Our Team

Founder & Honorary Board Member

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Mike Johnston represented Senate District 33 in Northeast Denver in the Colorado State Senate, and was a candidate for Governor of Colorado in 2018. Mike serves as a policy advisor to New Leaders for New Schools. Mike first entered education as a high school English teacher in Greenville, Mississippi, an experience that led him to write his acclaimed book,"In the Deep Heart's Core." After leaving the Mississippi Delta Mike co-founded New Leaders for New Schools, a national non-profit that recruits and trains urban principals. Mike started his own career as a principal leading two alternative high schools serving Colorado students held in state custody or living in group homes and detention centers. Most recently, Mike was the co-founder and principal of MESA (Mapleton Expeditionary School of the Arts), a redesigned urban high school in the Mapleton Public Schools that made Colorado history by becoming the first public high school in which 100 percent of seniors were admitted to four-year colleges. He has been an adjunct professor of education law at the University of Denver and has served as an advisor to state and federal political campaigns around the country, most recently as a top education advisor to Barack Obama's presidential campaign and transition. Recently named to Time Magazine's "40 Under 40" and Forbes Magazine's list of the "7 Most Powerful Educators," Mike holds degrees from Yale College, the Harvard Graduate School of Education, and Yale Law School. He sits on the board of many local and national organizations including the "I Have a Dream" Foundation and the Urban League.

Founder & Honorary Board Member

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A Denver native, Damion LeeNatali taught as a high school English teacher in Denver Public Schools as a corps member. Prior to joining TFA staff, Damion served as chief of staff to Colorado Sen. Mike Johnston (Greater Delta ’97), where he helped to author and secure the passage of major school finance reform, co-founded two education-oriented startups, and recruited and led a legislative team recognized by Westword as the “Best Political Staff in Denver.”

Damion attended the University of Arizona on a National Merit scholarship and the University of Colorado Law School. Damion is married to a fellow TFA alum, with whom he shared a classroom as a first-year corps member.

Board Member

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Kaycee is Executive Director at CCS Fundraising and a Nonprofit Management Consultant. She was the Finance Director for Mike Johnston For Colorado (Gubernatorial campaign) and the Policy Director at the Office of Senator Mike Johnston.

Prior to that, she worked at Teach For America – Colorado, where she developed financial strategy for the region. Her work informed the team’s expansion efforts, resource allocation decisions, and fundraising operations across three sub-regions and six school districts. Prior to that role, Kaycee taught math at a Denver Public Schools high school as a Teach For America corps member. During her time in the classroom, she executed the school’s first full-spectrum intervention program and earned Stand For Children’s Award for Outstanding Teachers. Kaycee currently serves on the education advisory of In This Together Media and as the Finance chair on the board at Wyatt Academy. Originally from San Diego, she graduated with honors from San Diego State University in 2009 with a B.S. in Finance.

Board Member

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Alexandra is the Manager at Vantage Evaluation, a company of Prosono, and a career coach. Previously, she served as Director of Denver Metro Outreach for United States Senator Michael Bennet and as the Executive Director for the Colorado Latino Leadership, Advocacy & Research Organization (CLLARO). Alexandra graduated with a degree in Spanish Language & Literature and a minor in Leadership Studies at the University of Colorado at Boulder.

Alexandra was born in Florida and grew up in Colorado, but always felt the strong influence of her Cuban and Colombian family. She is passionate about eliminating the stigma around mental health, working towards equity and justice, and supporting emerging leadership development. Alexandra lives in Denver with her high school bestie-turned-hubby and her pup, Sugar. She also believes strongly in building community on the dance floor.

Board Member

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Jabar Shumate serves as the Vice President for Community Convening and Social Justice at the Urban League of Greater Oklahoma City. Jabar has been affiliated with the Urban League for more than 20 years and he has served on the National Urban League Board of Directors in New York. Jabar has a career that has spanned for more than 22 years in non-profit development, public policy, higher education, and common education. As a former member of the Oklahoma legislature serving in both the state house and senate for more than 11 years, he worked extensively on issues of diversity, equity, and inclusion. As a diversity practitioner, Jabar founded the University of Oklahoma’s office of University Community and served as the University’s first chief diversity officer. He also developed the University’s first diversity course for incoming students.

Board Member

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Molly Weiner currently serves as the Director of Nonprofit Engagement at the United Ways of Texas, where she leads policy/advocacy and programmatic work that strengthens and supports the work and impact of a diverse network of local United Ways across the state, with a focus on amplifying the voice impact of the nonprofit sector statewide. She has spent the last eight years in and around policy and advocacy work in Texas and Tennessee, most notably as the former Director of Policy and Advocacy at a statewide education group, where she led legislative policy and advocacy efforts to improve the educational outcomes for Texas students. She is an alumna of the Urban Leaders Fellowship (Denver 2015) and served as the ULF Nashville Regional Director in 2016, 2018, and 2019. Molly began her career teaching high school math for several years, serving as a PLC and grade-level leader and mentor teacher. She also serves on the Board of Directors of the Texas Alliance of Information and Referral Systems, a statewide association that strengthens and advances information and referral services in Texas. A long-time Texan, Molly currently resides in Austin.

Molly is a graduate of the University of Texas at Austin, with degrees in Psychology (BA) and Business Administration (BBA), and of Peabody College at Vanderbilt University, with a Master's in Public Policy.

Board Member

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A native of Selma, Alabama, Krystal Allen is the Founder & CEO of K. Allen Consulting™ , an education advocate, and a philanthropist . A well-respected former school principal and teacher, Krystal began her career teaching elementary school, serving as an instructional coach, then asst. principal, and finally leading as a school principal. She went on to found K. Allen Consulting in 2017, and over time, it has grown significantly to become an international education & management consulting firm that provides impactful, customized workshops, strategic planning, and coaching for brands like Amazon and Google Most recently featured within Time Magazine, she is a 2019 Gambit 40 Under 40 recipient, a 2019 Aspen Institute Ideas Festival Scholar, the 2016 Urban League of Louisiana Activist Award recipient, and serves as a member of the Board of Directors of Kid Smart; Success at Thurgood Marshall; and the Selma Center for Nonviolence. A first-generation college graduate, Krystal earned her B.A. from the University of Notre Dame, M.Ed. from NLU-Chicago, and is currently completing her Ed.D in K-12 Urban Educational Leadership at Teachers College, Columbia University. Krystal's work and passion for DEI, social justice, adult learning, and organizational development are the driving forces of her work and commitment to equity.

Board Member

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Maryruth Belsey Priebe is the Co-Founder of aXXelerate and the Director for Women, Peace & Security Programs and a Senior Fellow at Pacific Forum International. She holds a Harvard International Relations graduate degree, is a member of the Research Network on Women, Peace & Security in Canada, and a Teaching Fellow at Harvard Extension School. Using social science, feminist foreign policy, and data analysis, her research focuses on the nexus of gender, climate change, and peace and security. Maryruth has held several research and fellowship positions focused on women’s leadership, and mentors young women looking to enter the security sector.

Co-Executive Director

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Tamira Samuel is humbled to serve ULF as Co-Executive Director. Tamira is an education equity champion with nearly fifteen years of experience in education and public policy. Tamira has served as a Regional Director and Fellow of ULF. She has served in leadership and capacity roles for Teach For America, Texas Public Charter Schools Association, Education Pioneers, Metro Government of Nashville and Davidson County, The Beacon Center of Tennessee, YES Prep, KIPP Texas, and Houston ISD. While in Houston ISD, she developed and implemented strategic professional development and programming for more than 2,000 teachers in 287 schools as the New Teacher Support Manager and School Support Manager. She has served as an appointed commissioner on the City of Houston Commission of People with Disabilities, chairing the K-12 Issues in Public Education committee. In addition to this work, she has served as a congressional lobbyist, nonprofit board president, Peace Child International World Congress delegate, Miss Black Kentucky USA, and member of the National Alumni Recruitment Team for Education Pioneers. Tamira started her career in the classroom as an award winning teacher in the Clarksville Montgomery County School System in Tennessee.

She was a Rice University Education Entrepreneurship Program Business Fellow for School Leaders in The Jesse H. Jones Business School and received the REEP Founders Award in her class. Tamira completed graduate studies in Public Policy and Administration (MPPA) from Northwestern University, and has both a MAT and BS from Austin Peay State University in Curriculum and Instruction and English.

Tamira can be reached at tamira@urbanleadersfellowship.org.

Co-Executive Director

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Kristopher Frye is excited to serve ULF as the Co-Executive Director. His career in public service began as a classroom teacher in St. Louis, MO, after which he moved to Honduras to teach at a local bilingual school. Following his time in the classroom, Kris attended law school to explore the intersection between policy and practice. Kris has worked as a policy advisor to school board members of the Indianapolis Public Schools, in the Office of the Indiana Governor, and the law firm Church, Church, Hittle & Antrim. In his most recent role, Kris served as the Chief of Staff at Teach For America-Indianapolis, supporting the regional staff as well as over 500 alumni and corps members in the city. He is a graduate of St. Ambrose University, with a degree in Journalism and Public Relations, the University of Missouri-St. Louis, with a Masters in Education, and the Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law. Kris recently moved to Colorado with his wife, Carole, and daughter Nora.

Kris is a 2014 alumnus of the Urban Leaders Fellowship. He can be reached at kristopher@urbanleadersfellowship.org.

Atlanta Regional Director

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Kristi Sprowl is a Los Angeles native, health enthusiast, and Public Health Practitioner through rigorous academic and professional training. She received her Bachelor of Science degree at California State University, Dominguez Hills in Community Health and her Master in Public Health degree at the University of Arizona where she received numerous awards for her research efforts related to public health issues affecting women in underserved communities. Kristi moved to Atlanta to pursue her public health career on a larger scale and joined Emory University where she performed public health clinical research and worked as a Senior Health Educator at the Fulton County Board of Health. Through this work she planned and implemented community public health education programs, community outreach campaigns and public awareness initiatives with clinics, schools, and other stakeholders across Georgia’s largest county. Kristi now works as a Community Impact Director at the American Heart Association, leading and directing health initiatives in the Metro Atlanta region to drive local policy change. Kristi was recently accepted into the Doctor of Public Health program at the University of Georgia's 2021 cohort for working executives. She was awarded as a 2021 Health Equity Fellow at the University of Georgia, represented as a 2022 Urban Leaders Fellow for Dekalb County in Atlanta’s metro region, and was recently promoted to serve as a Regional Director for the Urban Leaders Fellowship in Atlanta. Her future goals include teaching at the collegiate level, conducting research around leadership training and assessment for BIPOC professionals, and advancing programmatic efforts around social determinants of health and racial inequities.

Dallas Regional Director

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Teneisha Bailey is delighted to join the ULF team as the Dallas Regional Director. Teneisha is a Licensed Master Social Worker (LMSW) with a background in advocacy, community organizing, education, and youth development in various nonprofit organizations. She has worked as a School Social Worker, developing programming for students and staff promoting wellness and social emotional learning. Teneisha holds a strong interest in program development and policy implementation that support better outcomes for those impacted by trauma and social injustice. She believes in the power of “We” and the collaborative efforts that are inherent in the construction of positive societal change. In her work, she influences arenas with her perspective and diligently encounters issues through a multi-disciplinary lens. Compelled by frustration and a transformational vision, Teneisha will often challenge the status quo and the systemic influences that prolong it. She is committed to securing futures and building community through an intentional, relationship-centered approach.

Denver Regional Director

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Brandon Cockburn is a 4th-year doctoral candidate in the Washington State University Cultural Studies and Social Thought in Education program. Brandon has taught secondary science at multiple school districts in the Chicago land area. Brandon presently serves as a Graduate Assistant for the Center for Civic Engagement, where he works with non-profit community partners and creates service opportunities for undergraduate students. Brandon is also an instructor in the Secondary education teacher preparation program. Brandon’s research interests focus on teacher preparation programs, issues of equity within schools, and anti-oppressive pedagogies. Brandon has also worked with the local school district to provide professional development on equity, praxis, systems of oppression, and microaggressions. His dissertation focuses on professional learning communities as a space for transformational change to create classrooms focused on equity, healing, and anti-oppressive practice. His long-term career plans focus on joining the professoriate and continuing to help leverage the next generation of teachers to help be anti-oppressive and serve diverse students.

Indianapolis Regional Director

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Danielle Drake, a community advocate in Indianapolis, focuses on economic and community development through coalitions, policy, and governmental affairs. Danielle focuses her passions to enhance health equity, education access, and neighborhood development.

Danielle holds a Masters in Public Affairs in Social Change and Innovation, which she use to create a more equitable and welcoming Indianapolis. Utilizing project management and process improvement, Danielle provides capacity building skills towards health equity, education access, and opportunity and achievement goals for Indy neighborhoods and its residents.

In her current role, Danielle manages strategic initiatives aligned with [Indy Chamber policy priorities](https://indychamber.com/advocacy/) and the [Business Equity for Indy](https://businessequityindy.com/) programs.

In 2022, Danielle completed her Six Sigma Green Belt Certification with the Six Sigma Racial Equity Institute. With this certificate, Danielle works on community initiatives with clear objectives, maximized impact, and strategic development.

Additionally, Danielle serves a Regional Director for the [Urban Leaders Fellowship](https://www.urbanleadersfellowship.org/), an intensive policy development program for emerging leaders in Indianapolis.

Danielle serves on the Board of Directors for [Women4Change Indiana](https://www.women4changeindiana.org/), a state-wide bipartisan advocacy organization aimed at economic equality, civic engagement, and health equity for Hoosiers. She also serves as the Vice President of [Equality Indiana](https://equalityindiana.org/home), a grassroots organization that empowers and educates the state on LGBTQ+ issues and advocacy efforts.

When not working, Danielle enjoys spending time with their family - wife, daughter, and pup - who reside on the Far-east Side of Indianapolis. She enjoys attending the city's vast cultural events, exploring parks and trails, casual gaming, roller skating, and discovering new local restaurants.

Through her work and personal pursuits, Danielle is dedicated to creating a better future for the residents of Indianapolis and fostering a more inclusive and vibrant community.

Kansas City, Missouri Regional

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Lauren Jenkins is honored to join the ULF team as the Kansas City regional director. Originally from St. Louis, Lauren has worked in education for 12 years, with the last 7 years being spent as an ELA classroom teacher. Ensuring that Black and Brown students receive the quality education they are owed has been her mission. Lauren is passionate about educational policy, and it was that passion that led her to join ULF in 2022 through the Kansas City region. Lauren has a Bachelor's degree in Spanish from UMKC, and a Masters of Arts in Teaching from Park University. In addition to teaching, she is heavily involved with parent advocacy through the Parent Leadership Training Institute, a 2022 Teach for America Green Fellow, and a mother of 1.

Nashville Regional Director

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Marissa Brown is honored to join the ULF team as the Nashville Regional Director. Marissa is a Management and Program Analyst at the Department of Homeland Security where she works in the Stakeholder Engagement Division for Cybersecurity. She is also a student voice consultant at Education Trust Tennessee, an education advocacy non-profit. Marissa has a background in policy, advocacy, and leadership development. Prior to working at the Department of Homeland Security, she worked as a Legislative Assistant for a Maryland State Senator with the Maryland General Assembly. Marissa is passionate about social justice and seeing youth thrive in every aspect of their lives which is why she has devoted eleven years to being a Girl Scout Leader in her community. She is a graduate from the University of Maryland, College Park where she received a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Science and a Bachelor of Arts in English Language and Literature. She is also a graduate from American University where she received her Master's in Public Administration & Policy.

Marissa served as a 2021 Urban Leaders Fellow in Nashville.Marissa is excited to work with 2022 Nashville fellows!

New Orleans Regional Director

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Jeremy Davis is a nonprofit leader with a background in education and community relations.

In 2014, he began his career in social justice with Teach for America GNO. Working with youth and families inspired Jeremy to expand his impact beyond the classroom. He is a 2017 Urban Leaders for Equity and Diversity Fellow, a 2018 Alliance for Diversity and Excellence Senior Leadership Institute Fellow, a 2019 Charter Board Leadership Academy Fellow, and a 2023 Bryan Bell Metropolitan Leadership Forum Fellow. Jeremy has served as an advisory board member for the Orleans Parish Citywide Teacher Advisory Council and The Collective, Teach For America-GNO’s alumni of color association, where he was awarded 2019 Board Member of the Year.

Jeremy has experience as a communication professional with the Leon County government and The Moore Agency, where he worked on award-winning public affairs campaigns. Later, he joined K. Allen Consulting where he leaned into creating transformative learning spaces for organizations and professionals. Jeremy also led teams as program director at Son of a Saint and College Track, two nonprofits that support underserved youth.

Jeremy currently serves on the board of directors for the New Orleans Regional Leadership Institute and the Jefferson Chamber Foundation Academy.

Respectfully,

Oakland Regional Director

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Georgia Savage is the Deputy Director at #OaklandUndivided. As a teacher in rural New Mexico and Brooklyn, New York, Georgia saw firsthand how under-resourced and underserved communities across the country lack access to devices, the internet, and the digital skills needed to succeed in the 21st century. Those disparities are what drove her to take a more systems-level approach at #OaklandUndivded, where she leads efforts to eliminate the digital divide in Oakland, California.

Her previous policy experience includes working for Colorado House District 4 Representative Serena Gonzales-Gutierrez, in which she researched rental late fees and renter protections, contributing to the presentation and passing of SB21-173: Rights in Residential Lease in June 2021. In addition, she worked on the How Learning Happens campaign at America’s Promise Alliance, supporting social and emotional learning in various non-profits, schools, outside learning programs, and research institutions.

Georgia holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science and Women’s Studies from the University of California, Davis, and a Master of Science degree in Education from Johns Hopkins University, School of Education.

Tulsa Regional Director

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Diamond Marshall is an Afro-latina policy advocate, community and electoral organizer, and researcher who is currently serving as a Field Organizer at Terence Crutcher Foundation. Diamond is passionate about social justice and education and is committed to making a difference in the Greater Tulsa area. Diamond co-founded a grassroots movement for young Tulsans called The Nourished Rootz due to her interest in fighting for policy change and promoting community engagement within youth populations. Her passion for community engagement transcends her organizing work and expands into public education. She has curated her own exhibit educating the public on the history and impact of the Ku Klux Klan and served as a middle school teacher in Tulsa at the height of the pandemic. She fell in love with the on-the-ground work required to build a movement ecosystem as a fellow through the Urban Leaders Fellowship, for which she now serves as the Regional Director. Since her time at the foundation she has met with over 300 Tulsans, traveled to the nation's capital, and participated in the creation of a policy toolkit that captures the foundation's policy focal points such as dismantling the school-to-prison pipeline, the importance of mental health and investing in transformative justice initiatives. She is eager to serve as the Regional Director for the Tulsa region to continue to engage the community around these areas of interest.

Washington, D.C. Regional Director

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Tejeswara Reddy is the Regional and Policy Director for ULF D.C. He is an educator, nonprofit executive, and a proven leader with over a decade of experience achieving results in education, leadership development, and public finance.

He has held roles in the Obama Administration's Department of Education and served as an aide to a U.S. Senator and a U.S. Congressman. He is an alumnus of Teach For America (Phoenix ’12), The Coro Fellowship in Public Affairs (’14-’15), the Fulbright Scholarship (Greece ’15-’16), the APAICS Congressional Fellowship (’16-’17), Leadership for Educational Equity Public Policy Fellowship (’18-'19) and the New Leaders Council ('23).

Tejeswara is passionately committed to ensuring America's next generation of leaders are supported, qualified, and prepared to ensure every person in America has the opportunity to succeed.