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.

Karolyn Belcher serves as President of Leading Educators, where she leads execution across the organization’s programs, growth strategy, and operations to strengthen coherence, scale, and impact.

Drawing on more than three decades of experience as a teacher, principal, school system leader, and advisor, she works to build the conditions for systems to continuously improve—aligning resources, strengthening teaching at scale, and supporting educators to meet the evolving needs of students. She previously served as the organization's first Chief Growth Officer.

Before joining Leading Educators, Karolyn served as interim superintendent at Achievement First, a nationally recognized charter network of over forty schools in Connecticut, New York, and Rhode Island, and chief academic officer at Charleston County School District (CCSD). While at CCSD, she initiated systemic investments that positioned students to post significant gains on NAEP between 2019 and 2024 despite pandemic disruptions. Before that, she was the president of TNTP, guiding the organization through a period of remarkable growth that expanded its reach sixfold.

She also served as interim chief talent officer for the Alliance College-Ready Public Schools network in Los Angeles and founded the John A. Reisenbach Charter School in Harlem, N.Y. Karolyn earned her degrees from Mount Holyoke College and Teachers College at Columbia University.

Albert is a father, partner, and lifelong Lakers fan. He champions Leading Educators’ efforts to cultivate the design, research, and delivery capabilities to enable future-ready teaching and learning as Chief Innovation Officer.

Previously, as the Managing Director of Innovation, he led nationally recognized work to launch the first-of-its-kind School Teams AI Collaborative and develop the Value Add of Technology on Teaching (VATT) framework. Before Leading Educators, Albert served as the program director for The Broad Residency, where he was responsible for the strategy, design, and execution of learning experiences for K-12 leaders. He was also the 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 the Los Angeles Unified School District.

Dr. LaKimbre Brown is a dedicated educational leader with 25 years of experience in education. As the Chief of Program, she leads Leading Educators' national implementation teams, setting and executing the organization's programmatic strategy to ensure high-quality programming and coaching for partners that drive instructional gains for teachers and students.

Dr. Brown has established herself as a key organizational leader. Prior to her role at Leading Educators, she served as Chief of Schools and Instructional Superintendent, principal and teacher. She has successfully increased the number of students graduating with an Associate's degree by 54% and identified high-yield teaching and data analysis strategies that moved a district's Gap Closing component on state report cards from F to B.

Before joining Leading Educators, Dr. Brown established herself as a National Board Certified Teacher and Coach, as well as a two-time Fulbright Scholar who traveled to Japan and Brazil to study the organization of their educational systems.

Dr. Brown holds a Doctor of Education degree and Early Adolescent Mathematics National Board Certification. When not working, she is an avid cyclist who has taken multiple cross-state biking adventures up and down the east and west coasts. She also loves building Lego sets and the creativity that comes during the construction process. Dr. Brown is a skilled leader who brings out the best in those with whom she works. She loves talking about the art of both teaching and leading.

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 educational access on individuals, families, and generations. She believes that all students deserve access to high quality education to build the lives they desire. Having dedicated her career to instructional excellence, 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.

Katie Murphy is a dedicated education strategist and proud mom of three boys. As the Managing Director of Strategy on the Leadership Team, she ensures progress toward annual goals aligned to the strategic plan, coordinates leadership team decision-making, and acts as the primary liaison between the COE and board. Katie also manages Internal Communications and oversees special projects and cross-functional initiatives that may fall outside individual departments.

In her first 6 years at Leading Educators, Katie served as the Managing Director of Networks, supporting teams in Louisiana, Atlanta, Los Angeles, and Chicago. She also successfully launched the System Advising and the Science teams, helping expand the organization's impact.

Katie holds a bachelor's degree and an MBA. When not working, she enjoys reading, supporting her kids' many activities, and swimming.

Karolyn Belcher serves as President of Leading Educators, where she leads execution across the organization’s programs, growth strategy, and operations to strengthen coherence, scale, and impact.

Drawing on more than three decades of experience as a teacher, principal, school system leader, and advisor, she works to build the conditions for systems to continuously improve—aligning resources, strengthening teaching at scale, and supporting educators to meet the evolving needs of students. She previously served as the organization's first Chief Growth Officer.

Before joining Leading Educators, Karolyn served as interim superintendent at Achievement First, a nationally recognized charter network of over forty schools in Connecticut, New York, and Rhode Island, and chief academic officer at Charleston County School District (CCSD). While at CCSD, she initiated systemic investments that positioned students to post significant gains on NAEP between 2019 and 2024 despite pandemic disruptions. Before that, she was the president of TNTP, guiding the organization through a period of remarkable growth that expanded its reach sixfold.

She also served as interim chief talent officer for the Alliance College-Ready Public Schools network in Los Angeles and founded the John A. Reisenbach Charter School in Harlem, N.Y. Karolyn earned her degrees from Mount Holyoke College and Teachers College at Columbia University.

Sarah Ledon serves as Senior Vice President of Partnerships, bringing over two decades of experience in advancing educational opportunity and improving instructional leadership at scale.

Sarah began her career as a classroom teacher in both general and special education before moving into roles as an instructional coach and school leader. Most recently, she served as Managing Partner and Interim Vice President at TNTP, where she led regional strategy for the West and Midwest and grew impact. Her work focused on building inclusive team cultures, driving impact through strategic planning, and strengthening partnerships with districts and systems.

Previously, Sarah served as Executive Director at Achievement Network (ANet) and contributed nationally through roles with UnBoundEd, Teaching Lab, Khan Academy, Student Achievement Partners, and EdReports. She holds degrees in Elementary and Special Education, Curriculum & Instruction: Literacy, and Educational Leadership.

Sarah lives in Livermore, California with her spouse, children and dogs.

Maxine Webb leads strategic efforts to secure philanthropic investment in promising innovations with the potential to improve teaching and learning at scale. She previously served at Managing Director of Development, joining Leading Educators in 2022.

Before joining Leading Educators, Maxine served as Director of Development & Strategic Operations at the ACLU of Wisconsin and has more than 15 years of experience leading fundraising programs. She holds a BA from the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee and lives in Whitefish Bay, WI with her two children.

Michael Freeland Jr. is a mission-driven education leader who has spent his career helping schools unlock excellence for every student. As Managing Director of National Program Growth and Impact at Leading Educators, he leads national partnerships that expand access to high-quality instructional materials and professional learning for educators across the country. In this role, Michael helps districts and funders align around bold visions for student learning and ensures program teams deliver with excellence.

Over the past six years at Leading Educators, Michael has worn many hats—Senior Director of Networks, Program Director, and Instructional Leadership Coach—while spearheading the organization’s expansion across regions. He has built and deepened partnerships with major districts and state networks, aligned cross-functional teams to ambitious goals, and supported large-scale curriculum adoptions in math and literacy. Under his leadership, the Charleston County School District partnership achieved the highest math and ELA growth among the nation’s largest districts—a testament to his ability to scale impact while maintaining a sharp focus on results for students.

Michael holds an M.S. in Education (Learning Design & Technology) from Purdue University and a B.B.A. in Marketing from Morehouse College, where he graduated Cum Laude. Beyond his role at Leading Educators, he serves as Board Chair for DeKalb Brilliance Academy and has organized HBCU college tours to expand opportunities for students in his community.

When he’s not working, you’ll find him enjoying family time and pouring into the next generation. Michael is guided by a simple but powerful belief: every student deserves the opportunity to make choices about their future.

Adan Garcia is a communications and public policy strategist with more than a decade of experience in education improvement. As Senior Director of Communications, he leads efforts to spread promising insights about driving system-wide impact, inspire collective action across the sector, and grow the mission through thought leadership, publishing, engagement efforts, and cross-sector coalitions.

Over the past 10 years at Leading Educators, Adan has shaped several new communications roles, contributing to significant thought leadership efforts, including Open Up Opportunity, the Value Add of Teaching on Technology Framework (VATT), and Scaling What Works. Adan has helped platform Leading Educators' work in significant education forums, including the ASU+GSV Summit, SXSW EDU, ISTELive + ASCD, and the Learning Forward Conference, while securing coverage in Education Week, Forbes, The74, The Learning Professional, and ASCD. 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 the Rawlings Undergraduate Leadership Fellows programs at the University of Maryland.

Adan holds an MPP 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 enjoys the performing arts, travel, and volunteers as an advisory board member for NMKidsCAN.

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.

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.

Brielle Brewick is an experienced education leader committed to high standards and access for all students. As the Director of Account Management on the Partnerships team, she is responsible for the renewal and expansion strategy across Leading Educators' west, mid-west, and science of reading portfolios.

Over 8.5 years at Leading Educators, Brielle has served as National Program Delivery Manager and Associate Director of Networks for a variety of district partnerships. She has successfully managed large-scale events for teachers and the successful renewal of projects year over year.

Prior to serving as the Director of Account Management, Brielle supported the design and implemented on-the-ground strategy for program launch and implementation across regional engagements in Grand Rapids, Baltimore and Oakland, and managed the Leading Educators Institute. Before coming to Leading Educators, Brielle supported teacher professional learning initiatives at the Partnership for Los Angeles Schools and was an elementary school teacher in the Bronx.

Brielle holds a master's in childhood special education from Hunter College and a Bachelor's in Sociology from Fordham University. When not working, she loves to read, hike, and spend time outdoors with her husband, kids and dog.

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.

Albert is a father, partner, and lifelong Lakers fan. He champions Leading Educators’ efforts to cultivate the design, research, and delivery capabilities to enable future-ready teaching and learning as Chief Innovation Officer.

Previously, as the Managing Director of Innovation, he led nationally recognized work to launch the first-of-its-kind School Teams AI Collaborative and develop the Value Add of Technology on Teaching (VATT) framework. Before Leading Educators, Albert served as the program director for The Broad Residency, where he was responsible for the strategy, design, and execution of learning experiences for K-12 leaders. He was also the 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 the Los Angeles Unified School District.

Louisa is a thought leader in the EdTech field, with a passion for game-based learning and playful pedagogies. She works to promote deeper learning through designing inclusive, playful experiences, developing creative ways to assess learning, and building capacity in other organizations to implement innovative digital learning and curriculum in their own contexts. She is a co-author of the book Resonant Games and teaches EdTech design at the Harvard School of Education. She spent over a decade doing research on digital games and creative learning at MIT and was the Director of Learning Design at Kahoot! before joining Leading Educators.

Emily Schriber is the Managing Director of AI Strategy at Leading Educators, where she leads the design and scaling of new models that integrate artificial intelligence into instructional systems to improve teaching and learning across school districts. She oversees the AI Strategy and Innovation teams, supporting pilots, guiding adaptive planning, and helping systems respond to a rapidly evolving educational landscape.

She brings over two decades of experience in instructional leadership, systems design, and strategic advising with schools and national networks. Her work is grounded in the belief that innovation must be practical, future-oriented, and anchored in the day-to-day realities of educators. A former teacher and coach, she now helps education systems build the capabilities they need to lead meaningful change in an era of rapid transformation.

Alex Magiera is the Managing Director of Innovation at Leading Educators, where she helps reimagine the future of teaching and learning. She leads the organization’s innovation strategy to move bold ideas from ideation to pilot to scale, guided by a core conviction: innovation must start with educators, be anchored in coherence, and ultimately serve student learning.

At Leading Educators, Alex has launched field-defining pilots including a tech-enabled literacy initiative in New York City, the School Teams AI Collaborative, and summer experiences that explored durable skills, student agency, and AI-enabled learning. Her leadership has also spanned content design, program strategy, and organizational innovation, where she worked to ensure that bold ideas were not just imagined but implemented and sustained. She began her LE journey designing professional development for early childhood educators in Tulsa, with a focus on language development and affirming the strengths of multilingual learners. Across all of this work, she prioritizes connecting people, ideas, and strengths in ways that unlock something new.

Before joining LE, Alex worked at TNTP in multiple roles and partnered with teachers, district leaders, and state leaders across the country to co-create and scale meaningful solutions. She began her career as a kindergarten teacher, an experience that deepened her love for early childhood education and continues to shape her perspective on what students need most. With more than 15 years in public education, Alex is dedicated to helping educators meet the evolving needs of students and communities.

She holds a BA in Sociology from Pepperdine University, an MA in Education from Alliant International University, and certificates in Foresight, Human-Centered Design, and Service Design. Outside of work, Alex is a proud aunt, Pilates enthusiast, and lifelong Cubs fan. She is also a committed advocate for ending Alzheimer’s, inspired by the loss of her mother to early-onset Alzheimer’s, an experience that deepens her belief in dignity and care at every stage of life.

Antoinette Melvin is an innovative education leader with over fifteen years of experience in instructional design and professional learning. As the Senior Director of Innovation--Strategic Content, she positions Leading Educators as a national thought leader on emerging trends and the future of teaching and learning. She translates insights from research and practice into high-impact content that drives systemic improvement across schools and districts, while leading the creation of cohesive, forward-thinking strategies that connect innovation with impact.

Over 3.5 years at Leading Educators, Antoinette has developed and debuted the Value Add of Technology in Teaching (VATT) Framework at ISTE 2023, a decision-making tool that empowers educators and leaders to strategically evaluate technology's role in instruction.

Before joining Leading Educators, Antoinette served as a Senior Associate-ELA Content Specialist at edCount, LLC, where she led assessment development and training design for state departments of education. She also worked as a Communications Coordinator for Trillium Health Resources and as an ELA Curriculum Specialist and high school English teacher.

Antoinette holds an M.A. in English, Multicultural and Transnational Literatures and a B.S. in English, Secondary Education from East Carolina University. She is passionate about using creativity and innovation to transform learning and expand opportunity. Outside of work, she enjoys storytelling, literacy, art, participating in community events, playing with her dog, and spending time with family and friends.

Tyler Nakatsu is a strategy and innovation leader with expertise in scaling social impact solutions. As a Senior Director of Innovation at Leading Educators, he shapes the organization's portfolio of digital products and services to drive instructional improvement in K-12 education.

Tyler joined Leading Educators in the spring of 2024. Before joining Leading Educators, Tyler 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 organization's insights, incubation, and investment innovations. As a founding member of JFFLabs, he 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, including Getting Smart, YouthBuild USA, and Palazzo Creative. He managed the development of digital storytelling projects for brand awareness and engagement in B2B marketing strategies, produced various media assets, and project-directed the creation and launch of publications, websites, and social media campaigns.

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 and is currently an Ambassador for the Pragmatic Institute. Outside of work, Tyler enjoys spending time with his family and embraces his roles as a dad, dog dad, and husband.

Britney Wray is a dedicated education leader with expertise in mathematics instruction, school leadership, and innovation. As the Senior Director of AI-Enabled Instruction, she leads national efforts to examine how artificial intelligence can improve facilitation of high-quality curriculum, deepen teacher pedagogy, and enhance student outcomes.

Over 4 years at Leading Educators, Britney has served as Director of Content and Coaching for both the Detroit and Charleston projects. Her work on the Charleston Project resulted in a remarkable 27% improvement in Algebra 1 test scores in just one year by supporting teachers and creating sustainable conditions for district leaders.

Before joining Leading Educators, Britney was a high school math teacher and school leader in Virginia and Washington DC, where she focused on building instructional capacity in mathematics and driving measurable improvements in student achievement.

Britney holds a B.S. in Mathematics and an M.S. in Curriculum and Instruction, both from Virginia Tech. Outside of work, she enjoys staying active with her husband Nigel and their children Kingston (4) and Ivy (2). A self-described competitive person, Britney loves sports, music (especially Beyoncé), and creating memorable celebrations for all occasions.

Araceli Flores is an accomplished education leader with expertise in mathematics instruction and professional development. As the Director of Innovation, AI Math Strategy, she leads Leading Educators' partnership with EdLight focused on providing customized professional learning coupled with AI-generated student work insights to schools in Valley View School District, IL. She also supports the National Math AI Partnership, a pioneering collaboration between Leading Educators and Playlab that infuses research-based professional learning with specialized AI tools to address school system needs at every level.

Over 5+ years at Leading Educators, Araceli has served as Interim Senior Director of Math and Director of Content and Coaching for Baltimore City Public Schools. She has guided network-wide implementation of math instructional improvements, achieving measurable outcomes including 94% of teacher leaders earning effective or highly effective feedback ratings. She designed multi-year learning arcs for middle school math teachers and math leaders across 20+ schools, and facilitated professional development sessions tailored to specific needs including supporting Multilingual Learners and fostering Academic Vocabulary in math.

Before joining Leading Educators, Araceli served as the Deputy Chief of STEM Professional Learning for DC Public Schools where she managed a team to design and deliver year-long professional development sessions to a cohort of 116+ instructional specialists.

Araceli holds a BA in International Relations, Political Economy from Stanford University. She loves to apply ratios and proportional reasoning to her baking adventures and DIY home projects.

Aneka Bruce is a dedicated educator and innovator who believes in the power of strong instruction, coaching, and technology to expand opportunity. As the Director of AI-Enabled Instruction on the AI Strategy Team, she supports the design and implementation of cutting-edge AI-based mathematics tools across school districts nationwide. Her pioneering work, recognized during her SXSW keynote alongside the CEO of Playlab, empowers teachers and administrators to integrate AI thoughtfully into instruction, catalyzing transformative student growth through technology-enhanced learning environments.

Her career spans classroom teaching, school leadership, and national innovation work, consistently anchored in her commitment to excellent learning outcomes and sustainable instructional practices. A proud Brooklyn native, Aneka began her career teaching secondary mathematics in the NYC Department of Education before moving into leadership roles in Southeast D.C. as a Math Intervention Manager, Instructional Coach, and Assistant Principal.

Aneka’s academic foundation includes a B.S. in Kinesiology, Movement Science from Penn State University and a M.Ed. in Secondary Mathematics from St. John’s University. Beyond her professional pursuits, she is also a proud U.S. Army Soldier serving as an Army Medical Officer, blending her passions for leadership, service, and education. She finds balance through yoga and meditation, culinary adventures at emerging restaurants and brunch spots, and exploring scenic hiking trails with friends.

LeAnita Garner is a forever educator and champion of educators with extensive experience in instructional leadership and coaching across systems. As the Director of AI-Enabled Instruction, Math, she supports school systems and teams to integrate quality curricula and AI-powered instructional support to strengthen student experiences and outcomes.

Over her years at Leading Educators, LeAnita has served as an Instructional Leadership Coach, Math and as a Director of Content and Coaching, General with the Chicago Collaborative, designing and facilitating professional learning experiences that empower educators to deepen their mathematical content understanding and implement high-quality instructional materials. She has provided school-based supports for math and ELA instruction to teachers and leaders across Chicago Public Schools.

LeAnita holds a B.S. in Early Childhood Development from Northern Illinois University and an M.A.Ed. in Instructional Leadership from Argosy University. Informed by her academic background, she's driven by the belief that all students are capable of achieving at high levels and works with teachers to create learning environments where students actively engage and see themselves as successful learners.

Outside of work, LeAnita enjoys live music and game nights. One strength she brings to our mission is her ability to help teachers reflect on their practice and make the instructional shifts that transform how students experience learning.

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.

Jessica Jenkins is a Senior Director of Innovation, New Learning Models. Driven by her passion for college access, Jessica works to operationalize commitments to opportunity 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.

Sandra Jin is an education innovator bridging impactful pedagogy, student agency, and technology. As the Senior Director of Innovation – AI Strategy at Leading Educators, she leads national initiatives to integrate AI-enabled practices into coherent, student-centered systems to improve instructional outcomes.

Sandra approaches innovation with empathy and purpose. She believes AI should enhance the deeply human aspects of teaching and learning and is committed to creating transformative experiences that promote curiosity, agency, and deeper thinking.

During her time at Leading Educators, Sandra played a central role in leading and designing large-scale learning experiences including the AI School Teams Collaborative, the AI Accelerator, and multiple design sprints supporting school teams, districts, and nonprofits across the country.

Before joining Leading Educators, Sandra began her career as a classroom teacher in Washington, DC, later serving as a literacy interventionist, coach, and Director of ELA. She brings over 15 years of experience across classroom teaching, instructional leadership, and innovation.

Sandra holds an M.Ed. from George Mason University and is a 2025 EDSAFE Women in AI Fellow. She lives in Gainesville, VA with her husband and three children and actively advocates for arts education in her community.

Fernando Ayala Vaca is a strategic operations expert who designs systems that drive efficiency and impact. As the Associate Director of Innovation, he designs and implements systems and processes that make the Innovation team more efficient, collaborative, and aligned with organizational strategy. Fernando builds tools and structures, such as team homebases and workflow systems, that enable staff to access resources, coordinate projects, and capture learning in ways that support innovation and continuous improvement.

Before joining Leading Educators, Fernando served as Operations Manager for the Search Division at Stronger Consulting, where he managed operations for approximately 20 concurrent searches, contributing to $2.5M in revenue in 2022. He created key knowledge management systems that reduced preparation time by 40% and led successful technology transitions. Previously at The Broad Center, Fernando designed career support services with a 96% satisfaction rate during an organizational transition.

Fernando holds a BA in Environmental Science and Economics. When not working, he enjoys board games.

Sabrina is a systems-minded leader with over a decade of experience across education and nonprofit spaces, specializing in strategic operations, data-informed decision-making, and cross-functional project management. In her role as Associate Director of Innovation, AI Strategy at Leading Educators, she operates at the intersection of strategy, operations, and organizational learning—designing workflows, tools, and routines that translate ambitious innovation goals into coherent, scalable execution.

Sabrina leads internal systems for pilot coordination, data strategy, and knowledge management, supporting AI-enabled instructional initiatives and national partnerships. She brings a people-centered, opportunity-driven approach to her work, building clarity in complex environments, strengthening collaboration across teams, and ensuring learning is captured and applied to drive continuous improvement and impact.

Jeffrey Veale, Jr. is a dedicated educational leader committed to developing effective teachers, school leaders, and system leaders. As the Senior Director of National Program Operations and Strategy, he leads the operational engine behind Leading Educators' national program portfolio, driving organizational effectiveness and seamless coordination across teams.

Jeffrey plays a key role in aligning program operations with Leading Educators' strategic plan—driving operational excellence, supporting strategic planning, and implementing a shared service model that empowers program teams with streamlined systems.

Before joining Leading Educators, Jeffrey shaped national strategies to support educators in their leadership journeys as Managing Director of Alumni Program and Leadership Experiences at Teach For America. He also co-founded and led a K–8 public charter school in Memphis, Tennessee, which was recently recognized as Tennessee's 2024 Charter School of the Year.

Jeffrey holds a Bachelor's degree in Public Policy and a Master's in Education. When not working, he enjoys traveling, experiencing live music and comedy, cooking, and spending quality time with loved ones.

One strength Jeffrey brings to our mission is designing and leading efficient, people-centered systems that help teams work smarter, enjoy their work more, and achieve greater impact.

Dr. Mitchell Brookins is a nationally recognized practitioner and educational consultant with 20+ years in K–12 as teacher, coach, administrator, district leader, and thought leader. As a school administrator, he led instructional efforts that yielded measurable gains—raising DIBELS scores from 43% to 72%, increasing LEAP state assessment results by 16 points, and improving school letter grades from “D” to “C” within one year at both ReNEW Cultural Arts Academy and Dwight D. Eisenhower Academy.

He has presented at Amplify’s Symposium, PaTTAN Literacy Symposium, Keys to Literacy, The Reading League Summit, the Black Men in Education Convening, the Black Literacy Matters Conference, and the Dyslexia Alliance for Black Children Conference. He also leads a citywide literacy fellowship in partnership with New Schools for New Orleans, supporting over 40 literacy leaders across the city.

As Managing Director at Leading Educators, he drives system-level change in Jackson Public Schools, Baltimore City Schools, San Mateo-Foster City School District, and Omaha Public Schools, and serves on the Board of Directors for The Reading League.

He holds a B.A. in Elementary Education, an M.A. in Teacher Leadership, and a Ph.D. in Educational Administration.

Amber Walker is the Senior Director, Implementation & Growth at Leading Educators. Prior to joining Leading Educators, Amber served as a Math Designer at Student Achievement Partners. She also worked in secondary mathematics as a teacher and instructional coach across the San Francisco Bay Area and Northern New Jersey.

Originally from Somerset, NJ, Amber received her Bachelor of Arts in International Affairs and Economics from Northeastern University. She continued her education at Stanford University, earning a Master of Arts in Education with a concentration in Secondary Mathematics. She is currently pursuing her Doctorate of Education at the University of San Francisco.

Outside of work, Amber enjoys cooking, exploring the food scene in cities across the world, traveling, hiking, and yoga.

Anna Weiss is a Senior Director of Implementation & Growth at Leading Educators, where she partners with district leaders to build the kind of instructional coherence and professional learning systems that ensure all students have access to high-quality, grade-level instruction.

Anna has spent over 15 years working across school, district, and system-level roles, always drawn to the challenge of helping organizations translate vision into sustainable practice. Before joining Leading Educators, she led multi-district partnerships at the Children's Literacy Initiative, focusing on early literacy, curriculum implementation, and large-scale teacher and leader development. Her work has ranged from guiding districtwide curriculum rollouts to designing excellence-driven professional learning systems, leading cross-functional implementation teams, and cultivating strategic relationships with senior district and philanthropic partners.

What energizes Anna most is the intersection of deep listening, collaborative design, and evidence-based decision-making. She's particularly passionate about creating practical, sustainable systems that elevate teacher practice and student outcomes.

Now based in Chicago, Anna is deeply committed to strengthening educational opportunity across the city's schools and communities.

Claudine Andrews is a strategic instructional leader with over a decade of experience in mathematics education and leadership development. As the Senior Director of Implementation and Growth, she leads systems of school support across Chicago, North Chicago, and Fort Worth to ensure program participants apply high-leverage instructional and cultural leadership practices.

Over her years at Leading Educators, Claudine has served as Director of Content for Math, Instructional Leadership Coach, and now Senior Director. She has successfully co-developed proposals and scopes of work that contributed to renewed and expanded district partnerships, generating over $850,000 in program revenue while delivering high-impact programming aligned to grant objectives.

Before joining Leading Educators, Claudine coached teachers at the Academy for Urban School Leadership and the University of Chicago Charter School, where she led data-driven instructional planning and peer coaching initiatives. Her teaching experience includes roles at University of Chicago Charter School and Our Lady of the Gardens, where she implemented balanced literacy, project-based learning, and data-driven methods.

Claudine holds an M.S.Ed in Education and Social Policy from Northwestern University and a B.A. in Sociology and French Literature from Boston College. When not working to strengthen educational systems, Claudine brings her commitment to educational excellence to her community, having served as a South Berwyn District 100 School Board Member. Claudine currently resides outside of Detroit, MI with her husband and two children.

Amanda Silva is a dedicated education professional with expertise in building capacity for meaningful change across school systems. As the Senior Director for the Omaha Public Schools project, she leads strategic initiatives that drive instructional improvement and student achievement.

Over 9 years at Leading Educators, Amanda has served as Senior Director on the Oakland Unified School District project, Director of Content - ELA for Baltimore City Public Schools, Director of Content - District Leadership for Tulsa, and Leadership Coach for LEAP DCPS. She has successfully built capacity across district stakeholders to engage in the change management that enables school districts to design and sustain systems of professional learning that equip educators to translate research-based practices into meaningful classroom impact.

Amanda holds a B.A. in Economics from New York University and an M.A. in Teaching from American University. She holds a deep belief in the power of great teaching to unlock opportunity for all students. In her free time, Amanda enjoys watching the WNBA, crafting, and researching random topics.

M. Keli Swearingen, PhD, is a highly effective Senior Director of Network and an expert in K-12 instructional leadership, curriculum development, and data-driven instructional (DDI) protocols. With over two decades of experience, including a PhD in Educational Psychology, Keli specializes in coaching school principals and instructional leaders to amplify student and teacher performance through strategic planning and professional development. Keli's work has repeatedly led to significant achievement gains in urban education, including improving one school's APY total score by nearly two letters in one year.

Keli is an accomplished educational strategist, administrator, and researcher with an action-oriented approach to her work. Keli’s academic background is complemented by over a decade of practical experience in high-impact national education organizations, focusing on the intersection of teacher quality, data analysis, and effective school leadership and policy.

Keli's professional work is centered on building systems and capacity for effective instruction, having held leadership roles such as Managing Director of Teaching and Learning for TEAM Schools (KIPP New Jersey) and Director of Assessment and Data-Driven Instruction at the KIPP Foundation. Roles where Keli was responsible for developing instructional coaching protocols and leadership development systems. Keli's research interests include variations in novice teacher and leader training, teacher and leader retention, and the effects of teacher and leader preparation and cultural sensitivity on academic performance in urban and rural education. Keli has presented this research at national conferences, including the American Educational Research Association, National Reading Conference, KIPP School Leader Programming, and Council of Great City Schools.

Naima Richardson is a literacy leader with 23 years in PK–8 education. As Senior Director of the Science of Reading Network, she partners with districts, such as Baltimore City Schools and Jackson Public Schools, to design and implement coherent programming that strengthens teachers' ability to deliver evidence-based literacy instruction. She leverages her strengths in strategic thinking and data analysis to design and facilitate curriculum-aligned professional learning while grounding stakeholders in a common vision for focused and coherent work.

Before joining Leading Educators, Naima served public schools as a teacher, coach, and assistant principal. In Washington, DC, she designed and implemented an Early Literacy Action Plan that supported educational staff in high-impact practices—driving a 23% increase in K–1 benchmark proficiency in one year. At Leading Educators, Naima has supported 17 school-based coaches in reaching 94% proficiency in feedback during facilitation and directed the launch of a district-wide literacy coaching system for 120 K–8 coaches. She also trained district specialists on coaching facilitation, giving Baltimore City Public Schools its first comprehensive insight into how school-based coaches lead PLCs.

Naima holds master’s degrees in educational leadership and elementary & early childhood education, along with a CERI certification in structured literacy classroom teacher, which she applies to build effective systems that turn research into measurable results.

Monique Wright is a strategic and impact-focused education leader with 20 years of K-12 experience. As the Senior Director of Implementation and Growth for LAUSD & DCPS, she works with district leadership to use resources strategically and intentionally build teacher and leader capacity to strengthen teacher practice and improve student outcomes.

Over 7 years at Leading Educators, Monique has served as Senior Director of Networks, Program Director for LEAP, and Leadership Coach for TLI. She has spearheaded successful partnerships with Los Angeles Unified School District, achieved a 100 Net Promoter Score with district math leaders, and contributed to LE's publication "Reimaging Professional Learning."

Before joining Leading Educators, Monique worked with Democracy Prep Public Schools as a Lower Academy Director, served as a Program Manager with Education Pioneers, and taught in various educational settings. Her experience includes building district partnerships and managing high-performing teams through the use of coaching and adult learning best practices.

Monique holds a BA in Psychology and African American Studies and a Master of Science degree in Teaching and Early Childhood Leadership. When not working, she enjoys trying new restaurants with her family and hanging out with the Peloton community.

Dr. Curtis Armour, Jr. is the Director of System Strategy at Leading Educators, where he leads initiatives that strengthen instructional systems and promote excellent learning outcomes for all students.

Before joining Leading Educators, Curtis served as the Associate Director of Partnerships for the Atlantic Region at EL Education, where he guided partnerships with schools and districts to enhance teaching and learning through EL Education’s framework for deeper learning and excellence.

Curtis began his career as a teacher and instructional coach with Atlanta Public Schools, later serving as an Assistant Principal in the Fayette County School System and as a Title I Distinguished School Principal with the City Schools of Decatur. Under his leadership, the school’s CCRPI score increased from 68.7 to 94.1, earning recognition for closing achievement gaps for students of color and students with disabilities.

Curtis serves on the Board of Directors for DeKalb Brilliance Academy, where he supports the school’s mission to provide innovative, high-quality education for all learners. He holds a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree from Georgia State University and a Doctor of Education degree from Clark Atlanta University.

Dr. Mark Healy is a skilled instructional leader with extensive experience in education. As the Managing Director of System Advising on the Program Team, he guides partners in implementing effective solutions to enhance teaching and learning for all students.

Since joining Leading Educators in August 2024, Mark has helped co-create an Instructional Framework with Burlington Public Schools and design partnerships with strategic staffing partners to strengthen the teaching profession in Jackson, Mississippi, and across Michigan.

Before joining Leading Educators, Mark served as Senior Director of Program and Partnerships with New Teacher Center, where he oversaw diverse partnerships and provided academic strategy leadership to school districts nationwide. His career spans roles as a teacher, curriculum developer, professional development facilitator, adjunct faculty member, school principal, and district leader across Canada and the United States.

Mark holds a Doctorate in Educational and Organizational Leadership from the University of Pennsylvania. In his free time, he enjoys traveling and attending HIIT classes at his local gym.

Dr. Tanisha Myles is an accomplished education leader with a proven track record of school transformation. As the Senior Director of System Strategy, she leads a dynamic team focused on advancing coherence and strategic alignment across school systems.

Dr. Myles joined Leading Educators in June 2025, bringing over 20 years of experience in education. Before joining Leading Educators, she served as a non-profit director, principal, assistant principal, coach, facilitator, teacher, and adjunct professor. Under her leadership as an elementary school principal, her school achieved National Blue Ribbon status in 2021. She has supported teaching and learning in the Atlanta area and has experience with large-scale district partnerships through leadership coaching, facilitating professional learning, strategic planning, and school improvement efforts.

Dr. Myles holds a Doctor of Education degree in Educational Leadership. She is passionate about elevating the student experience to enhance outcomes for all students.

Solona Hollis is a scientist, educator, and innovation leader. As the Senior Director of Science Strategy, she leads Leading Educators' newly formed science team, developing comprehensive strategies for science and STEM-focused services while establishing the organization's presence in science education and professional learning.

During her time at Leading Educators, Solona has launched the Next Generation Science Educators Network and collaborated with the Innovation team to develop asynchronous science professional learning modules.
Before joining Leading Educators, Solona worked with state leaders to develop NGSS-aligned coaching models and professional learning initiatives. She also led model developments for career and technical education teachers, supported school transformation efforts, and taught all levels of chemistry and physics in both online and traditional settings. Her accomplishments include being co-inventor of a commercially sold adhesive used in engineered lumber.

She is passionate about science because it has shaped how she sees the world and how she leads. Science calls her to be curious, to look beneath the surface, and to bring others along in making sense of complex ideas. For her, it's not just about answers—it's about creating opportunities for children to be curious about the world around them, empowering them to discover, question, and innovate together.

Solona holds a B.S. in Chemistry and a Secondary Science Teaching certification.

Amanda Drenth is an accomplished education professional with expertise in science instruction and curriculum development. As the Director of Content and Coaching for the Science OER Network, she helps teachers leverage best practices in science instruction to transform classrooms into student-led communities where young scientists thrive and develop a sense of belonging.

Over 3 years at Leading Educators, Amanda has served as Director of Content and Coaching for ELA in Chicago Public Schools and Harlem Community School District 5 in New York. She has designed AI-based assistive technology for teachers focused on multilingual learner support in science and authored a guidebook on best practices for implementing open education resources in science instruction. Her work in Harlem contributed to making it one of just three local districts (out of 38) that showed gains in literacy on the state assessment in SY23-24.


Before joining Leading Educators, Amanda was a classroom teacher, served as president of her teacher's union, and collaborated with University of Illinois and Northwestern University to design science curricula for 3rd and 4th grade. She currently serves as an elected member of her local school board. Amanda holds an M.A. in Elementary Education and a B.S. in Biology. When not supporting educators, she enjoys writing original music and performing in her 90s cover band.

Sydney Jenkins is an accomplished education leader with a track record of driving instructional improvement. As the Senior Director of Program Implementation & Growth (NYC), she leads the successful execution of professional learning programming as part of the NYC Reads Initiative, managing and developing a team of instructional coaches to support high-quality literacy program implementation and drive instructional impact at scale.

Before transitioning to Senior Director, Sydney served as an ELA Instructional Leadership Coach. During those two years, she is proud to report that District 5 schools achieved remarkable growth, with ELA proficiency rising from 30% to 46%.

Sydney holds a BA in Psychology from Harvard University and a Masters in Teaching and Learning from the Harvard Graduate School of Education. Sydney prioritizes building collaborative, trusting, and empowering relationships with educators across school systems, and believes that every student deserves to be seen, heard, and intellectually challenged. When not working, Sydney enjoys spending time in nature, baking desserts, and traveling.

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.

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 educational access on individuals, families, and generations. She believes that all students deserve access to high quality education to build the lives they desire. Having dedicated her career to instructional excellence, 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.

Javier Cortez Infantas is a strategic financial leader with a passion for educational excellence for all. As the Senior Vice President of Finance, he oversees all finance functions to ensure the sustainability of Leading Educators' mission, including accounting, budgeting, forecasting, implementation of finance policies, cost modeling, pricing, and investment management.

Over his two years at Leading Educators, Javier has led significant improvements to the organization's financial operations. He successfully transitioned the accounting function from a consultant-heavy model to an in-house team, enhancing efficiency and responsiveness. Under his leadership, the month-end close process was reduced from over two months to just 15 business days, and he has developed an economic model that defines the path to sustainable growth in alignment with the organization's strategic plan.

Before joining Leading Educators, Javier built extensive experience in financial strategy and operations management. His career includes roles as a private equity manager, head of finance for a motion unit at Intercorp (one of Peru's largest business groups), and financial leadership positions at KIPP New Orleans and Orleans Parish School Board.

Javier holds an MBA from Duke University's Fuqua School of Business, a Master in Educational Leadership from Yale University through The Broad Residency Program, a Certificate in Education Finance from Georgetown University's McCourt School of Public Policy, and a BS in Economics from Universidad del Pacifico. When not managing Leading Educators' $23 million annual budget, Javier enjoys watching and playing soccer with his son, exploring restaurants, attending heavy metal concerts, and playing electric guitar.

Carlton J. Nichols, Sr is a strategic People & Talent leader with extensive experience in organizational design and HR transformation. As the Managing Director of People & Talent at Leading Educators, he serves as the lead for the organization's talent strategy and HR operations, advising leaders on aligning human capital decisions with organizational strategy and growth priorities.

Over 3 years at Leading Educators, Carlton has served as Director of Talent Systems and Interim Senior Director of People & Talent. He has architected AI-enabled solutions across talent processes—reducing recruiting cycle time by over 60% and eliminating hours of manual work, led through critical transitions while modernizing People operations, and redesigned operating models to improve efficiency while maintaining quality and impact.

Before joining Leading Educators, Carlton held leadership roles at Teach For America, where he advised national leadership on HR technology strategy and talent acquisition, and at Cascade Energy, where he transformed executive recruiting practices while significantly increasing organizational diversity.

Carlton holds the SHRM-CP certification and is passionate about supporting people to reach their wildest dreams.

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.

Lauren is a dedicated education leader with deep roots in New Orleans public schools. As the Senior Director of Business Operations, she stewards the systems, processes, and operational practices that enable the day to day effectiveness of Leading Educators.

Over 14 years at Leading Educators, Lauren has helped launch Leading Educators' first system-wide partnership with DC Public Schools and expanded their work to some of the largest school districts around the country. Before joining Leading Educators, Lauren served as the Academic Director of Bard Early College in New Orleans, where she led a degree-granting program served high school students across New Orleans. Before that, Lauren taught English at New Orleans Charter Math and Science High School.

Lauren holds a B.A. in English Literature from Smith College and an M.A. in Education Policy from Brown University. As both a product of and parent within New Orleans public schools, Lauren is deeply invested in making sure schools across the country can nurture the inherent intellectual curiosity that exists in all students.

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.

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.

Tony has a passion for uplifting and empowering youth and those who work within community through life changing experiences. As Associate Director of Business Operations, he leads cross-functional projects, managing business compliance, and analyzing operational processes to identify opportunities that will increase impact and efficiency.

Tony has previously served as a Program Manager and Manger of Partnerships at Leading Educators. Before joining the organization, he held various positions within education in Detroit, including 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!

Laura Meili brings two decades of experience in teaching, learning, and research to her work at Leading Educators. As the Senior Vice President of Learning & Research, she leads efforts to understand the impact of professional learning to improve teaching and learning and to codify, share, and scale what works to support more students, teachers, and leaders.

Over 11 years at Leading Educators, Laura has led the redesign of programming focused on the Common Core State Standards, teaching and leading for equity, instructional leadership, and content cycles. She has supported significant student impact through LE's programs and partnered with internal and external researchers to understand, validate, and spread this impact to partners nationwide.

Before joining Leading Educators, Laura worked in the Office of Professional Learning at the Chicago Public Schools and started her career teaching reading and writing to middle school students on Chicago's south side.

Laura holds a B.A. in Psychology from the University of Michigan and an M.Ed. in Literacy, Language, and Culture from the University of Illinois at Chicago. She lives in the Chicago area, where she spends her free time outside, with family and friends, or reading too many books at once.

Debbie is an Analytics Engineer who works at the intersection of data and technology. She designs and implements scalable data architectures and ELT pipelines that transform raw data into actionable insights.

With over 15 years of experience across education, nonprofit, and corporate consulting sectors, Debbie is passionate about helping teams use data and technology to maximize impact and advance their mission. She brings a versatile foundation that bridges technical expertise, advanced analytics, and strategic thinking, informing her holistic approach to data solutions.

Debbie is proficient in SQL and Python and has experience with tools such as dbt, Snowflake, Tableau, and BigQuery. She holds dual bachelor’s degrees in mathematics and political science from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, as well as a Data Science Immersive certificate from General Assembly. Based in the Chicagoland area, she enjoys Pilates and exploring stationery stores and cafés in her free time.

Rebecca believes school systems deserve access to strong evidence and useful data about what will serve their students and communities. She has served as the Managing Director of Research and Data since 2018. Since joining the team 12 years ago, her research efforts that have grown Leading Educators' evidence base to include 21 cases that meet the Every Student Succeeds Act evidence standards at Promising or higher.

She has led numerous studies at Leading Educators using rigorous causal methods and innovative mixed-methods approaches. These studies have been published in the Journal of Research on Educational Effectiveness and the Learning Professional, among other outlets. In addition to research studies, Rebecca leads the Research and Data team to ensure every project is designed with a contextualized data strategy and sophisticated data systems to collect, transform, and visualize data. Ultimately, this work provides each partner with timely, useful data to understand and grow their impact.

Rebecca brings 14 years of experience in designing, leading, and communicating the results of evaluations that are both rigorous and accessible to stakeholders and 4 years of experience working in high-needs schools. Prior to joining Leading Educators, she was a Research Fellow at Tulane University. She received her bachelor’s in Anthropology from the University of California Berkeley and her masters in Anthropology from Tulane University.

Driven by a deep love of learning and an unwavering commitment to excellent education for all children, Alisha Watts Burr is a professional development specialist and educator dedicated to empowering educators and ensuring all students have the experiences they deserve. Her work is rooted in the conviction that schools should be places where every child is seen, valued, and able to reach their full potential.

Most recently, as Senior Director of Networks on the Charleston team, Alisha played a key role in deepening educator and district leader practice and improving student outcomes in Charleston County School District. Her nine-year tenure at LE has also included leading math professional learning as a Director of Content for our partnership with Tulsa Public Schools (Empower) and supporting school and district leaders as an Instructional Leadership Coach with our partnership with District of Columbia Public Schools (LEAP).

Before joining LE, Alisha gained valuable experience as a special education teacher, math teacher, and academic dean at high-performing charter schools in Washington, D.C. Alisha holds an A.B. in Psychology from Princeton University and an M.A. in Social Psychology from the University of Arizona. She resides in Maryland with her husband and two sons, finding joy in cooking, traveling (especially to a beach), and spending time with family.

Tim Tasker brings analytical expertise and purpose-driven vision to his role as Senior Director for Data Strategy at Leading Educators. With a deep background in education research and a commitment to fair, data-informed decision-making processes, he transforms complex information into actionable insights that drive better outcomes for students and educators alike.

Throughout his eight-year tenure at Leading Educators, Tim has advanced through increasingly influential positions, culminating in the creation and leadership of the Data Strategy unit. His innovations have helped revolutionize the organization's approach to data, including a comprehensive dashboard system that makes information accessible to all stakeholders, robust measurement tools that capture meaningful outcomes, and the enabling conditions framework that has become foundational to Leading Educators' partnerships with schools and school systems.

Beyond design and analysis, Tim excels at building capacity in others. He leads targeted training opportunities that empower colleagues to confidently use data in their daily work. His thought leadership in research articles, white papers, and key reports aims to bridge the gap between research findings and practical application.

Before joining Leading Educators, Tim accumulated nearly a decade of research experience in the education and mental health sectors, including leadership of a multi-year implementation grant focused on school climate improvement. He holds a B.A. in Psychology from Northwestern University and a 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 Harvard University's Center for Education Policy Research.

When not working with data and dashboards, Tim can be found making or listening to music, traveling to new places, hiking trails, or engaged in friendly competition over board games.

Throughout his career, Tim has been guided by a core belief: While data are essential to advancing outcomes for all students, equally important are the mindsets and strategies we bring to interpreting and acting on them.

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.

Ariana Audisio is an education researcher with a strong background in program evaluation and quasi-experimental methods. As Director of Research at Leading Educators, she leads causal research oriented to answer pressing questions that improve adult professional learning and K-12 education. She develops and implements research strategies, manages research projects, and translates research findings into non-technical, contextualized language that serves practitioners.

Over 6 years at Leading Educators, Ariana has served as Data and Evaluation Manager and Associate Director of Data and Evaluation. She has significantly increased the rigor of program evaluation conducted by her team, resulting in several published articles. Under her leadership, the research focus has shifted toward answering questions that matter most to practitioners, clients, and funders, making their data and research more relevant and practical.

Ariana holds an MA from Johns Hopkins University and a BA from Catholic University "Andrés Bello." When not immersed in research, she enjoys spending time with her family, especially her three children, practicing yoga, camping, hiking, dancing, and cooking delicious food.

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.