Dr. Lisa Herring

Dr. Lisa N. Herring is a nationally recognized education leader with more than 25 years of experience driving innovation and equity across America’s public school systems. She currently serves as Chief Executive Officer of New Leaders, where she leads the organization’s mission to deliver educational excellence for every student, expand opportunity for every educator, and drive lasting impact in every community.

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A proud native of Macon, Georgia, Dr. Herring has devoted her career to improving student outcomes, strengthening communities, and building systems that deliver opportunity at scale. She most recently served as President of PROPEL, the national innovation and learning hub for Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). At PROPEL, she oversaw partnerships with industry leaders such as Apple and Southern Company to create cutting-edge career pathways and expand opportunities for HBCU students and faculty nationwide. In 2023, she was also appointed as a Strategic Advisor to the U.S. Secretary of Education, bringing her perspective as a district leader to inform federal policy and practice.

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Prior to her national leadership roles, Dr. Herring served as Superintendent of Atlanta Public Schools (APS), guiding the district of more than 50,000 students through the unprecedented challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. Under her leadership, APS achieved the highest graduation rate in its 150-year history and became the only large urban district in the country to post significant gains in 4th grade reading on the 2022 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). She centered her tenure on advancing equity, expanding college and career pathways, and forging cross-sector partnerships to accelerate student success.

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Before joining APS, Dr. Herring was Superintendent of Birmingham City Schools (Alabama), where she led the system out of state takeover and restored full district accreditation for the first time in decades. She launched the district’s strategic plan, Force for Greatness 2018–2023, reduced the number of failing schools, and secured transformative public-private partnerships, including the creation of The Birmingham Promise for college and career readiness and the launch of Ed Farm, an Apple-supported initiative to expand technology access and coding skills for students and educators.

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Earlier in her career, Dr. Herring held senior leadership roles as Chief Academic Officer for Jefferson County Public Schools in Louisville, Kentucky, and Deputy Superintendent of Academics for Charleston County School District in South Carolina. She began her career as a high school English teacher and guidance counselor, experiences that continue to ground her belief in the power of educators to change lives.

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Dr. Herring holds a bachelor’s degree from Spelman College, a master’s degree from the University of South Carolina, and a doctorate in education from Georgia Southern University. She has also completed advanced leadership training through the Harvard Superintendents Institute and other national programs. A frequent speaker and advisor on educational leadership, equity, and innovation, she has been recognized as a leader who builds coalitions, navigates complex change, and delivers measurable results for students and communities.

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At New Leaders, Dr. Herring brings this breadth of experience to advance transformational educators, strengthen leadership pipelines, and ensure schools and communities become engines of economic and social mobility where every student can thrive.

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