FLORIDA — After serving Teach For America in both Jacksonville and Central Florida, Lakeisha Wells-Palmer has been announced as the next Executive Director of Teach For America Miami-Dade, making her the first Executive Director to lead all three of Teach For America’s Florida regions; Jacksonville, Central Florida, and Miami-Dade. Wells-Palmer will take on this role following the departure of twelve year veteran, Samantha Hoare on May 31st, 2021. 

With 18 years of experience in education, Wells-Palmer has served as a teacher, instructional coach, assistant principal, and interim principal, and spent eight years on Teach For America Jacksonville’s team as the Managing Director of Program Continuum. Wells-Palmer said, “I have been fortunate to know and work with Sam Hoare for years and am inspired and grateful to continue her strong legacy of leadership. I am excited for the future and the opportunity to serve the Miami-Dade community.” 

Hoare’s planned departure at the end of the fiscal year creates an opportunity for Teach For America’s leadership team to center their vision for their state-wide strategy to deepen and expand their impact amplifying the One Florida vision. “Though this was a tough decision, I am excited for the work that is already underway, and the work that will continue in the years to come leveraging the strength of our collective One Florida network and the amazing work of my colleague LaKeisha as she leads and stewards Teach For America’s work forward in Jacksonville and Central Florida - and in the near future, Miami-Dade,” said Hoare.

“Helios Education Foundation and Teach for America have enjoyed a long-standing partnership focused on closing education equity gaps and ensuring all students, particularly low-income students, benefit from a high-quality education,” said Paul J. Luna, President and CEO, Helios Education Foundation. “We are excited to see the impact of Ms. Wells-Palmer’s leadership in South Florida as Teach For America seeks to serve more students in the years to come,” concluded Luna.  

This announcement comes as Teach For America prepares to launch their new national strategy in pursuit of their 10 year goal of impacting twice as many students in the communities they serve by 2030. “We see this moment of change as an opportunity to maximize our impact. With leadership and management led by Wells-Palmer in Jacksonville, Central Florida, and Miami-Dade, we can best meet the needs of our stakeholders, achieve financial sustainability, and maximize our impact across our existing communities,” said Wells-Palmer and Hoare in a joint statement. 

Contact: Courtney Salazar

Courtney.Salazar@teachforamerica.org