Amid intense polarization and concerns for America's youth, Carnegie Corporation of New York’s Profiles in Collective Leadership empowers local leaders to create partnerships that help students achieve meaningful education, fulfilling careers, and civic engagement. Through a competitive national process, the Corporation awarded grants to 10 winners from various fields—such as medicine, business, technology, and public schooling—with the goal of joining forces to help low-income students thrive and participate in their communities. The recognized collaborations serve students from a mix of rural, suburban, and urban areas across eight states.
Join us on July 17 at 3 p.m. ET to chat with three winners from Carnegie Corporation of New York’s Profiles in Collective Leadership: Dr. Kim Alexander (Founder of Collegiate Edu-Nation), Michael Matsuda (Superintendent of Anaheim Union High School District), and Andrea Russell (Program Manager of IU Health Fellowship). The panel will be co-moderated by LaVerne Evans Srinivasan (Vice President of Carnegie Corporation of New York’s National Program and program director for Education), Jade Grieve (Chief of Student Pathways for NYC Public Schools), and Michael Petrilli (President of the Thomas B. Fordham Institute).
Dr. Kim Alexander grew up on a farm near Roscoe, Texas where his family has been farming and ranching since 1917. Dr. Alexander has farmed and ranched in that area since graduation from college in 1976. He was employed by the Roscoe Independent School District in 1988, where he served as superintendent from 2003 to 2019. Since 2019, he has served as CEO of Collegiate Edu-Nation. During his doctoral research, Dr. Alexander became involved in a study investigating differentiated instruction for economically disadvantaged learners. This led to additional, extensive research into understanding generational poverty more effectively. As a result of that research, Roscoe Collegiate ISD became the first rural schoolwide Early College High School in Texas in 2009 and a schoolwide STEM Academy in 2012, which evolved into the first rural schoolwide P-TECH Academy in 2017. In 2019, the Roscoe Model became a 501 C (3) Non-profit, Collegiate Edu-Nation.
Jade Grieve is the Chief of Student Pathways for NYC Public Schools, part of Chancellor Banks’ senior leadership team and overseeing the district’s significant expansion of career-connected learning, strengthening of college and career readiness and computer science education. Jade leads the Office of Student Pathways which oversees career connected learning initiatives such as FutureReadyNYC, Career Readiness & Modern Youth Apprenticeship, and Career Technical Education programs in close to 300 high schools in partnership with key postsecondary and employer partners like CUNY, SUNY, Northwell Health, Google, NYC CEO Jobs Council, Google & JP Morgan Chase. In addition, the Office of Student Pathways supports counselors and advisors across the city to ensure all students graduate with a strong postsecondary plan and other critical initiatives to ensure students are accessing critical skills necessary for college and career success such as the Computer Science public-private partnership. Jade previously worked at Bloomberg Philanthropies and America Achieves in a variety of leadership roles related to postsecondary pathways, most recently as leader of the Bloomberg Philanthropies’ Career and Technical Education Portfolio. She has also worked extensively in federal and state agencies of the Australian government, including as Senior Education Advisor to the Prime Minister and Education Minister of Australia.
Michael Matsuda is a nationally recognized 21st century educational leader known for innovation, entrepreneurship, and compassion. Under his leadership, the Anaheim Union High School District has built a new educational model incorporating “reverse engineered” career pathways in partnership with higher education, private, and non-profit sectors, which have extended and transformed educational opportunities for all students. Since becoming superintendent in 2014, Mr. Matsuda has earned several accolades, including: one of twelve national “Leaders to Learn From” Award from Education Week Magazine, the “Visionary Education Leadership Award” from Cal State University, Fullerton, the California Association for Bilingual Education (CABE) Administrator of the Year Award, an honorary “Doctor of the University” from Chapman University, and an Outstanding Community Partner Award from the UCI School of Education. Additionally, Mr. Matsuda was named the California Council for the Social Studies Administrator of the Year for promoting democracy in public schools.
Michael J. Petrilli is president of the Thomas B. Fordham Institute, research fellow at Stanford University’s Hoover Institution, executive editor of Education Next, editor in chief of the Education Gadfly Weekly, and host of the Education Gadfly Show podcast. An award-winning writer, he is the author of The Diverse Schools Dilemma, editor of Education for Upward Mobility, and co-editor of How to Educate an American and Follow the Science to School. An expert on charter schools, school accountability, evidence-based practices, and trends in test scores and other student outcomes, Petrilli has published opinion pieces in the New York Times, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg, and Slate, and appears frequently on television and radio. Petrilli helped to create the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Innovation and Improvement and the Policy Innovators in Education Network. He lives with his family in Bethesda, Maryland.
Andrea Russell is the Program Manager of the Mosaic Center for Work, Life + Learning. She leads the day-to-day execution of the IU Health High School Fellowship program and manages partnerships with Indianapolis Public Schools, the Center for Leadership Development, Ivy Tech Community College, and other community-based entities. From creating care transition programs to improving human experiences, Andrea is passionate about cultivating talent, developing others, advocating for their needs, and creating authentic human connections.
A proud Indianapolis native, Andrea dedicates her time, expertise, and energy to serving and collaborating with agencies focused on education, youth, and community development. She has nearly two decades of mentorship, consulting, and program development experience, including the past 14 years spent improving and championing team member and patient experiences at IU Health. Andrea graduated from Purdue University with dual bachelor’s degrees in Industrial Technology and Industrial Distribution and holds a Masters of Science in Health Administration from the Indiana University School of Medicine.
LaVerne Evans Srinivasan is the vice president of the Corporation’s National Program and the program director for Education. She oversees grantmaking and other activities aimed at engaging parents and communities, improving teaching and leadership for learning, advancing innovative learning environment designs, providing K–12 pathways to college and career success, and fostering integrated approaches to innovation and learning in the field of education. Srinivasan began her career at law firm Shearman and Sterling LLP. In 1993, she joined BMG Entertainment as senior director of legal and business affairs, rising to senior vice president of legal and business affairs and general counsel worldwide. She is a graduate of Harvard College and Harvard Law School. Srinivasan serves on the board of trustees of ETS, as well as on the advisory boards of College Promise Campaign, EdTech Evidence Exchange, Education Equity Lab, Global Science of Learning for Education Network, and Reach Higher and on the governing boards for Grantmakers for Education (GFE) and ETS.
