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Our Organization

Teach For America is a diverse network of leaders who work to confront the injustice of educational inequity through teaching, and at every sector of society. Learn how we are driving impact across the country to achieve our vision that one day, all children in this nation will have an opportunity to attain an excellent education.
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Who We Are

We are committed to profound systemic change. As a collective force—educators, advocates, entrepreneurs, policymakers, and community members—we fight for the aspirations of students and their families. Together, we shape the conversation about what's possible. From classrooms to districts to statehouses across America, we’re reimagining education to realize the day when every child has an equal opportunity to learn, to grow, to influence and to lead.

Significant progress in educational outcomes is happening in communities across the country. And TFA alumni and corps members are playing an essential role.

Through teaching in our public schools and partnering with children and families in communities that are most impacted by educational inequity, this network of changemakers is helping strengthen the education system and shape the future of our country.

The Power of Collective Leadership

Collective Leadership

Teach For America's CEO, Elisa Villanueva Beard (Phoenix '98), on the power of the TFA network working together to fight educational inequity and work to "create the world as it should be."

Executive Team

Our executive team includes national and local leaders  who have devoted their careers to ending educational inequity, several of whom are Teach For America alumni. Regardless of whether they started their career as corps members, our executives bring decades of experience from the education field and other fields that impact education.

Executive Cabinet

Our Executive Cabinet is Teach For America's primary governing body and is responsible for our overall progress towards our 10 year goal.
 Elisa Villanueva Beard Profile

Elisa Villanueva Beard

Phoenix '98

Chief Executive Officer

Teach For America

Elisa Villanueva Beard is the CEO of Teach For America. Elisa’s passion for educational equity comes from personal experience. She grew up in the Rio Grande Valley of South Texas and developed a deep commitment to Teach For America’s mission as a student at DePauw University, where she was one of just a few Mexican American students. Her journey with Teach For America started as a 1998 Phoenix corps member. Today, under her leadership, Teach For America corps members reach hundreds of thousands of students each year in nearly 2,000 schools across 37 states and the District of Columbia.

Alt text: TFA COO Jemina Bernard

Jemina Bernard

President and Chief Operating Officer

Teach For America

Jemina R. Bernard serves as Teach For America's President & Chief Operating Officer, bringing over two decades of invaluable leadership and service in education. In this role, she is dedicated to leading the organization to make meaningful progress for students across the country.

Tracy-Elizabeth Clay

Tracy-Elizabeth Clay

Executive Vice President, People & Administration

Teach For America

With a law degree from Harvard Law School, Tracy-Elizabeth Clay uses her knowledge of local and state policy advocacy, legal and risk management to support organizational needs to pursue Teach For America’s mission.

 

Alt text: Michelle Culver, SVP, Founder Reinvention Lab

Michelle Culver

Los Angeles '99

Senior Vice President, Founder Reinvention Lab

Teach For America

Michelle Culver is the Founder of the Reinvention Lab at Teach For America. As a dedicated advocate of the inherent power of young people to shape our ever-evolving world, she leads the team responsible for scaling and innovating Teach For America's reach to transform the future of learning.

Alt text: Dr. Nathalie Henderson, EVP, Corps Member and Alumni Leadership Development

Dr. Nathalie Henderson

St. Louis '03

Executive Vice President, Corps Member & Alumni Leadership Development

Teach For America

Dr. Nathalie Henderson serves as the Executive Vice President, Corps Member and Alumni Leadership Development for Teach For America, where she leads the full scope of the programmatic work for corps members from preservice to alumnihood.

A man wearing glasses and a collared shirt with a tie and beige jacket.

Steve Majors

Executive Vice President, Chief External Affairs Officer

Teach For America

Steve Majors is the Chief External Affairs Officer at Teach For America. In this role, Steve leads 5 exceptional teams with his over two decades of extensive experience in communications, marketing, and media.

Alt text: Allan Murray, Chief Digital & Technology Officer and Leader, Technology & Digital Experience Group

Alan Murray

Executive Vice President, Chief Digital & Technology Officer

Teach For America

Alan Murray is the Chief Digital & Technology Officer and leader of the Technology & Digital Experience group at Teach For America.  He leads a dynamic team of digital and IT professionals through the division’s transformation, bringing an agile mindset and focusing on turning IT into a strategic engine for growth.

Alt text: Joy Okoro EVP, Field Impact and Integration

Joy Okoro

Greater New Orleans '08

Executive Vice President, Field Impact & Integration

Teach For America

Joy leads Teach For America’s 45 regional teams and the executive leadership body, who are charged with ensuring our network of 5,000+ corps members (teachers), 60,000+ alumni and 1000+ staff members deliver on our promise to partner to end educational inequity and expand educational opportunities for all students -- particularly Black students,  Indigenous students, students of color and students living in poverty.

Alt text: TFA EVP, Growth, Whitney Petersmeyer

Whitney Petersmeyer

Executive Vice President, Growth

Teach For America

Whitney Petersmeyer is the Executive Vice President for Growth at Teach For America. She leads the work of the teams focused on scaling talent offerings through collaborative partnerships, addressing educational disparities and fueling Teach For America’s talent pool growth.

Crystal Rountree

Crystal Rountree

Metro Atlanta '03

Executive Vice President, Chief Revenue & Development Officer

Teach For America

Crystal Rountree is Chief Development & Revenue Officer at Teach For America. In this role, Crystal leads the team responsible for optimizing philanthropic partnerships and maximizing contributions to Teach For America’s impact.

Dr. Barbara Logan Smith

Chief of Equity & Belonging

Teach For America

Dr. Barbara Logan Smith is the Chief of Equity & Belonging at Teach For America. With 25 years of dedicated service in education, in this role, she leads and directs a passionate team committed to fostering racial equity, diversity, and inclusion, amplifying the mission of Teach For America.

Alt text: Noemi Wierwill, EVP Chief of Learning

Noemi Wierwille

New Jersey '01

Executive Vice President, Chief Learning Officer

Teach For America

Noemi Wierwille is a 2001 TFA New Jersey Alumna who has served as an educator and school leader inside and outside the United States. She uses her passion for education and experiences to help inform her leadership in driving programmatic improvements across org. 

Regional Leadership Teams

Teach For America has more than 50 regions, each led by an executive director and an advisory board. To learn more about our regional leadership and regional boards, visit our individual region websites.

Our Regions

Board of Directors

Our Board of Directors plays a critical role in developing Teach For America’s strategic plan and ensuring that we are able to meet the ambitious goals we set for ourselves.

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Lifetime Directors

Our Lifetime Directors have played a critical role on our national board for many years. We are deeply grateful for the ongoing advice, support, and advocacy that they continue to provide.

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National Advisory Board of The Collective

The Collective is Teach For America's association for alumni of color. The National Advisory Board of the Collective is composed of alumni of color who help lead national initiatives and provide strategic guidance to Teach For America's senior leadership.

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The Diversity of Our Network

Today, Teach For America is a force of over 69,000 alumni and corps members working in over 9,000 schools nationwide in pursuit of systemic change. Each of us brings unique strengths to this work based on our identities and life experiences. Here’s a snapshot of this diversity in action.