Strategic Council
*Board of Directors
Dr. Margaret H. Annunziata
President, Isothermal Community College
Russ Campbell
Senior Communications Officer, Burroughs Wellcome Fund
*Dr. Donnell Cannon
Executive Director, Maureen Joy Charter School
Leah Carper
Director of Stakeholder Engagement, Guilford County Schools
2022 Burroughs Wellcome Fund North Carolina Teacher of the Year
*Newell Clark
Commissioner, North Carolina Historic Commission; Former Mayor, Lexington, NC
Laurie Clowers
Vice President of Communications and Marketing, Wake Technical Community
College
Debra L. Derr
Director of Government Affairs, NC Chamber
Dr. Scott Elliott
Director of Development, Blue Ridge Conservancy; Former Superintendent, Watauga County Schools
Astrid Emily Francis
High School ESL Teacher, Cabarrus County Schools
Dr. Jeremy Gibbs
Deputy State Superintendent, NC Department of Public Instruction
Kezia “Kate” Goodwin
Owner, Kate’s Korner Educational Services LLC.
Patrick Greene
Principal, Greene Central High School
2022 Wells Fargo NC Principal of the Year
Victoria Griffin
Chief Administrative Office Analyst, Bank of America
*Ferrel Guillory
Founder, EducationNC
Gerry Hancock
Founder, EducationNC
D. Craig Horn
Former Representative, District 68, North Carolina General Assembly
*Dr. Anthony D. Jackson
Superintendent, Chatham County Schools
Leshaun T. Jenkins
Principal, Pitt County Schools Early College High School
Amy L. Kovac-Ashley
Executive Director, Tiny News Collective
Laura Leatherwood
President, Blue Ridge Community College
Freebird McKinney
Director of Partnership Development, Participate Learning; 2018 Burroughs Wellcome Fund NC Teacher of the Year
Dwight Miller
Impact Officer, John M. Belk Endowment
*Kayla Romero Morais
Chief Growth Officer, Our Turn
Jose Oliva
Chief of Staff, Guilford County Schools
Cyndi Soter O'Neil
Director of Strategic Philanthropy, IMC/ChildTrust Foundation; Co-Chair, Invest Early NC
Erica Beshears Perel
Operations Director
Tiny News Collective
*Dr. Monique Perry-Graves
Executive Director, Teach for America: North Carolina
*Mebane Rash
CEO, President, and Editor-in-Chief
*Dr. Pamela G. Senegal
President, Piedmont Community College
John L.S. Simpkins
President and CEO, MDC
Melissa Singler
President, Robeson Community College
Rob Thompson
Programme Officer, Oak Foundation
Dr. Deanna Townsend-Smith
Senior Director, Dudley Flood Center for Educational Equity & Opportunity
Elaine Townsend Utin
Executive Director & Co-Founder, LatinxEd
*Yona Wade
Head of Training and Development, Cherokee Indian Hospital Authority