Staff

Senior Leadership Team

Denise Forte
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Denise Forte

President and CEO

Denise Forte (pronounced “fort”) is the president and CEO at The Education Trust. Named one of the Washingtonian's 500…

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Amber Arellano, MPP
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Amber Arellano, MPP

Executive Director at The Education Trust-Midwest

Amber Arellano is the founding executive director of The Education Trust-Midwest. Founded in 2010, today Ed Trust-Midwest is widely recognized…

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Wil Del Pilar, Ph.D.
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Wil Del Pilar, Ph.D.

Senior Vice President

Wil Del Pilar, Ph.D., serves as Ed Trust’s Senior Vice President. In this role, Wil spearheads Ed Trust’s mission…

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Nicolle Grayson
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Nicolle Grayson

Interim VP, Communications

With two decades of experience in issues advocacy, media relations, and strategic planning, Nicolle advances the organization’s equity agenda…

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Claudia Luján

Claudia Luján

Chief of Staff

As the chief of staff at The Education Trust, Claudia oversees operations and provides strategic support to the Interim…

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Augustus Mays

Augustus Mays

Vice President, Partnerships and Engagement

Augustus serves as Ed Trust’s vice president for Partnerships and Engagement. In this role, Augustus leads the organization’s efforts…

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Christopher Nellum, Ph.D.
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Christopher Nellum, Ph.D.

Executive Director at The Education Trust-West

Dr. Christopher Nellum (he/him/his) is the Executive Director of The Education Trust–West, a nonprofit education equity organization focused on…

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Gini Pupo-Walker
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Gini Pupo-Walker

Executive Director of Ed Trust - Tennessee

Gini brings more than 20 years of work in education as a teacher, administrator, and nonprofit leader. She serves…

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Wendy Scott

Wendy Scott

Chief Financial Officer

Wendy serves as chief financial officer at EdTrust. She oversees fiscal operations, including accounting, budgeting, financial planning and analysis,…

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Jeff Smink

Jeff Smink

Interim Executive Director of EdTrust New York

Jeff Smink is the interim executive director of EdTrust–New York. He works to develop and implement the organization’s strategic…

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Allison Rose Socol, Ph.D.
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Allison Rose Socol, Ph.D.

Vice President for P-12 Policy, Research, & Practice

Allison Rose Socol, Ph.D. serves as Ed Trust’s vice president of P-12 policy, practice, and research. In this role,…

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Rachel D. Stalcup
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Rachel D. Stalcup

Chief Development Officer

As chief development officer, Rachel is a member of The Education Trust leadership team, working to strengthen the movement…

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Office of the President

Felecia Branch

Felecia Branch

Sr. Executive Assistant

Felecia is a seasoned professional dedicated to providing exceptional administrative support and ensuring the seamless operation of the CEO…

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Kevin Chappell

Kevin Chappell

Executive Writer

Kevin Chappell serves as the executive writer, Office of the President/CEO, where he leads the direction, development, and execution…

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Communications

Grace Aiyedogbon

Grace Aiyedogbon

Senior Manager, Digital Communications

Grace Aiyedogbon is the senior manager of digital communications at The Education Trust. She specializes in structuring web, social…

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Redante Asuncion-Reed
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Redante Asuncion-Reed

Website Manager

Redante collaborates with Communications leadership and content teams to develop digital communications and website strategies. He manages the development,…

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George Bowles

George Bowles

Editor/Writer

George Bowles (they/them) is an editor/writer at EdTrust. Prior to joining the EdTrust team, George was the communications and…

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Ameshia Cross

Ameshia Cross

Director, Communications

Ameshia leads media strategy, press outreach, strategic marketing and external affairs for the Education Trust. Prior to joining Ed…

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Ana Henriquez

Ana Henriquez

Digital Communications Associate

Ana Henriquez is the digital communications associate at Ed Trust, where she works alongside the digital team to create…

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Karen Lomax

Karen Lomax

Director, Art

Karen is lead creative of the visual voice for The Education Trust. She develops and designs for all marketing…

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Letisha Marrero
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Letisha Marrero

Editorial Director

Letisha Marrero brings more than 20 years of editorial experience across multimedia platforms — digital, mobile, broadcast, and print…

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Gabriela Montell

Gabriela Montell

Senior Editor/Writer

In her current role, Gabriela writes and edits a variety of content — including, but not limited to, blogs,…

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Carolyn Phenicie

Carolyn Phenicie

Assistant Communications Director, P-12

Carolyn leads media strategy, press outreach and engagement for the P-12 team. Before joining EdTrust, Carolyn was the press…

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Andrea Ramirez
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Andrea Ramirez

Communications Manager, Partnerships & Engagement

Andrea serves as the communications manager for the Partnerships and Engagement team, where she liaises with the various state…

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Jalyn Tolliver

Jalyn Tolliver

Graphic Designer

Jalyn’s responsibility as a graphic designer is to create high-quality design for print, digital, and social media. She started…

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Development

Emily Herd
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Emily Herd

Development Specialist

As a Development Specialist, Emily helps to draft grant reports, budget narratives, and concept papers. She also processes grant…

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Eliza Jarvinen

Eliza Jarvinen

Director of Development

Eliza Jarvinen joined Ed Trust as associate director of development in Spring 2019. Previously, she served as director, institutional…

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P-12 Policy, Research, and Practice

Hector Biaggi

Hector Biaggi

Senior P-12 Analyst, Data & Analytics

Hector Biaggi is the senior analyst on the P-12 data and analytics team. In his role, Hector helps analyze…

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Ebony Daughtry

Ebony Daughtry

Senior Executive Assistant

Ebony Daughtry is the senior executive assistant to Allison Socol, vice president for P-12 policy, research and practice at Ed…

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Nancy Duchesneau
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Nancy Duchesneau

Senior P-12 Research Associate

Nancy is a Senior P-12 Research Associate and leads the Social, Emotional, and Academic Development work at EdTrust. In…

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Eric Duncan, J.D.
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Eric Duncan, J.D.

Director of P-12 Policy – Educator Diversity

Eric Duncan is the director for P-12 policy, specializing in policies related to educator quality and increasing the racial…

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Carl Felton, III

Carl Felton, III

P-12 Policy Analyst

Carl Felton, III is a policy analyst on the P-12 team at EdTrust. As a policy analyst, Carl supports…

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Kristen Hengtgen, Ph.D.

Kristen Hengtgen, Ph.D.

Senior Analyst, P-12 Policy

Kristen Hengtgen is a senior analyst on the P-12 policy team. She focuses on policies and practices that advocate…

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Qubilah Huddleston

Qubilah Huddleston

Policy Lead, Equitable School Funding

As policy lead on the P-12 policy team, Qubilah informs and manages Ed Trust’s policy positions on equitable school…

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Nathan Kriha

Nathan Kriha

P-12 Policy Analyst

Nathan Kriha is a policy analyst on the P-12 policy team where he focuses on topics related to educator…

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Shayna Levitan

Shayna Levitan

Policy Analyst, P-12

Shayna is a policy analyst on the P-12 team. In this role, Shayna supports work related to the Alliance…

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Ivy Morgan
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Ivy Morgan

Director of P-12 Research and Data Analytics

As the director of P-12 research and data analytics, Ivy Morgan designs and conducts data and policy analyses that…

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Nicholas Munyan-Penney

Nicholas Munyan-Penney

Assistant Director, P-12 Policy

As assistant director of P-12 policy, Nicholas is responsible for overseeing work on a range of topics, including resource…

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William Rodick, Ph.D.
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William Rodick, Ph.D.

P12 Practice Lead

William researches and writes about P-12 curriculum and instructional practice with a focus on representation and culturally responsive teaching.William…

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Higher Education Policy, Research, and Practice

Jinann Bitar

Jinann Bitar

Director of Higher Education Research and Data Analytics

Jinann leads an ambitious, innovative effort directed at advancing the opportunity and equity agenda at colleges and universities. She…

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Ivy Ellis

Ivy Ellis

Senior Executive Assistant

Ivy joined The Education Trust in 2000. She previously worked as an executive assistant/proposal coordinator for Facilities Management Company…

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William Freeman III
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William Freeman III

Manager of Higher Education Justice Initiative

William leads and manages the Justice Policy Fellowship, where he works with the policy team to provide an equity…

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Jessie Hernández-Reyes
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Jessie Hernández-Reyes

Senior Policy Analyst, Higher Education

Jessie Hernández-Reyes is a senior policy analyst on the higher education policy team. She focuses on promoting policies and…

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Victoria Jackson

Victoria Jackson

Assistant Director of Higher Education Policy

Victoria Jackson is the assistant director of higher education policy at Ed Trust, where she leads work on college…

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Phil Martin
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Phil Martin

Director, Higher Education Policy Implementation

Phil Martin is director of higher education policy implementation at The Education Trust. His focus is helping federal and…

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Sayda Martinez-Alvarado

Sayda Martinez-Alvarado

Policy Analyst

Sayda is a policy analyst on the higher education policy team. She works on tracking the increasing legislation across…

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Sandra Perez
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Sandra Perez

Higher Education Research Analyst

Sandra is a higher education research analyst who researches various topics, such as accessibility and cost of attendance. She…

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Operations

Sarah Brody

Sarah Brody

Director of Human Resources

Sarah leads the Human Resources function at The Education Trust. Her work focuses on building a diverse, thriving workforce…

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Doug Brownlee
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Doug Brownlee

Director for Information Technology

Doug is responsible for managing the day-to-day operations of the organization’s Information Technology (IT) department. This work includes hardware…

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Gwendolyn Chappell

Gwendolyn Chappell

Senior Human Resources Generalist

Gwendolyn is the primary benefits coordinator, serving as the point person for all benefits-related concerns to staff and vendors. …

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Zuleida Corry

Zuleida Corry

Finance Associate

As Finance Associate, Zuleida is responsible for receiving and processing accounts payable vouchers and resolving payments and coding issues.Prior…

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Ray Galloway

Ray Galloway

Operations and Events Manager

Ray is responsible for coordinating the day-to-day operations of the national office and is the primary contact for all…

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Jouene Jones-Walker

Jouene Jones-Walker

Senior Human Resources Manager

Jouene ‘s primary focus in the Human Resources department is on total rewards for the organization, including compensation and…

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Kwame Kankam-Boadu

Kwame Kankam-Boadu

Senior Systems Administrator

As a senior systems administrator, Kwame is responsible for handling day to day cybersecurity, compliance, and configurations of the…

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Davon Mason

Davon Mason

Associate IT Analyst

Davon is responsible for handling the day-to-day tasks for the organization's Information Technology (IT) department. This includes installing, maintaining,…

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Chantel McCloud

Chantel McCloud

Director for Grants Management and Finance

As the director of grants management and finance at Ed Trust, Chantel leads the grants management, reporting and budgeting…

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Suniyah Peters

Suniyah Peters

IT Associate I

Suniyah is responsible for handling the day-to-day tasks for the organization’s Information Technology (IT) department. This includes installing, maintaining,…

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Loretta Singleton

Loretta Singleton

Receptionist

Before joining Ed Trust, Loretta was the administrative assistant to Floretta Dukes McKenzie, a former superintendent of schools in…

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Sabria Stanford

Sabria Stanford

Grants Associate

As a grants associate, Sabria is responsible for handling grants management tasks for EdTrust’s finance department. This includes setting…

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Maria Elena Tapia

Maria Elena Tapia

Accounting Associate

Maria Tapia is an accounting associate in the finance department. Previously, she worked for 25 years at a multinational…

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Partnerships and Engagement

Jordyn Bussey
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Jordyn Bussey

Director, Advocacy and Engagement

Jordyn Bussey is the director for advocacy and engagement at The Education Trust, where she leads the development of…

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Genesis Carela

Genesis Carela

Senior Policy Analyst for Massachusetts

Genesis Carela is the state senior policy analyst for Massachusetts at The Education Trust. She conducts policy and data…

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Jessica Ch’ng

Jessica Ch’ng

Senior Associate, Strategic Initiatives and National Partnerships

As the Senior Associate of Strategic Initiatives and National Partnerships, Jessica is responsible for developing and maintaining relationships and…

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Judith Cruz
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Judith Cruz

Texas Assistant Director, Houston Region

Judith manages and executes policy goals and advocacy activities within the Houston region in collaboration with the Texas State…

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Zaria Ealy

Zaria Ealy

Associate, Advocacy and Engagement

Zaria supports the Partnerships and Engagement team in activating EdTrust’s priority issues with state and national advocates and coalitions.…

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Jonathan Feinstein
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Jonathan Feinstein

State Director for Texas

Jonathan brings more than 15 years of experience in education as a teacher, organizer and nonprofit leader. He serves…

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Ciara Hart

Ciara Hart

External Relations Manager for Louisiana

Ciara Hart serves as the external relations manager for Ed Trust in Louisiana, where she focuses on consistent community…

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Tramelle Howard, J.D.
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Tramelle Howard, J.D.

Louisiana State Director

Tramelle Howard is an educator, community advocate and a deep believer in the urgent need to advance equity in…

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Lynn C. Jennings, Ph.D
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Lynn C. Jennings, Ph.D

Senior Director of National and State Partnerships

Lynn C. Jennings, Ph.D., is the senior director of national and state partnerships for The Education Trust. She leads…

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Chanthy Lopes Toro

Chanthy Lopes Toro

Assistant Director for Engagement and Communications for Massachusetts

In her role, Chanthy works alongside students, families, and community advocates to build urgency and collective will through meaningful…

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Reginald Nash, MPP
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Reginald Nash, MPP

Assistant Director, State Advocacy & Engagement

As assistant director, State Advocacy & Engagement, Reginald leads our strategic partnerships and capacity-building efforts with equity-centered coalitions…

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Reid Setzer
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Reid Setzer

Director of Government Affairs

Reid serves as the organization's director of government affairs, working to leverage policy analysis as well as legislative tactics…

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Andrea Thurston

Andrea Thurston

Senior Higher Education Policy Analyst for Texas

Andrea manages and evaluates research projects to identify structures and policies that support Texas students' postsecondary persistence and completion…

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Jennie Williamson

Jennie Williamson

State Director for Massachusetts

Jennie Williamson is the State Director for The Education Trust-Massachusetts, where she leads the development and implementation of the…

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Blair Wriston

Blair Wriston

Senior Government Affairs Manager

Blair serves as senior government affairs manager, working alongside the director of government affairs and other members of the…

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Emily Young

Emily Young

Associate, Advocacy and Engagement

Emily Young is an associate for advocacy and engagement. In this role, she acts as a bridge between the…

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