Learn4Life Team Members
Executive Director
Ken is the founding Executive Director of Learn4Life. Previously Ken served in several roles at Fulton County Schools including Superintendent and Chief Strategy and Innovation Officer. Ken arrived from Los Angeles where he served as the Chief Operations Officer for Green Dot Public Schools. Green Dot Public Schools is an award winning charter management organization serving over 10,000 students in Los Angeles and New York. He was also a White House Fellow and served as a senior policy consultant to the US Secretary of Education. As a manager at Deloitte Consulting, he led process redesign, strategic planning, and financial management projects for Fortune 500 companies. Ken serves on several boards in metro Atlanta including Junior Achievement, the Atlanta-Fulton County Library Foundation, the Get Georgia Reading Cabinet and is an alumni of the Aspen-Pahara Fellowship and Leadership Atlanta. Ken received his BA in Economics from the University of Michigan, his MBA from The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, and his Doctorate in Education Leadership from Georgia State University. Outside of work, Ken enjoys biking on the Beltline, cheering on Michigan athletics, and serving as a proud parent to his three Atlanta Public Schools students.
Director of Strategy
Rebecca is the Director of Strategy at Learn4Life, where she leads cross-sector efforts to support regional gains in early literacy and middle grade math outcomes by identifying and scaling ‘Bright Spots’ – strategies that are having uncommon success in supporting traditionally underserved students. In this role, Rebecca facilitates stakeholders through data, factor, and landscape analyses, all centered on equitable outcomes. Before joining Learn4Life, Rebecca served as an instructional coach and special education coordinator in KIPP Metro Atlanta Schools. Rebecca began her career with Teach For America as a high school teacher in Los Angeles Unified School District and, later, Atlanta Public Schools. She also served as a department chair and built student swim teams and journalism programs. Rebecca earned a BA in Humanities from Walla Walla University, an MA in Special Education from Loyola Marymount University, and a PhD in Educational Administration and Policy from the University of Georgia. Her dissertation research examined the role of collective impact on regional postsecondary gains for students of color. Her research interests include federal education policy, teacher effectiveness, education finance, and school de/re-segregation. Outside of work, Rebecca can be found on trails or in lakes with her golden retriever, and rock climbing.
Community Engagement Manager
Damian is the Community Engagement Manager at Learn4life, where he is currently leading and supporting efforts to remove barriers to college access for traditionally underserved metro area youth, building relationships with cross-sector partners throughout the region, and participating in public engagement activities to highlight the work of Learn4Life. Previously, Damian served as an Assistant Principal at KIPP Atlanta Collegiate High School, where he managed math, culture, and counseling departments, and spearheaded initiatives to engage students and families and improve academic outcomes. Damian arrived from Bridgeport, Connecticut, where he served as Dean of Students and Dean of Math and Science, at Achievement First Bridgeport Academy Middle School. Prior to that, Damian was a Special Education Teacher, Department Chair, and championship-winning Boys’ Basketball Coach at KIPP Academy Lynn Middle School in Lynn, Massachusetts. Damian is a TRIO/Upward Bound alumnus and first-generation college graduate, who earned his BA in Sociology from Brown University, and his Masters in Social Work from University of Pennsylvania’s School of Social Policy & Practice. Outside of work, Damian is an alumni mentor for The Bruce Wells Scholars Upward Bound program, and enjoys resistance training, listening to autobiographies, and spending quality time with friends and family.
Program Associate
Jordan is the Program Associate at Learn4Life, where she provides critical support to all of Learn4Life’s projects. In this role, Jordan provides key data points for the Annual Report, assists with the 3rd grade Literacy and 8th grade Math CANs, Leadership and Justice for All and DEI initiatives with local school districts. Before joining Learn4Life, Jordan served as an Administrative Professional III at Georgia Tech for the CEISMC department that focuses on K-12 STEM outreach for the university. In addition to her role, Jordan served as a physical environment committee member for the Georgia Tech Staff Council to ensure campus safety and sustainability for the community and a committee member on her department’s Diversity and Inclusion team to ensure fair representation and equity internally. Jordan earned a Bachelor’s in Political Science from the University of Central Florida and a Master’s in Public Policy from Georgia State University. Her career goals are to collaborate with individuals to identify and develop solutions that address community issues to better their quality of life. Outside of work, Jordan enjoys working out and eating out with friends at one of Atlanta’s many wonderful restaurants.
Project Manager
Yolanda is a Project Manager at Learn4life, where she is currently the point person for coordinating, tracking progress, problem solving, and reporting for critical components of Learn4Life’s work, most specifically the Literacy and Justice for All initiative. Prior to joining Learn4Life, Yolanda served as the Director of Community-Based Programs at Scottdale Early Learning Inc. (SEL), where she managed several community outreach initiatives. During her tenure at SEL, Yolanda managed a federally-funded home visiting program, providing early learning, family well-being services, and community resources through First Steps to over 100 families in DeKalb County. In addition, she oversaw the READY School, a part-time early learning and family engagement program serving the refugee community within Clarkston and Stone Mountain. Yolanda earned her BS in Counseling and Human Services from Point University, and her Master’s in Education Law with a concentration in Primary and Higher Education from Nova Southeastern University. Outside of work, Yolanda enjoys going on adventures with her daughter and coaching/playing volleyball.
Community
- Mindy Binderman, Executive Director, GEEARS
- Dr. Dana Rickman, President, Georgia Partnership for Excellence in Education
- Milton Little, President and CEO*, United Way of Greater Atlanta
Pre-K-12 education
- Dr. Morcease J. Beasley, Superintendent, Clayton County Public Schools
- Dr. Maggie Fehrman, Superintendent, City Schools of Decatur
- Dr. Lisa Herring, Superintendent, Atlanta Public Schools
- Dr. Mike Looney, Superintendent, Fulton County Schools
- Chris Ragsdale, Superintendent, Cobb County School District
- Dr. Grant Rivera, Superintendent, Marietta City Schools
- Dr. Vasanne Tinsley, Interim Superintendent, DeKalb County School District
- Dr. Calvin Watts, Superintendent, Gwinnett County School District
Government
- Anna Roach, Executive Director*, Atlanta Regional Commission
- Dennis Lockhart, Former President and CEO†, Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta
Business
- Dr. Kamau Bobb, Director, STEM Education Strategy, Google and Director, Constellations Center for Equity in Computing, Georgia Tech
- Ann Cramer, Senior Consultant*, Coxe Curry & Associates
- Raj Gazula, Head of Treasury Solutions, Truist
- Kevin Greiner, President and CEO, Gas South
- Katie Kirkpatrick, President and CEO*, Metro Atlanta Chamber
- Keith Parker, President and CEO, Goodwill of North Georgia
- Lisa Smith, VP of Community and Economic Development, Georgia Power
- Sylvia Russell, Former President†, AT&T Georgia
- David Scheible, Former President and CEO†,Graphic Packaging International
Higher education
- Dr. Glen Cannon, President, Gwinnett Technical College
- Dr. Beverly Daniel Tatum, President Emerita, Spelman College
- Dr. Timothy Renick, Executive Director, National Institute for Student Success, Georgia State University
- Dr. David A. Thomas, President, Morehouse College
- Dr. Victoria Seals, President, Atlanta Technical College
Philanthropic
- Atiba Mbiwan, Executive Director, The Zeist Foundation
- Frank Fernandez, President*, The Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta
- Dena Kimball, Executive Director, The Kendeda Fund
- Teresa Rivero, Senior Program Officer, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation
- Dr. David D. Weitnauer, President, R. Howard Dobbs, Jr. Foundation
*Indicates Executive Committee members. The Executive Committee is made up of established nonprofit organizations with a shared commitment to strengthening our region.
†Indicates Executive Champions. Executive Champions are senior members of the metro Atlanta business community who bring their leadership and influence to support the Learn4Life vision.
Core Team
The Core Team is a group of cross-functional leaders who support implementation and communication across sectors to eliminate silos and deliver results.
- Dr. Jennie Welch, Georgia Leadership Institute for School Improvement
- Tim Cairl, Senior Director of Educated Workforce, Metro Atlanta Chamber
- Mike Carnathan, Researcher, Atlanta Regional Commission
- Cori Cain, Associate Vice President, United Way of Greater Atlanta
- Dr. Hanah Goldberg, Director of Research & Policy, GEEARS
- Tommy Pearce, Executive Director, Neighborhood Nexus
- Dr. Robert Gaines II, Director of External Affairs, GPEE
- Ayana Gabriel, Vice President of Community Impact, Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta