Dana Peterson is the Chief Executive Officer of New Schools for New Orleans, a non-profit education advocacy and funding organization. Previously, Dana served as an Assistant State Superintendent of the Louisiana Department of Educations where he led the Baton Rouge Achievement Zone. Prior to that role, Dana served as Deputy Superintendent of External Affairs for the Recovery School District. Dana is the founding board chair of alignED New Orleans, an effort to support and amplify parent voices in education in New Orleans. Dana is also the founding board chair of the New Orleans Career Center - a high impact program equipping high school students with industry-based credentials and dual enrollment opportunities that prepare them for college and career. Dana is a member of the University of Louisiana System Board of Supervisors and is a member of the Aspen Global Leadership Network as a former Pahara Fellow. Dana holds a Bachelor of Science in Economics from the University of Houston and an MBA from Tulane University. He lives in New Orleans with his wife, Karen, and they are members of St. Peter Claver Catholic Church.

Karega Rausch is the President and CEO of the National Association of Charter School Authorizers (NACSA), responsible for ensuring NACSA advances and strengthens the ideas and practices of authorizing so that students and communities, especially those who are historically under resourced, thrive. He has extensive charter school authorizing, education research and policy, community engagement, and strategic advocacy experience. Before being appointed CEO at NACSA, Karega headed NACSA’s research initiatives, was a former Education & Charter Schools Director with the Indianapolis Mayor’s Office, the Board Chair of the Indiana Charter Schools Board, the Director of the Indianapolis affiliate of Stand for Children, and on the leadership team of Indiana University’s Equity Project, housed at the Center for Evaluation and Education Policy. Karega has authored or co-authored numerous professional publications and has presented at many research conferences across the country on charter school authorizing, racial/ethnic disproportionality in school discipline, and special education reform. Karega earned his Ph.D. and master’s degree in educational psychology from Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana, and a bachelor’s degree in psychology from DePauw University in Greencastle, Indiana.

Kevin Shafer is the President of City Fund. He is the former Chief Innovation Officer of Camden Public Schools, where he was charged with increasing public school quality and access across the district. He began his career in Bridgeport, CT, where he taught 7th and 8th grade social studies, trained new teachers, and served as Deputy Chief of Staff for Bridgeport Public Schools. Kevin is a graduate of Wake Forest University and lives in Philadelphia, PA with his wife and highly active toddler.

Naomi N. Shelton is the chief executive officer of the National Charter Collaborative (NCC), a nonprofit organization focused on increasing the diversity and performance of the nation’s charter school sector by supporting the success of single-site schools led by leaders of color. Naomi is nationally known and respected as a vocal advocate for quality choice options for Black and Brown students and families. She is an esteemed volunteer board member of the DC Public Charter School Board, one of the highest quality authorizing boards in the country in a city where more than 40% of students attend charter schools.