Board of Directors and Board of Advisors

Superintendents are defenders of our children’s right to a high-quality public education, leading their teams toward effective, sustainable solutions to age-old problems. They must be at the center of discussions around when, where, and how innovation will affect teaching and learning.

Many education solution providers, funders, researchers, and thought leaders are mission-driven: they do what they do to improve student outcomes.

The Institute for Education Innovation bridges the gaps between the individuals and organizations committed to seeing students succeed in school and life, creating a safe space for constructive problem-solving and innovative thinking.

Our Core Values

Continuous Professional Learning

High-quality, peer-to-peer learning opportunities set the stage for superintendents and edtech leaders to advance their professional and personal practice.
Community Stewardship

Summits bring together communities of practitioners improving outcomes for kids through creative thinking and strategic planning—we create a safe space for K–12 businesses and investors to learn from education leaders the issues ripe for innovative solutions.
Opportunity Cultivation

When educators broaden their professional and personal circles, they improve their ability to learn, grow, and problem-solve. In a dialog-rich environment, emerging and growth-oriented K–12 organizations can uncover potential partnership opportunities with innovative superintendents and the school systems they lead.

IEI Team

	Doug Roberts, Founder & CEO Doug has worked with leading ed-tech entrepreneurs and district administrators for almost 20 years, developing partnerships that improve outcomes for students and help nascent organizations get their "sea legs." As Founder and President of Educational Solutions Consulting, Doug found that there was a piece of the puzzle missing, a barrier between those who run school districts and those who start companies to help school districts. He partnered with some of the nation's most innovative educational leaders to form IEI to bridge that gap. A Princeton graduate, Doug is a former public high school social studies teacher and ed-tech business development executive who earned his Ed.M. in Teaching and Curriculum from the Harvard University Graduate School of Education.
	Sara Croll, Vice President Sara Croll has more than 15 years of experience in K-12 education. She has served as a classroom teacher, mentor, and instructional coach in diverse Title 1 schools throughout Florida. She has worked in the field for ed-tech companies and is a national speaker and author. Sara is a marketing expert in the K12 space creating a throughline between districts' needs and solutions available.
	Tiffany Law, Director of Events Tiffany has had a long and successful career in hospitality and event management, cutting her teeth in the restaurant business as a general manager specializing in launching restaurants from the ground up. At IEI, Tiffany leverages her talents to ensure every IEI attendee has a productive and stress-free experience from end to end. Tiffany’s passion and tireless efforts are the fuel that fires the IEI engine.
	Elvis Rosa, Operations and CRM Manager Elvis is our IT expert, having worked for global leaders for over ten years. His experience in the tech industry has been built upon making people's lives better by bringing smart-tech solutions to the businesses they interact with or work for. At IEI, he found a place that profoundly resigns with his core values and is committed to applying the finest technologies we have to serve our people.
	Jessica Cavallaro, Member & Partner Success Coordinator Jessica Cavallaro has worked in K-12 education for over 12 years, serving as an educator, curriculum developer and mentor. She has taught in New York, Connecticut and Florida in both public and private schools. Jessica is an Agile Certified Educator and holds a PSM 1 scrum certification. Jessica began working with edtech companies as a way to bring high quality education to students, but found her passion in creating lasting relationships with educational leaders to bring new innovative solutions to students across the country.
	Alexa Escobedo, Marketing Coordinator Alexa Escobedo has spent the last 10 years as a classroom teacher where she served in both private and public school settings. While teaching in Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified School District, she acted as a district liaison for her school site where she had the opportunity to work with district leaders on implementation plans, curriculum decision-making, and collaboration with other school sites. Now serving as IEI's Marketing Coordinator, she brings a fresh perspective on how to connect individuals and companies alike through social media outreach.

Board of Directors

	Mr. Matt Cole Matt is superintendent of New York’s Livonia School District. Before becoming superintendent, Cole served as Livonia’s elementary school principal, its curriculum coordinator/staff developer, and a social studies teacher.
	Dr. Paul Shaw Paul is a two-time State Superintendent of the Year who led Georgia’s White County School District and South Carolina’s York School District 1. He was a member of the Georgia School Superintendents Association’s board of directors and president of the South Carolina Association of School Superintendents.
	Ms. Patricia Sullivan-Kriss Patricia serves as superintendent of West Hempstead Union Free School District in New York. Prior to that, she led Hauppauge School District for ten years and has been a deputy superintendent, an assistant superintendent, an elementary principal, and a special education teacher. She and her husband have four children.

Advisors

	Dr. Mark Bedell Mark leads the Kansas City Public School District as superintendent. He was named “Superintendent to Watch” by the National School Public Relations Association and a “New Superintendent of the Year” by the Missouri Association of School Administrators.
	Dr. Mark Benigni Mark serves as the superintendent of Median Public Schools District. He shares his knowledge with the community through classes in school finances and educational leadership at Southern Connecticut State University and Middlesex Community College. Mark was previously the Mayor of the city of Meriden, CT.
	Dr. PJ Caposey PJ Caposey is an award-winning educator and author of six books. Caposey served as the Oregon High School principal for four years and is currently serving as Superintendent of Schools for Meridian CUSD 223 in Illinois. Both districts experienced incredible turnarounds and received multiple national recognition under his leadership.
	Mr. Philip Cutler Philip is the founder and CEO of Paper, the nation's leading Education Support System. Philip began his career as a teacher, whose passion drove him toward entrepreneurship. He began his career as the youngest ever elected City Councillor in Westmount, Quebec. He is currently serving on Westmount's council and is the city's Commissioner of Infrastructure and Innovation.
	Dr. Susan Enfield A former high school teacher, Superintendent Enfield served as Chief Academic Officer and then as Interim Superintendent for Seattle Public Schools before joining Highline Public Schools in 2012. She previously held leadership positions in Evergreen Public Schools, Portland Public Schools, and the Pennsylvania Department of Education.
	Mr. Henry Grishman Henry Grishman, who leads Jericho Public Schools in New York, has served as a superintendent for nearly 40 years. As a teacher, he enjoyed working with kids and watching them grow but set his sights on improving school systems to affect the greatest positive impact on students. In a rapidly changing world, he focuses on educating kids so they are adjusted to the accelerated pace of change, prepared for the jobs of the future, which means he’s three steps ahead and has the social-emotional skills to thrive.
	Dr. Dwight Jones Dwight Jones serves as Senior Vice President, Equity, Inclusion & Urban Markets at McGraw-Hill Education. Dwight has served as Discovery Communications’ Superintendent in Residence where his work benefitted the Education Division. Previously, he served as the superintendent of Clark County School District in Las Vegas, Nevada, the nation’s fifth-largest school district.
	Mr. Stephen Murley Stephen Murley has served as superintendent of Iowa City Community Schools since 2010. Prior to arriving in Iowa, Steve served three school districts in Wisconsin as a teacher, coach, building administrator, human resources director, and superintendent.
	Ms. Paula Reed Paula is the founder and CEO of BizEducation Consulting Inc. She has previously led the Strategic Partnerships for Discovery Education as National Director and has served at Education Services of America, Ombudsman Program, and as Vice President of Business Development. Paula also serves on the Board of Directors for Baltimore and Montgomery County Public Schools.
	Mr. John Welch John is superintendent of the Puget Sound Educational Service District, which serves more than 420,000 PreK–12 students across Washington's greater Seattle-Tacoma region. The vision of the agency is to ensure success for each child and eliminate the opportunity gap and while leading for racial equity.