togethers for her friends and family.

Dr. Kendra Thurmond is an educator who enjoys transforming mindsets around how math is taught and learned. She supports internal development of Leading Educators programmatic staff to increase students' opportunities to thrive.

Before joining Leading Educators, Dr. Kendra acquired 16 years of teaching and district leadership experience before transitioning to the edTech world via DreamBox Learning.

Dr. Kendra holds an Ed.D. of Professional Leadership in Mathematics Education from the University of Houston. She currently resides in the Houston metroplex with her husband, son, and two fur babies. Dr. Kendra enjoys spending time with her immediate family, going to the movies, and socializing with friends.

Nick is a human catalyst. He is passionate about empowering teachers and supporting them to lead the charge in educational equity. He coaches teacher leaders and district coaches as a Director of Content and Coaching on the Tulsa Project

Previously, Nick coached 1st and 2nd year elementary teachers as a Manager of Teacher Leadership Development at Teach For America Greater Tulsa. His passion for supporting teachers came from his experience teaching 2nd grade in Tulsa Public Schools, coaching teachers at Summer Institutes, and facilitating content sessions for multiple grade levels.

Nick holds a Master’s Degree in Education Administration: Curriculum and Supervision from Oklahoma University-Tulsa. He also holds a BFA in Theater and a minor in Broadcast Journalism from Southern Methodist University. He lives in Tulsa, Oklahoma, with his fiance and their lovable cats Harvey and Oscar. If you’re in Tulsa you can likely find Nick performing in local productions, enjoying the food or a beverage in Tulsa, Crossfitting, or enjoying a nice cup of freshly brewed coffee.

Cristle is a Director of Content and Coaching in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Before joining Leading Educators, Cristle worked as a Lead ELA and Social Studies Middle School Teacher at school in a rural community in Scott, Arkansas. Her very first lead teaching experience was at Celia Clinton Elementary School in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Throughout her career as a teacher she has had the opportunity to develop and facilitate professional development for staff members and administration.

Cristle holds BA. in Studio Art with a Minor in Marketing from Florida State University, and a M.Ed from Arkansas State University. Cristle is a Florida girl through and through and nothing excites her more than a trip to the beach. During her free time you can find her creating in an array of mediums or just spending time in nature.

Rebecca believes school systems deserve access to strong evidence and useful data about what will serve their students and communities, and that those most impacted by initiatives to improve teaching and learning should play an active role in research about their impact. She leads the design of the overall evaluation strategy, collaboration with external researchers, and qualitative and text analysis for impact studies.

Over the past nine years, Rebecca has worked to increase the rigor and usefulness of data at Leading Educators, by building internal capacity to complete regular research studies using quasi-experimental methods, engaging students, teachers. and leaders in action research and qualitative research designs, and leading the team to develop and implement tools for measurement and data storytelling.

Rebecca holds an M.A. in Anthropology from Tulane University and a B.A. in Anthropology from the University of California, Berkeley.

Tim is a proud data nerd with a passion for making evidence accessible to all stakeholders. He supports network teams to adapt our national evaluation strategy to their local contexts and unique partnership needs. He also designs tools for evaluating the school- and system-level conditions that enable effective teacher professional learning.

Before joining Leading Educators, Tim served as Project Director for a three-year, collaborative grant focused on bullying prevention and school climate improvement. Prior to that, he spent nearly a decade conducting research and evaluation within the education and mental health fields.

Tim holds a B.A. in Psychology from Northwestern University and later earned his Ph.D. in Community and Prevention Research from the University of Illinois at Chicago. He is a former Fellow with the Strategic Data Project at the Center for Education Policy Research at Harvard University.

Ariana is a research analyst who strongly believes in the power of education as an instrument for liberation and happiness. She leads the student impact analysis and data storytelling of impact across regions.

Before joining Leading Educators, Ariana worked as a Pre-K-6 Spanish teacher and was an advocate and volunteer at her childrens’ schools. She also worked as a research assistant on rural development and poverty issues at the Venezuelan Institute for Scientific Research.

Ariana holds an M.S. in Government Analytics from Johns Hopkins University and a B.A. in Economics from the Andrés Bello Catholic University. She lives in Rockville and spends her free time enjoying the company of her three children, husband, and dog.

Cassandra is a researcher and analyst who enjoys using data to solve problems. She leads projects that build staff and partner capacity to discuss evaluation, analyze data, identify key learnings, and share valuable insights.

Before joining Leading Educators, Cassandra worked as an analyst at TNTP supporting educational organizations across the country with understanding their data and making it actionable.

Cassandra holds a Ph.D. in Experimental Psychology from the University of Oklahoma. She resides in St. Louis, MO, where she spends her free time on her favorite hobbies – photography and sewing.

Alexandra is a problem solver and systems builder who is inspired by what’s possible when smart people come together to solve complex problems. She leads internal projects.

As a student, Alexandra found belonging through theater. After college she became a theater teaching artist to cultivate environments where all students could find community and share their stories. Struck by the disparity in access to arts programs that she saw, Alexandra was driven to ensure all students have access to the resources they need to thrive. She is excited to support Leading Educators’ staff as they partner with schools across the nation.

Previously, Alexandra was a member of the LEAP D.C. team as a Program Coordinator at Leading Educators. Alexandra holds a degree from Mount Holyoke College. She lives in Washington, D.C.

Carlton Nichols, a results-driven HR leader with over 13 years of multifaceted experience, brings a strategic focus to the People and Talent team at Leading Educators. He believes in creating inclusive, efficient, and engaging talent systems that drive organizational impact and employee growth.

Carlton’s extensive background spans critical HR functions, including talent acquisition, operations, workforce planning, employee relations, and compensation. In his previous role as a Managing Director of Talent Technology at Teach for America, he increased HR system adoption through comprehensive training and implemented agile frameworks to improve project delivery and workflows. His efforts in a previous role as a Talent Acquisition Manager saved the company six figures by bringing executive search processes in-house and increased diversity through strategic sourcing initiatives.

Earlier in his career, Carlton demonstrated his operational and strategic expertise in roles such as Director of People & Operations, where he provided strategic consultation on department redesigns, introduced competency and career pathways frameworks, managed budgets, and handled complex employee relations cases. Before the start of his HR career he led program delivery teams that aligned organizational initiatives with school improvement strategies, empowering teams to drive student and teacher success.

An Eagle Scout and a champion of equity, Carlton is committed to dismantling barriers and building pathways for everyone to succeed. His innovative and people-centered approach to HR ensures alignment between organizational goals and the growth of every team member, creating lasting positive impact.

Saya is a people person who loves to support others to make the change they want to see. She leads internal goal setting, cross-functional collaboration, and healthy organizational growth as the Managing Director of Organizational Effectiveness.

Previously, Saya led COVID-19 preparedness, internal communications and emergency response, manager development, and internal culture initiatives as the Director of People and Culture. Before that, Saya worked on the LEAP project with DC Public Schools, also overseeing operations and event management of LE national and DC’s LEAP summer training conferences.

Before joining LE, Saya served in various roles at Teach for America for eleven years, including Managing Director of Talent, Strategy and Operations for the South Carolina region, Director of Operations Training, Director of Institute Operations for the Philadelphia Summer Institute, and Operations Coordinator. She also worked as an English teacher at a junior high school in Hitachiomiya, Japan.

Saya graduated from Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas, with a degree in International Studies and Spanish. She is certified in Mental Health First Aid and is working toward Diversity Coach Certification through the Coach Diversity Institute. Saya also supports Lead4Liberation as a BIPOC Advisory Council Member and facilitator. She grew up in Charleston, South Carolina, and currently lives in Washington, DC.

In her free time, Saya enjoys running and cycling and is an avid sports fan. She is also a dog mom to Clipper, a baker of vegan desserts, and an adoring aunt to four amazing nephews.

Rich is a Certified Public Accountant with more than 30 years’ experience managing, auditing and providing accounting and Controller services to non-profits across the United States. As Controller for Leading Educators, Rich will apply his extensive knowledge to generate new ideas and focus on the best solutions for LE. Although Rich is very detail oriented, he can also see the “big picture” providing advice and recommendations on a variety of accounting issues.

Before joining Leading Educators, Rich was employed by Your Part Time Controller, LLC, providing outsourced Controller and CFO services to a variety of non-profit clients.

Rich holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Shippensburg University with concentrations in Accounting and Business Information Systems.

Rich is passionate about animal rescue, serving as Treasurer of the Better Days Animal League, a no-kill animal rescue that has saved and found loving homes for more than 5,000 companion animals since its inception. Rich also enjoys reading, hiking and working out.

Yaa is a finance professional with an affinity for mission oriented work. She works with the finance team focused on financial reporting, receivables and all other areas that facilitate the smooth functioning of the financial team. Before joining Leading Educators, Yaa has served as Director of a school and supported the financial operations of non-profit organizations.

Yaa holds a J.D and an MBA (finance) from Howard University and a B.S. in Industrial Engineering from Morgans State University.

Yaa loves to be in the outdoors learning, hiking and preserving the environment. She is a novice gardener and enjoys traveling near and far to new and favorite places.

Ty works in technology and operations developing onboarding, systems and technology training, and supporting virtual staff. She manages technology and office vendor relationships across all LE cities and leads strategic processes to meet new and emerging partnership needs with technology innovations.

Before joining Leading Educators, Ty worked with undergraduate and graduate students as a tutor in the Writing Resource Center at Xavier University of Louisiana.

Ty received her B.A. in English from Xavier University of Louisiana in New Orleans, and attended public, private, and charter schools throughout Orleans Parish. As a poet and New Orleans native, her primary influences have been jazz, superstition, and local colloquialisms. Ty now lives in the Lower 9th Ward with her labradors, Parish and DeLille, and takes some promising amateur photographs.

Mimi supports hiring, internal communications, team logistics, team data, and the overall effectiveness of the People Team.

Mimi first joined Leading Educators as an undergraduate intern with the Data and Evaluation team. After graduating, she transitioned to being a part-time People coordinator and temporary executive support coordinator. She did not anticipate starting her career off in the education field but was motivated to learn more about education equity after joining LE.

Mimi graduated with a BA in Applied Psychology at the University of Illinois at Chicago. She was raised in Chicago, where she still resides. She enjoys spending time outdoors with her dog and trying new baking recipes.