Katherine (Katie) Burke is the senior director of policy with the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools. Prior to joining the National Alliance, Katie spent over eight years at the DC Public Charter School Board (DC PCSB), the District’s charter school authorizer. Katie earned her Master of Arts in Teaching from Boston University in 2012, specializing in Social Studies Education, and she graduated magna cum laude from Colby College in 2009 with a double major in History and Women's Studies.

Ebony leverages her philanthropic and government experience to oversee CSGF's work in policy, communications, and advocacy. Prior to joining CSGF, Ebony served as the deputy chief of staff for policy at the U.S. Department of Education where she oversaw all aspects of K-12 education including the Charter Schools Program. She studied public policy at both Brown University and Regent University and is a Pahara-Aspen Fellow.

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.

Anne Wicks is the Don Evans Family Managing Director, Opportunity and Democracy at the Bush Institute. In this role, she develops and oversees the policy, research, and engagement work of the Bush Institute’s Opportunity and Democracy team, which focuses on strengthening our democracy, pathways to opportunity, immigration, economic growth, accountability, and literacy. Before joining the Bush Institute, Ms. Wicks served as an Associate Dean at the University of Southern California’s Rossier School of Education. Her portfolio included external relations, growth and strategy, and a variety of special projects including the launch of Ednovate Charter Schools. Over her career, she held leadership roles at Teach for America, the Lucile Packard Foundation for Children’s Health, and Stanford University. Ms. Wicks holds a B.A in American Studies and a M.A. in Education from Stanford University (during which she taught 8th grade social studies), as well as a M.B.A. from the University of Southern California. A former captain of Stanford’s women’s volleyball team, she was part of three national championship teams, two as a player and one as an assistant coach. She currently serves as a board member for Instruction Partners, and she is a Pahara Fellow. She is the parent of a public school student.