The Broad Center Staff

---

The Broad Center for the Management of School Systems

Becca Bracy Knight
Executive Director, The Broad Center for the Management of School Systems
Email: bbracyknight@broadcenter.org

Becca Bracy Knight is executive director of The Broad Center for the Management of School Systems. Previously, Bracy Knight was a director of The Broad Foundation and was responsible for managing numerous grants and two of the Foundation’s flagship initiatives: The Broad Prize for Urban Education and The Broad Superintendents Academy. Earlier in her career, she was regional director of K-12 programs for Kaplan Learning Services, family services director for the Salvation Army’s South Central Los Angeles Youth Project, and a Healthy Start coordinator in San Francisco. Bracy Knight also worked in Oakland on major school reform initiatives through Partners in School Innovation. She has held leadership positions in the AmeriCorps National Service Program and its precursor, the Summer of Service. Bracy Knight received her bachelor’s degree in science, technology and society from Stanford University.

Jelena Dobic
Operations Manager
Email: jdobic@broadcenter.org  

Jelena Dobic is operations manager for The Broad Center for the Management of School Systems. She is responsible for managing all logistical and operational aspects of The Broad Center's offices in Los Angeles and Oakland. Dobic most recently served as grants administration specialist and program manager for the Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center at UCLA. She also served as chief of staff to the president of Career Group Inc., paralegal at several law offices, program coordinator at the Massachusetts Parole Board, and account manager at the Defense Research Institute in Boston. Dobic holds a bachelor's degree in criminal justice and international relations from Northeastern University and joint master's degrees in criminal justice and public administration with a concentration in public and social policy from Suffolk University in Boston.



---




The Broad Residency in Urban Education 

Chaka Booker
Director of Recruitment and Selection
Email: residency@broadcenter.org  

Chaka Booker is director of recruitment and selection for The Broad Residency in Urban Education. Prior to joining The Broad Center, Booker worked in the public sector, first as the founder and director of A+ Services, a tutorial company operating within the Los Angeles Unified School District, and then as director of education for Star Inc., a provider of after-school enrichment, curriculum development and supplemental education services. He also worked for William Morris Consulting, where he evaluated partnership opportunities and analyzed potential Fortune 500 clients. Booker received his bachelor’s degrees in economics and psychology from the University of California, Los Angeles and an M.B.A. from Stanford University.
 

Pete Cordero
Director of Resident Development
Email: pcordero@broadcenter.org  

Pete Cordero is director of resident development for The Broad Residency in Urban Education. In this role, he focuses on leadership development, supervisor relationships and all aspects of the resident experience that happen outside of the professional development sessions. Cordero is a graduate of TBR 2007-2009 and most recently served as director of school support services at Partnership to Uplift Communities (PUC) Schools in Los Angeles. During his time at PUC he designed, implemented, and executed a robust performance management system for central office and school staff, including a pay for performance system. He also worked with central office departments in a consultancy role to identify areas of operational improvement and move prioritized projects to fruition. Previously, he served as director of sales and marketing for DKN Hotels Inc, as national sales director for Kaplan Inc and as regional sales director for Automatic Data Processing (ADP). Cordero holds a bachelor's degree in psychology from the University of Southern California and an M.B.A. from The Graziadio School of Business at Pepperdine University.

Mara Krilanovich
Associate Director of Resident Training
Email: mkrilanovich@broadcenter.org  

Mara Krilanovich is associate director of resident training for the Broad Residency in Urban Education. Krilanovich manages the curriculum for The Broad Residency and oversees all aspects of the professional development sessions. She has extensive instructional design and project management experience from her work in corporate and education training. Prior to joining The Broad Center, Krilanovich was a training manager with Genentech where she developed over 100 distinct modules in technical and soft skills during the four years she was there. Prior to that she served as academic program manager at Heald College where she designed, implemented and managed both individual courses and the entire curriculum for the business and general education programs. For the ten years leading to her work at Broad, she continued part-time teaching at the college level in topics such as psychology (leadership and motivation), sociology, business, and English. She holds a bachelor's degree in psychology from San Francisco State University, a master's degree in industrial and organizational psychology from Golden Gate University, and is completing her doctorate in international and multicultural education at the University of San Francisco. Her dissertation examines the impact of identity and self-efficacy on the intention to persist in college for Latino youth.  

Julie Lee
Operations Manager
Email: jlee@broadcenter.org  

Julie Lee is operations manager for The Broad Residency in Urban Education and is responsible for managing all logistical aspects of the program. Prior to joining The Broad Center, Lee worked as executive assistant and coordinator of education programs at The Santa Barbara Museum of Art. She has also served as an English as a Second Language (ESL) and kindergarten teacher in Los Angeles. Lee has a bachelor’s degree in communication and fine art from the University of Wisconsin at Madison. 

Karen Lee
Associate Director of Recruitment and Selection
Email: residency@broadcenter.org  

Karen Lee is associate director of recruitment and selection for The Broad Residency in Urban Education. Lee has most recently served as senior admissions consultant with M.B.A. Exchange. Prior to that, she managed the M.B.A. and analyst leadership development programs as well as M.B.A. and analyst recruitment at DaVita, an S&P 500 / Fortune 500 healthcare company, recruiting and coaching M.B.A.'s and analysts from top schools for roles in strategic finance, general management, and strategy/internal consulting. Lee has a bachelor's degree in sociology from the University of California, Los Angeles, an M.B.A. from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University and a master's degree in sociology from the University of California, San Diego. 

Lynn Liao
Managing Director
Email: lliao@broadcenter.org  

Lynn Liao is managing director of The Broad Residency in Urban Education. She is responsible for all aspects of the program, including recruitment, selection, professional development and alumni support. Prior to joining The Broad Center, Liao served as director at The Broad Foundation and was responsible for the Foundation’s portfolio of investments in district and national principal leadership programs. She also served as the Foundation’s liaison with districts including New York City, San Diego and Philadelphia. Before joining The Broad Foundation, Liao worked with community-based organizations and education technology companies to improve learning experiences for students and teachers. She formerly managed an online math tutoring program for SCORE! Learning Corporation’s Internet division. Liao has also served as an AmeriCorps member and then later as a board member for Partners in School Innovation. She also was a consultant for McKinsey & Company, an international strategy consulting firm. Liao has a bachelor’s degree in political economy from the University of California, Berkeley and an M.B.A. and master’s degree in education from Stanford University.
 

Missy Longshore
Special Projects Manager 
Email: mlongshore@broadcenter.org   

Missy Longshore is special projects manager of The Broad Residency in Urban Education. She applies her analytic and project management skills to various TBR program areas including budget, evaluation, leadership development, and resident assignments. Longshore most recently worked at Commongood Careers launching their west coast operation. Prior to that she managed the process of identifying, determining the criteria for selecting, and promoting New Door Venture's next social enterprise serving at-risk youth, including a detailed business plan and comprehensive five-year financial projections. Longshore also worked as a project manager at TDC, a non-profit management consulting firm after business school. Prior to business school she had a lead role in an advocacy organization to abolish the death penalty and served as a project coordinator at PBS. Longshore holds a bachelor’s degree in government from Smith College in Massachusetts and an M.B.A. with a concentration in public and nonprofit management from Boston University's Graduate School of Management.
 

Ashley Martenson
Outreach Associate
Email: residency@broadcenter.org  

Ashley Martenson is operations associate of The Broad Residency in Urban Education and is responsible for assisting with the recruitment and selection process. Before joining The Broad Center, she worked at The Broad Foundation supporting several teams, with a primary focus on investments in leadership and talent development within national organizations and school districts. Martenson also worked as assistant director of marketing and office manager for the Huntington Learning Center in Huntersville, N.C. She was also a technical recruiter and teacher assistant. Martenson holds a bachelor's degree in mathematics from North Carolina State University. 

Michael Montoya
Deputy Director
Email: mmontoya@broadcenter.org 

Michael Montoya is deputy director of The Broad Residency in Urban Education. He is responsible for supporting all aspects of program management, including the application, screening, and evaluation process for school districts and Charter Management Organizations. Montoya also plays an intricate role in the design and execution of the training sessions for The Broad Residency. Montoya came to The Broad Center from the Y & H Soda Foundation, where he served as program officer for education and youth development programs. He previously spent four years at Stanford University's John W. Gardner Center as a policy and program specialist. Montoya also worked as undergraduate admissions counselor at the University of Chicago, as director of science education outreach at the University of California, San Diego, as director of youth education and formation at the Diocese of Colorado Springs, and as education coordinator and admissions officer at Up With People International Service Organization. Montoya holds a bachelor's degree in biology from Colorado College and a master's degree in social science from the University of Chicago. 

Kathleen Schelle
Operations Associate
Email: kschelle@broadcenter.org  

Kathleen Schelle is operations associate of The Broad Residency in Urban Education and is responsible for all operational aspects related to supporting the training sessions. Previously, she worked as senior polling project manager at a political research firm. In addition, she has gained event management experience working on a gubernatorial election and as senior banquet staff for a country club in Colorado. Schelle has a bachelor’s degree in international affairs with an emphasis in french and national security from the University of Colorado at Boulder. 



---




The Broad Superintendents Academy

Arlene Ackerman
Faculty Advisor
CEO, The School District of Philadelphia  

Arlene Ackerman currently serves as superintendent of The School District of Philadelphia, the eighth largest district in the nation, serving more than 167,000 students in more than 280 schools. Ackerman also serves as a faculty advisor to The Broad Superintendents Academy. Ackerman has served in public education for more than 33 years, most recently as superintendent of the San Francisco Unified School District. Previously, she served as superintendent of the District of Columbia Public Schools. Her other experience includes working as an elementary and middle school teacher; middle school principal, director of Upward Bound Program for first generation college-bound students; director of Basic Skills Academy for at-risk high school youth, assistant superintendent of special services, assistant superintendent for curriculum, instruction and academic achievement, and deputy superintendent/chief academic officer. Ackerman has a bachelor’s degree in elementary education from Harris Stowe Teachers College in St. Louis, a master’s degree in educational administration and policy from Washington University in St. Louis, and a master’s degree and doctorate in administration, planning and social policy from the Harvard Graduate School of Education.

Melissa Crow
Deputy Director, Recruitment
Email: mcrow@broadcenter.org  

Melissa Crow is deputy director of recruitment for The Broad Superintendents Academy. In this role, Crow is responsible for overseeing the annual recruitment campaign for the Academy’s public education and public sector candidates. Crow most recently served as a senior associate and professional development leader at Korn/Ferry International, a leading executive search firm. Earlier in her career she worked with Management Options, Inc., which provides third party management services for trade groups and non-profits, as well as select advocacy services. While in business school, she was a summer associate with Credit Suisse USA. Melissa holds a bachelor's degree in economics from Brigham Young University and an M.B.A. from the Leonard N. Stern School of Business at New York University. 

Greg Francis
Curriculum Manager
Email: gfrancis@broadcenter.org   

Greg Francis is curriculum manager for The Broad Superintendents Academy. In this role, he develops and revises curriculum for both The Broad Superintendents Academy and The Broad Residency in Urban Education. Previously, Francis was a curriculum specialist for the Stanford Program on International and Cross-Cultural Education at Stanford University, where he developed curriculum units for secondary students and conducted training workshops for teachers. He also worked as a program operations analyst for the World Bank Group, as a research analyst for Menlo Consulting Group, and as a language teacher in Japan through the Japan Exchange and Teaching Program. Francis holds a bachelor’s degree in international relations from Stanford University, a master’s degree in Latin American studies from the Universidad Andina Simón Bolívar in Ecuador, and has completed graduate-level coursework in educational technology at the University of Hawaii. 

Christina Heitz
Managing Director
Email: cheitz@broadcenter.org  

Christina Heitz is managing director of The Broad Superintendents Academy. She is responsible for all aspects of the program including recruitment, selection, session design and training, and professional development. Heitz joined The Broad Center from The Broad Foundation, where she worked on a national campaign to raise public awareness about the current crisis in education. Prior to her work with The Broad Foundation, Heitz served in leadership roles at AT&T, Northpoint Communications and SBC Communications. Heitz started her career as a brand manager with Ralston Purina. She has a bachelor’s degree in economics from Duke University and an M.B.A. from the J.L. Kellogg Graduate School of Management at Northwestern University. 

Carla McLoughlin
Recruitment Project Manager
Email: academy@broadcenter.org    

Carla McLoughlin is recruitment project manager of The Broad Superintendents Academy and is responsible for assisting with the recruitment and selection process. McLoughlin most recently worked as an independent consultant for companies such as Disney, Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles, and Johnson & Johnson. Previously, she served as director of development at the Paley Center for Media, senior marketing manager at eToys.com and marketing manager at Disney Consumer Products. McLoughlin holds a bachelor’s degree in english and psychology from Denison University and an M.B.A. from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. 

Thomas Payzant
Superintendent-in-Residence
Former Superintendent, Boston Public Schools  

Thomas W. Payzant is superintendent-in-residence of The Broad Superintendents Academy and the former superintendent of Boston Public Schools. Payzant’s teaching career began in 1963 at Belmont High School in Massachusetts. He then taught junior high school for two years in Tacoma, Wash. His first superintendency was with the School District of Springfield Township in Montgomery County, Pa. Subsequently, he was superintendent of the Eugene Public Schools in Oregon, Oklahoma City Public Schools and the San Diego Unified School District. In March of 1993, Payzant was appointed by President Bill Clinton to serve as assistant secretary for elementary and secondary education in the U.S. Department of Education. Payzant led the department’s delegation to Congress when it enacted the Improving America’s Schools Act (IASA), which reauthorized the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965. He also worked closely with the administration to enact passage of the Goals 2000: Educate America Act, the Safe Schools Act, and the School-to-Work Opportunities Act. Payzant received his bachelor’s degree in American history and literature from Williams College and a master’s degree in teaching and a doctorate in education from Harvard University. 

Laura Schwalm
Faculty Advisor
Superintendent, Garden Grove Unified School District 

Laura Schwalm currently serves as superintendent of the Garden Grove Unified School District in California. The 50,000-student district maintains 70 schools and serves most of Garden Grove and portions of Santa Ana, Westminster, Fountain Valley, Cypress, Stanton, and Anaheim. Schwalm also serves as faculty advisor to The Broad Superintendents Academy. Schwalm joined the Garden Grove Unified School District in 1973 as a teacher, working over the years at both the elementary and high school levels. She went on to serve as elementary principal, high school assistant principal, director of K-12 educational services, director of employer/employee relations, assistant superintendent of personnel, and associate superintendent of business personnel. Schwalm received her doctorate from the University of Southern California, her master's degree from Cal-State Fullerton, and her bachelor's degree from University of California, Riverside. 

Brandi Sims
Operations Associate
Email: bsims@broadcenter.org 
 
Brandi Sims is operations associate of The Broad Superintendents Academy and is responsible for managing all logistical aspects of the program. Previously, she was responsible for the operations related to recruitment, selection and training for The Broad Residency in Urban Education. Prior to joining The Broad Center, Sims was legal assistant at the Mohajerian Law Corporation. She also worked as assistant director of the Howard University High School Forensics Academy. Sims holds a bachelor’s degree in communication and culture with a minor in philosophy from Howard University. 

Marc Terry
Director, Recruitment
Email: mterry@broadcenter.org   

Marc Terry is director of recruitment for The Broad Superintendents Academy. In this role, Terry is responsible for overseeing annual recruitment campaigns for the Academy’s military and government candidates. Terry most recently served as manager of talent acquisition for Electronic Arts, where he managed all recruitment activities for the company’s Los Angeles campus. He also worked for seven years as a senior recruiter for The Walt Disney Company. Terry holds bachelor’s degrees in marketing and english literature from Indiana University. 

John O. Simpson
Superintendent-in-Residence
Former Advisor, Stupski Foundation 

John Simpson is superintendent-in-residence for The Broad Superintendents Academy. Prior to joining The Broad Center, he was an advisor to the Stupski Foundation, which he joined in October, 2004 as senior executive to provide support for policy development, legacy development and Foundation strategic planning. Working from an equity agenda, the Stupski Foundation seeks to positively impact the quality of public education to increase life options for children of color and those living in poverty. One of the most effective contributions the Foundation makes is at the district level of reform, promoting whole systems of excellent schools. Simpson also served as a superintendent-in-residence and executive coach, providing leadership for teams of internal and external experts who support district sub-systems infrastructure development and capacity development of school building, senior district level, superintendents and board leadership. In June, 2006, Simpson was charged with leading the District Alliance Program, which builds partnerships with public school district leaders to create high performance learning organizations that raise student achievement and close achievement gaps. He is currently managing a portfolio of networking transition grants and services to partnership districts. Prior to joining the Stupski Foundation, Simpson served as superintendent of schools in Norfolk, Virginia. As a result of his efforts, the achievement gaps between minority and majority students in Norfolk were narrowed and all student groups made significant strides towards full state accreditation under the Virginia Standards of Learning. In 2005, Norfolk Public Schools received the Broad Prize for Urban Education. Previously, Simpson was superintendent of schools in Ann Arbor, Michigan and Unit District 187 in North Chicago, Illinois. In addition, he has served in various administrative and teaching posts in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, Washington, D.C., Wilmington and Newark, Delaware and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Because of his work in Norfolk, Simpson has been appointed to several state and national workgroups and currently is on the Board Director for The New Teachers Project. In 1999, the National Alliance of Black School Educators awarded Simpson the Ida B. Wells Risk-Takers Award. And, in 2002, the Council of the Great City Schools awarded Simpson the Richard R. Green Award in recognition of outstanding service to urban public education. In 2004, he was honored by receiving the Hampton Roads Black Media Professional’s Education Award; the Norfolk Alumni Chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi Outstanding Community Leader Award; and the National Conference for Community and Justice’s Humanitarian Award. In May, 2004, Simpson was named “State Superintendent of the Year” by the Virginia Association of School Superintendents. 



---




Network Services

Michelle Keith
Director, Network Services
Email: skeith@broadcenter.org  

Michelle Keith serves as director of network services. In this role, she provides job placement, networking and support services for graduates of The Broad Superintendents Academy. Keith was the co-founder and vice president of Michigan Leadership Institute, a private firm dedicated to local public sector leadership development and placement.. Keith’s career also includes over 20 years of higher education experience in the areas of human resources, planning and governance. As a human resources officer at Iowa State University and as the director of human resources at Northwestern Michigan College, she has had extensive professional experience in recruitment, employment, compensation and professional development. Keith earned a bachelor’s degree in family environment and a master’s degree in industrial relations from Iowa State University. 

Timothy Quinn
Managing Director, Network Services
Email: tquinn@broadcenter.org   

Timothy G. Quinn currently serves as managing director of network services for The Broad Center, after having served as managing director of The Broad Superintendents Academy from its inception in 2001 through 2006. He was the founder and president of the Michigan Leadership Institute, a private firm dedicated to local public sector leadership development and placement. Quinn’s career spans teaching and administration at all levels of public education from K-12 through university. He served as superintendent of Green Bay Public Schools in Wisconsin, as Wisconsin’s deputy state superintendent of instruction, and as chief academic officer and then president of Northwestern Michigan College. Quinn also served as founding CEO of the University of Michigan’s and the state of Michigan’s first virtual university. Quinn earned a bachelor’s degree in English language and literature and a master’s degree in education from Eastern Michigan University and a doctorate in educational leadership from The University of Michigan. He has also received honorary doctoral degrees from Eastern Michigan, Central Michigan and Grand Valley State Universities. 

Rachael Shrout
Operations Manager, Network Services
Email: rshrout@broadcenter.org   

Rachael Shrout is operations manager for The Broad Center’s network services team. In this role, she is responsible for managing the logistical and administrative aspects of network services for both The Broad Superintendents Academy and The Broad Residency. Prior to joining The Broad Center, Shrout served as recruitment coordinator for DreamWorks SKG. She also served as recruitment director and field organizer for a political fundraising organization in Boston. Shrout holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Occidental College.