Janice Crawford

Executive Director, Memphis

Janice returned to Memphis in 2010 to assume the role of executive director of New Leaders, Memphis, after serving as a senior fellow with the Ball Foundation outside of Chicago. The Foundation partners with urban school districts to help create high performance education systems in which all students learn at high levels regardless of race, national origin, socioeconomic status, native language, or culture. Her experience includes implementing principles of whole system transformation with school and district staff, strategic planning, and supporting professional learning communities. Prior to joining the Foundation, Janice served as executive director for Communications and Administrative Services for Memphis City Schools, where she also taught high school English. In addition, Janice has worked for the Los Angeles County Office of Education and Chancellor’s Office and the California State University system. She received her Bachelor of Arts in journalism/education/English from the University of Memphis and a master’s degree in public relations/education from Rowan College.

Maggie Blinn DiNovi

Executive Director, Chicago

Before joining New Leaders as the executive director of the Chicago office in 2008, Maggie was a strong advocate, partner, and supporter of the program. Maggie began her association with New Leaders in 2003 while working for The Chicago Public Education Fund (The Fund) on their principal investment portfolio. Her work with The Fund included assisting in the creation of the Office of Principal Preparation and Development (OPPD), which was charged with designing and implementing a district-wide strategy to prepare, develop and support outstanding principal leaders. In 2005, Maggie joined OPPD as Deputy Chief Officer. Prior to her work at Chicago Public Schools and The Fund, Maggie was a corporate attorney at Sidley & Austin, focusing mainly on mergers and acquisitions and securities offerings.  Maggie was also a management consultant at McKinsey & Company, where she worked with corporate management teams to plan and implement strategies for achieving a superior competitive position. Maggie earned her law degree cum laude from the University of Chicago and graduated with highest honors from the University of Illinois at Champaign with a Bachelor of Science from the College of Commerce.

Marc Etienne

Executive Director, New York City/Newark

Marc Etienne serves as the executive director of our New York City and Newark programs. Marc joined New Leaders in 2007 as a leadership coach and has been the managing director of the NYC/Newark program since 2009, overseeing all aspects of program, operations, strategy and development for the two sites. Marc is a proud Cohort 2 New Leader who, prior to joining New Leaders, served as the founding principal of the Bronx Charter School for Excellence (BCSE), an independent elementary charter school. In addition to successfully leading the school through its incubation and start-up phase, Marc established the academic framework of the school as well as a culture deeply rooted in student efficacy and accountability for student success. Today BCSE ranks among the highest performing independent charter schools in New York City. Marc has spent the last 14 years teaching, coaching and leading in district and charter schools. Marc holds a bachelor’s degree from the University at Buffalo and a master’s degree from Baruch College.

Donald E. Fennoy II

Executive Director, Maryland

Before joining New Leaders in 2010 as the executive director of New Leaders, Maryland, Donald served as the principal of Phillip O. Berry Academy of Technology in Charlotte, N.C. When Donald accepted the principalship, Phillip O. Berry had been taken over by the state; after four years under his leadership, the school was a high-functioning academic powerhouse. In 2010, Donald and his team received the National School Change award, an honor presented annually to the six schools in the United States that have demonstrated the greatest turnaround in a two-year period. Donald’s introduction to New Leaders came when he agreed to mentor a Resident Principal in the Charlotte program during the 2009-2010 school year; he was impressed with the organization’s drive to take the work of school reform to scale. Donald graduated from Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University with a degree in Elementary Education. He went on to earn a master’s degree in educational leadership from the University of Central Florida, where he is currently pursuing his doctorate in educational leadership and administration.

Eric Guckian

Executive Director, Charlotte

Eric Guckian has spent his entire professional career working to narrow the achievement gap in our nation’s public schools. Before joining New Leaders as the executive director of New Leaders, Charlotte, in 2008, Eric was the executive director of Teach for America, North Carolina, where he worked in partnership with 10 urban and rural school districts and led the expansion of TFA into Charlotte. Over the course of his tenure with TFA (2000 – 2005), the size of teaching corps quadrupled and the annual fundraising base tripled. Most importantly, student achievement dramatically increased; students taught by TFA teachers in North Carolina had the highest student achievement outcomes in the country among their TFA peers according to ABC Accountability results. Eric has continued to play a leading role in North Carolina’s public school reform efforts, serving as the director of strategic partnerships for the North Carolina New Schools Project, a consultant to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and the leader of a strategic planning effort for KIPP. Eric began his professional career as an elementary science teacher and TFA corps member in the South Bronx. He has also taught in public schools in North Carolina and Massachusetts. Eric is a proud product of the public school system and a first generation college student. He earned his bachelor’s degree in English at Colgate University in 1993 and later received a master’s degree in education from Harvard University in 1998.

Michelle Pierre-Farid

Executive Director, Washington, D.C.

Michelle Pierre-Farid serves as the executive director of New Leaders, Washington, D.C. Before joining New Leaders in 2010, Michelle served as deputy chief academic officer for Friendship Public Charter Schools and principal of Friendship Southeast Academy, where she dramatically increased student achievement and won an EPIC award. Before joining Friendship, she was the principal of John Tyler Elementary School. When she arrived, Tyler was the lowest performing elementary school in D.C., but over her tenure, it saw dramatic gains in proficiency scores and was one of three schools to win the TEAM award for having more than 20 percent gains in one year. Michelle is a proud member of New Leaders Cohort 3 and served her Residency in D.C. Michelle graduated from Adelphi University with a Bachelor of Science in sociology and education and earned master’s degrees from Towson University in human resource development and Trinity University in school leadership. She is currently in the University of Pennsylvania’s Mid-Career doctorate program in educational leadership.

Kareem Weaver

Executive Director, Bay Area

Kareem Weaver, a Cohort 9 New Leader, will begin serving as the Bay Area executive director in late June. Kareem has a deep, impactful background in education, with nearly 16 years of teaching and leadership in Oakland Unified School District (OUSD). He currently serves as principal of Lazear Elementary, which has seen dramatic student achievement gains since Kareem assumed the principalship in 2010. In his first year as principal, Lazear accomplished double-digit proficiency gains in math, nearly seven times the district average. Morehouse College awarded him the Leadership, Vision, and Community Outreach Award for his steadfast, strategic work with the underserved. He also was awarded the 2011 OUSD Educational Leadership Award for his transformational work at Lazear. Kareem is an advocate for the health and betterment of urban children and disrupting patterns of dysfunction and inequity. Kareem earned Bachelor of Arts degrees in psychology and Spanish from Morehouse College.

Adren Wilson

Executive Director, Greater New Orleans

Adren Wilson assumed the role of executive director for our Greater New Orleans program in October 2011. Adren brings significant senior leadership experience, having served as the former assistant secretary of the Louisiana Department of Social Services, executive director of the Louisiana Governor’s Children’s Cabinet, and most recently as the national director of the Equity and Inclusion Campaign. Adren brings with him a deep knowledge of the New Orleans and Louisiana context and extensive experience in working to meet the needs of underserved children and families. He was recently the recipient of the Pinkie C. Wilkerson Humanitarian Award from the Louisiana Legislative Black Caucus. Adren has a Master in Public Administration from the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University and received Bachelor of Arts degrees in history and political science from Louisiana State University. He is currently pursuing a doctorate in public policy from the Nelson Mandela School of Public Policy and Urban Affairs at Southern University.