ESG’s blog is a place to share what we have learned from our projects, our education and leadership experiences, and perspectives on how to improve student success. Expect insightful commentary from the ESG team that highlights promising practices from states and communities, and is designed to make connections and spur deeper conversation. Breaking down barriers and siloes within the nation’s K-12, postsecondary and workforce systems begins with getting everyone talking.
Monday, August 14, 2017
Matt Gandal founded Education Strategy Group in 2012 to support states, national organizations, and foundations committed to dramatically improving the capacity and performance of the U.S. education system. He brings over 30 years of experience leading policy development, advocacy and...
Monday, August 21, 2017
In her role as a Principal at ESG, Kathleen leads the firm’s career readiness portfolio focused on college and career pathways as drivers of economic and social mobility. Within this role, she helps key ecosystem stakeholders—within state education agencies, school...
Monday, August 21, 2017
Ryan joined ESG in 2016 to lead efforts to build bridges between K-12 and higher education to promote seamless postsecondary transitions for students, especially those from traditionally underserved populations. He leads work at the district, state and national levels to...
Tuesday, August 1, 2023
Kenyatta Lovett joined ESG in 2023 to lead its Postsecondary Attainment portfolio. In this capacity, he advances ESG’s vision and work focused on ensuring that higher education serves as an engine of economic opportunity and mobility, equipping more students with...
Sunday, May 14, 2023
Ahnna joined ESG to lead its efforts to expand opportunity for underserved populations by transforming alignment and partnerships between employers, the workforce development sector, and K-12 and postsecondary college and career readiness investments. Prior to joining ESG, Ahnna served as...
Wednesday, August 3, 2022
Chris joined ESG in 2022 upon his return home to the D.C. area after 20-plus years in New York City. He is responsible for connecting the dots of strategy, finance, technology, marketing and talent to deliver meaningful opportunity and impact...
Tuesday, June 9, 2020
Heather Justice joined ESG in 2020 to lead and support the work on career readiness and aligning high quality K-12, postsecondary, and industry pathways. Prior to joining ESG, Heather served as the Division Director for College, Career and Military Preparation...
Wednesday, November 13, 2024
Cristina comes to ESG with over a decade of experience in education strategy, policy, and leadership. She is a dedicated advocate for equitable and high-quality learning opportunities for all students. Prior to ESG, Cristina was a Partner at TNTP, supporting...
Monday, April 26, 2021
Christine joined Education Strategy Group in 2021 to design, lead, and support efforts focused on increasing the postsecondary attainment of credentials of value. In this role, she advances collaborative, evidence-based postsecondary initiatives toward improving student outcomes and eliminating equity gaps....
Monday, September 27, 2021
Dr. Michael Deuser is a seasoned leader dedicated to building educational systems that drive increased postsecondary success and upward economic mobility for young people. Prior to joining ESG, Dr. Deuser served as the Chief of College and Career Success for...
Friday, October 7, 2022
Casey Haugner Wrenn joined ESG in 2022 as a Director on the Career Readiness team, where she supports work on aligning high-quality K-12, postsecondary, and industry pathways. Previously, Casey spent over a decade at the Tennessee Department of Education, where...
Tuesday, August 15, 2017
Annie Phillips joined Education Strategy Group in 2017 to support work that fosters collaboration among K-12, higher education and workforce stakeholders. In this role, Annie has provided technical and strategic assistance on numerous initiatives including efforts to develop a statewide...