FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Chiefs for Change, a bipartisan network of state and district education chiefs, today announced the eighth cohort of its Future Chiefs leadership development program:
- Kimberlee Armstrong—Deputy Superintendent, Evergreen Public Schools, Washington (newly named superintendent of Portland Public Schools, July 1, 2024)
- Harold Border—Chief Strategy Officer, Orange County Public Schools, Florida
- Faviola Cantú—Chief Academic Officer, Aldine Independent School District, Texas
- Jermaine Dawson—Deputy Superintendent, The School District of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Wanda Paul—Chief of Strategy and Innovation, Broward County Public Schools, Florida
- Cheryl Proctor—Deputy Superintendent of Instructional & School Communities, Portland Public Schools, Oregon
- Kelvin Roldán—Deputy Commissioner, Rhode Island Department of Education, Rhode Island
- Heather Sánchez—Chief of Schools, Bellevue School District, Washington
- Luis Solano—Deputy Superintendent, Detroit Public Schools Community District, Michigan
- Fabby Williams—Deputy Superintendent, Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools, North Carolina
Chiefs for Change is committed to building the pipeline of bold, talented and diverse K-12 leaders. Future Chiefs are the changemakers of tomorrow, eager to take on the top role and transform the future of our nation’s schools. Through the highly competitive 18-month Future Chiefs program, these emerging leaders engage in collaborative learning experiences, gaining on the necessary skills and tools for impactful leadership. With the support and mentorship of tenured members from the Chiefs for Change network, the program primes participants to lead as superintendents in large districts or state education systems.
“We created the Future Chiefs program to cultivate a group of robust leaders who are ready to serve and boldly face the challenges affecting the current education landscape. As superintendents and stakeholders in education, we have a responsibility, to support the next generation of leaders by sharing our learnings and experience,” said Chiefs for Change CEO Robert Runcie. “The participants in our latest Future Chiefs cohort will play a pivotal role in reshaping public education as systems move into this next phase of post-pandemic recovery. Our network will support their journey and stay committed to striving for education equity and excellence for all students.”
Participants of the Future Chiefs program receive training and benefits including systems management; a variety of virtual and in-person expert-led sessions; shadowing current chiefs; individualized coaching; media preparation and board relations, and access to intensive job search and placement supports. The program combines support from cohort peers with highly customized mentorship from former superintendents who serve as chiefs in residence, current systems leaders, and other experts.
Diversity, equity and inclusion are core to the Future Chiefs program: 80 percent of those in Cohort 8 are leaders of color and 50 percent are women. The group is also politically and geographically diverse.
Of the 58 leaders who made up the first seven cohorts of the Future Chiefs program, 55 percent have become superintendents or state chiefs, including, in the last 18 months:
- Andrea Castañeda–Salem-Keizer Public Schools, Oregon
- Terry Connor—Sarasota County Schools, Florida
- Susana Córdova—Colorado Department of Education
- Devon Horton—DeKalb County School District, Georgia
- Arsenio Romero—New Mexico Public Education Department, New Mexico
- Keisha Scarlett—Saint Louis Public Schools, Missouri
To learn more about the Future Chiefs program, visit https://www.chiefsforchange.org/future-chiefs-program/.
About Chiefs for Change
Chiefs for Change is a nonprofit, bipartisan network of diverse state and district education chiefs dedicated to preparing all students for today’s and tomorrow’s world through deeply committed leadership. Chiefs for Change advocates for policies and practices that make a difference for students and advance next-generation leadership among chiefs and their teams. For more information, visit chiefsforchange.org.
