Vitae
Professional Experience
Stride, Inc. (frmly K12, Inc.), Reston, VA 2022 - Present
SVP/GM, Stride Professional Development Center, 2022 – Present
· Founded Stride Professional Development, an e-commerce platform offering on-demand, mobile-friendly courses for educators. Established Stride as a leading provider of online educator professional development in the growing e-learning market, serving 25K educators and diversifying the company’s offerings.
· Direct business operations across product development, customer acquisition, marketing, sales, and go-to-market strategies with a $1.5M budget and team of 30 direct reports while strategically utilizing internal departments for marketing, sales, HR, and finance support.
· Grew Stride PD Center's course library to over 95 titles spanning various topics for K-12 teachers and administrators since launching in 2023.
· Orchestrate the comprehensive customer journey, optimizing conversion, engagement, and recurring revenue streams from initial awareness through long-term retention.
· Lead strategic go-to-market planning and execution, seamlessly integrating market research, product positioning, pricing strategies, promotional initiatives, and sales enablement efforts.
· Cultivate partnerships with 40+ schools/districts to enhance their professional development offerings through Stride's flexible, on-demand platform.
Senior Vice President/General Manager, School Management, East Region, 2018 – 2022
· Spearheaded strategic operations for 19 blended and online K-12 schools spanning 12 states, providing executive leadership to 30 direct reports and regional/field managers. Oversaw a workforce of 3,500 employees and managed a revenue portfolio of $600 million, ensuring operational excellence and fiscal accountability.
· Nurtured relationships with 501(c)(3) school boards and district leaders to ensure delivery of product value proposition.
· Fostered cross-functional collaboration and alignment across the organization to enable successful implementations of new programs, innovations, and strategic initiatives supporting school performance, innovation, and expansion efforts.
· Initiated and executed growth strategies for public schools, introducing new college and career models and advisory programs to enhance offerings across partner schools.
· Spearheaded company's $10M Scholarship initiative awarding private school scholarships to low-income African American students post-COVID.
· Established operational policies and performance standards to maintain consistent high-quality school/student experiences.
Vice President, School Leadership Development and School Support, 2014 - 2018
· Mentored and managed a team of 4 direct reports and annual budget of $2.5M.
· Designed and implemented the company's first suite of leadership development solutions to uplevel regional and school-based leader quality/effectiveness.
· Created the K12 School Leadership Excellence Framework (LEF), defining standards and best practices for blended and online school leaders.
· Designed training programs for aspiring, new, and experienced leaders in collaboration with HR to incorporate LEF standards into hiring and evaluation processes.
· Developed and managed the xCEL360 School Improvement Model for K12's national network, improving state report card grades for 80% of supported schools and lifting them out of corrective action. Spearheaded the adoption of successful practices like data dashboards and enhanced leader training across the network.
· Served as company spokesperson for the "Uniquely Brilliant" national marketing and enrollment campaign.
· Represented K12 on the National Caucus of Black State Legislators Education Committee.
NEW LEADERS, New York, New York 2012 – 2014
Executive Director, Aspiring Principals Program
· Led comprehensive redesign of the organization's flagship leadership development program, enhancing content, delivery, and implementation fidelity across 9 cities.
· Created and implemented a vision to improve planning and execution of New Leaders' foundational learning events for Resident Principals.
· Represented New Leaders on the Alliance to Reform Education Leadership, advocating for effective principal preparation.
· Redesigned curriculum to align program content with latest research on instructional leadership and adult learning principles.
K12, Inc., Herndon, VA 2008 - 2012
Vice President, Blended Schools, 2009 – 2012
· Promoted to design and oversee innovative blended school models integrating best practices of face-to-face and online instruction, generating $27M in annual revenue.
· Developed regional organizational accountability measures, utilizing the Balanced Scorecard approach to align goals across partner schools and K-12 institutions.
· Established collaborative relationships with multiple 501(c)(3) governing boards to ensure operational and academic excellence.
· Negotiated successful charter and contract renewals for schools across multiple states through strong governance and performance.
Senior Director, Urban Programs and School Development, 2008 – 2009
· Led research and development of programs and strategies to support at-risk students in virtual, urban hybrid, and blended learning models, focusing on effective interventions and personalized pathways.
ALEXANDRIA CITY PUBLIC SCHOOLS, Alexandria, VA 2002 – 2008
Principal, Cora Kelly School for Math, Science, and Technology
FAIRFAX COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS, Fairfax County, VA 1999 – 2002
Assistant Principal
NEWPORT NEWS PUBLIC SCHOOLS, Newport News, VA 1992 – 1999
Teacher - 1997 Teacher of the Year
Education
Ed. S. Educational Leadership & Policy Studies
George Washington University
M.A. Ed. Education Policy, Planning & Leadership
The College of William and Mary
B.A. Elementary Education
Hiram College