Georgia Partnership Selects
2019-2020 Education Policy Fellowship Program Class

GA Partnership for Excellence in Education names 2019-2020 Education Policy Fellowship Program class

19 Fellows to Invest Several Months Exploring Public Education

MEDIA CONTACT: Robert Gaines, rgaines@gpee.org, 404-223-2464

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August 5, 2019 –

The Georgia Partnership for Excellence in Education has announced the names of its twelfth Education Policy Fellowship Program (EPFP) class members. The 19 selectees will spend nine months deepening their understanding of the policy process within the multifaceted context of education.

EPFP is a 16-state national program that provides leaders with the knowledge and networks to advance the core issues of education policy. Participating fellows increase their expertise needed to engage in the process of making tough policy decisions. The organizations and businesses they represent benefit from their enhanced expertise.

Georgia Partnership President, Dr. Steve Dolinger, noted that Georgia is one of the program’s greatest beneficiaries, as each new EPFP class expands and improves the state’s capacity to make sound, education policy decisions. Ultimately, the goal of EPFP is to “equip leaders across diverse sectors with the skills to improve educational access and opportunities for all students in Georgia and increase the chances of children and youth to succeed,” he explained.

“We’ve supported hundreds of fellows through this program over the last twelve years, many of whom have gone on to be leaders in Georgia’s education landscape, and there’s no doubt in my mind that it remains one of the most valuable leadership development experiences available in the state,” he added. “The quality of instruction and networking provides an unmatched opportunity to build professional educational policy expertise that will long-serve Georgia.”

EPFP Program Coordinator and Georgia Partnership Director of Communications, Dr. Robert Gaines, said, “EPFP is a tremendous value-add to Georgia’s ongoing efforts to establish itself as a national leader in education. As our state continues making great strides to improve its public education system, the Partnership’s aim is to prepare EPFP Fellows who are willing and able to contribute to the development of educational policy decisions in the years ahead.” In the end, Dr. Gaines stressed, “what motivates us to facilitate the program is ensuring the development of sound education policies that support our students’ success in both today’s classroom and tomorrow’s workforce.”

Participants will attend monthly colloquiums that will be led by education experts. These sessions will cover a variety of subjects such as “Political and Demographic Landscape of Georgia: Strategic Leadership in a Dynamic Policy Environment,” and “Why Public Education: How Does the U.S. Educational System Compare to that of Other Countries?” Fellows will also attend a national policy seminar in Washington, DC.

Program Funder: The Georgia Partnership for Excellence in Education is grateful for the funding support of Wells Fargo and Alston & Bird.

2019-2020 Fellows

Greg Barrett

Project Manager

GEEARS

Nathifa Carmichael

Independent Consultant

EduCapital Solutions, LLC

Matthew Colvin

Executive Director of Economic Development

University System of Georgia

Kimberly Creagh

Program Manager of Teacher Dev. & Retention (Governor’s School Leadership Academy)

Governor’s Office of Student Achievement

John Denine

Executive Director

CASIE

Debra Faulk

VP, Senior Philanthropic Specialist

Wells Fargo

Annie Frazer

Executive Director

Montessori Partnership for Georgia

Allyson Gevertz

Board Member

DeKalb County School Board

Sabrina Gomez

STEM Education Strategist

STEM Next

Dihanne Hayes

Program Manager, Office of Innovation

Atlanta Public Schools

Niyoka Johnson

National Director, Teacher Dev. & Instructional Support

3DE Junior Achievement

Alicia McCartney

President

GACIS

Ramona Mills

Director of Communications

Professional Association of Georgia Educators

Kathaleena Monds

Professor & Director, Center for Educational Opportunity

Albany State University

Mary-Kate Starkel

Director of Development

redefinED atlanta

Phylicia Thompson

Institutional Assessment and Planning Analyst

Atlanta’s John Marshall Law School

Anona Walker

Director of Post-Secondary Partnerships

Achieve Atlanta

Princeton Williams

Outreach Senior Program Manager

Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta

Jamie Wilson

Chief HR Officer

Clayton County Public Schools