We are pleased to announce the appointment of Regan Balmoja as the head of antiracist organizational development for Teach For America Greater Chicago-Northwest Indiana. Regan is first person to fulfill this newly created role, established to hold the bar for our region’s antiracist strategy and transform the experience of our staff, corps members, alumni, partners, funders, and students so that we are disrupting white supremacy culture and advancing and sustaining equity for Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) communities in Chicagoland.

Regan joined Teach For America as a 2013 corps member in her home state of Hawai’i and holds deep conviction about the ways Teach For America has fought against racial inequity and is resolved to address the ways our organization has contributed to racial inequity. Regan is a visionary changemaker who believes in our potential to do better. As the head of antiracist organizational development, she will collaborate across our national and local staff to ensure the execution of our antiracist strategy and elevate the voices of BIPOC communities to highlight where we’re succeeding and where we’re still falling short. 

“Regan actively does the work outside of what is required of her,” said a second-year corps member who participated in the interview process, Nahara Franklin. “She continually works to remain well informed on the BIPOC experience and I cannot think of a better fit person for the position.”

Regan’s experience with her students has motivated her throughout her work in education and she dedicates her pursuit of equity to them. Since joining TFA staff in 2015, Regan has supported program members from the preservice stage through alumnihood across three regions and DEI learning and facilitation have remained a core element of her work and continuous learning. 

As a staff member, Regan mobilized TFA Orlando community members to create a Prism (LGBTQ+) Board, launched and co-leads a diverse antiracism committee at Swift Elementary School in Chicago, and is currently writing a racial literacy curriculum with award-winning global nonprofit. Regan is enrolled in a Diversity Equity and Inclusion in the Workplace certificate through the University of South Florida.