BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF NORTHERN ILLINOIS UNIVERSITY - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Senior Fellow, Project
- Senior Fellow, Project Lead ILDS 2.0
Benjamin Boer is the Senior Fellow, Project Lead ILDS 2.0 at Education Systems Center, providing support on policy issues that include school finance, assessment, accountability, and the use of data.
Ben is the former Deputy Director of Advance Illinois where he provided analytic and modeling support for numerous K-12 funding proposals, culminating in a partnership with a variety of state advocacy organizations to develop and refine the Evidenced-Based Funding legislation which became law in August of 2017. He also partnered closely with EdSystems on the Postsecondary and Workforce Readiness Act.
Ben is a PhD candidate at the University of Illinois at Chicago in Educational Policy Studies. His area of study is the use of data in schools. He earned both a Bachelor's and Master of Science in Computer Science from Brown University and a Masters of Public Policy from the Harris School at the University of Chicago. He lives in Chicago with his wife and two daughters.
Dania Ibrahim, Fellow, supports work-based learning initiatives at the Education Systems Center. She largely focuses on improving accessibility to Career Development Experiences as well as the role of mentorship in bridging the opportunity gap.
Dania conducted learning methods and education equity research for four years prior to joining the EdSystems team, and continues to lead education-focused research projects as a Ph.D. student at the University of California San Diego. She received her B.S. from the Georgia Institute of Technology where she studied Neuroscience with a focus on Health and Medical Sciences and Middle Eastern Studies.
Job Titles:
- Director of the Illinois Education
- Illinois Education and Career Success Network Director
Edith Njuguna, Director of the Illinois Education and Career Success Network, has extensive experience in designing and implementing programs to improve education outcomes for children and youth in Chicago and internationally. She oversees the Illinois Education and Career Success Network, a collaborative of communities across the State that is driving improved outcomes for young people, and manages resource development and deployment to help communities deepen their impact. She also leads EdSystems' Career Pathways work in Tanzania.
Since joining EdSystems Edith has led the organization's fund development and grants management efforts, coordinated stakeholder engagement in policy development and implementation, and worked on collaborative networks including the Illinois 60 by 25 Network and the Great Lakes College and Career Pathways Partnership. Prior to joining EdSystems, Edith was a Senior Program Officer at Grand Victoria Foundation where she stewarded investments of up to $4 million a year in grants related to policy and practice in education and workforce development to support Illinois nonprofits. She has also worked in fund development in the nonprofit sector.
Edith holds a Master's in Public Service Management from DePaul University, a certificate in Spanish from Universidad Complutense in Madrid, and a BA from the University of Nairobi.
Job Titles:
- Managing Director
- Managing Director of Policy & Programs
Emily Rusca brings her interest in education, workforce development, and social policy to the team as the Managing Director of Policy & Programs.
Since joining the EdSystems team initially as an Education Pioneers fellow in the summer of 2015, Emily's portfolio has spanned the full breadth of EdSystems' focus areas, from college and career pathways to data engagement. She leads the team's State policy portfolio by facilitating interagency and statewide structures, cultivating and managing relationships with State agency partners and fellow policy organizations, exploring national best practices and representing Illinois in cross-state learning opportunities, and collaborating with team members to identify where implementation and innovation work across Illinois can inform new opportunities for effective policy.
Emily previously managed the U.S. State Department-sponsored Kennedy-Lugar Youth Exchange and Study grant program for a high school exchange nonprofit in San Francisco, and has additional background in international development, city planning, and gender equity work. She holds a Bachelor's in International Development from University of California, Berkeley and a Master of Public Policy from the University of Michigan.
Job Titles:
- Senior Fellow
- Senior Education Leader
- Senior Fellow at Education Systems Center
Ginger M. Reynolds, PhD is a Senior Fellow at Education Systems Center. She provides leadership to EdSystems for innovation and evaluation, including high school and post-secondary competency-based education and outcomes-focused analyses of Transitional Math and Education Pathways.
Ginger is an accomplished senior education leader with over 20 years of experience in a variety of settings, including serving as Chief Officer of Research, Evaluation, and Accountability for Chicago Public Schools, as Assistant Superintendent for Teaching and Learning at the Illinois State Board of Education, and as Director of the Chicago Teacher Partnership Program. She advocates for equity and is committed to serving diverse and underserved communities.
Ginger holds a PhD in Education Policy Studies from the University of Illinois. She and her husband enjoy spending time with their daughter and their overactive Labrador, Jake.
Job Titles:
- Innovation and Implementation Director
Job Titles:
- Executive Director
- Founder and Executive Director of Education Systems Center
Jonathan "Jon" Furr is the Founder and Executive Director of Education Systems Center (EdSystems), a mission-driven policy development and program implementation center based within Northern Illinois University's Division of Outreach, Engagement, and Regional Development. Jon's leadership in policy development and system implementation has made him a national authority in career pathways, college and career readiness policy, and longitudinal data systems. Jon led a multi-year process to develop and enact the Postsecondary and Workforce Readiness (PWR) Act, which applies a student-centered and competency-based approach to support Illinois students in preparing for postsecondary education and careers. Since the PWR Act's 2016 passage, Jon and his EdSystems colleagues have spearheaded its implementation, including scaling robust college and career pathway models, building a new statewide system for transitional instruction courses that reduce college remediation needs, delivering deep support for leading regions to align education and workforce delivery systems, and driving innovation through competency-based education and other innovative practices.
Juan Jose Gonzalez began his career as an immigration rights organizer for the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights, where he mobilized immigrant citizens to vote and lobby at the state and federal levels for better immigration policy. He then served as the Chicago Director for Stand for Children Illinois, leading regional advocacy and policy efforts. Following, he was the Director of Youth and Education Policy for the City of Chicago Mayor's office under Mayor Rahm Emanuel, managing a portfolio that included elementary and secondary education policy, college access, summer employment, and out-of-school time opportunities.
These work experiences led Juan Jose to his current role as the Managing Director of Pathways & Operations for the Education Systems Center. He is heavily involved in implementing the Illinois Postsecondary Workforce Readiness Act, State Perkins V Plan, College and Career Pathways Endorsements framework, and developing industry-specific pathways in school districts and communities throughout the state.
Juan Jose received his B.A. at Princeton University and a Master's in Public Policy from the University of Chicago Harris School. Since 2018, Juan Jose has volunteered as a student mentor with Chicago's I-Mentor program at Phoenix Military Academy, supporting Chicago students in the college application and transition process. He currently serves as an elected parent member of a Chicago Public Schools' Local School Council and previously served as an elected community member and council secretary.
As the administrative assistant for Education Systems Center, LaTonya Hicks is responsible for assisting the Executive Director and staff in the daily operations of the organization through general office and contact management.
LaTonya first joined Northern Illinois University in November of 2017, as the office manager at the Center for Child Welfare and Education, where she assisted the Director of the Center, Education Advisor's and Post-Secondary Education Specialist, in a collaborative effort with DCFS, assisting children and families involved in the foster care system across the state of Illinois. Prior to joining NIU, LaTonya worked as a Practice Manager and Sr. Administrative Assistant in the medical field and as the Sr. Administrative Assistant at McGraw-Hill Higher Education.
Job Titles:
- Policy and Program Manager
Laura Monteagudo comes to Education Systems Center as the Policy and Program Manager. With a background in college admissions, Laura has worked with many first-generation and low-income college students as they navigate the transition from high school to college. Through this work, Laura developed a passion for racial equity and helping students overcome barriers. She is excited to make an impact through state policy work.
Laura holds a Bachelor's in Political Science from the University of Illinois Urbana Champaign and a Master's in Public Administration from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville.
Meagan Mitchell, PhD has focused much of her career working in higher education as a student affairs practitioner. She has created university-wide student retention initiatives, decreased students' time to college completion, and enhanced various program curricula. As Pathways Manager, Meagan manages projects in both the College and Career Pathways and Bridges to Postsecondary portfolios.
Meagan holds a PhD in Curriculum Studies from DePaul University and a Master's in Higher Education Student Affairs from Indiana University.
Job Titles:
- SEPI Student Voices Evaluation
Job Titles:
- Data and Outcomes Analyst
Job Titles:
- Development & Communications Director
- Development and Communications Director at Education Systems Center
Sarah Clark is the Development and Communications Director at Education Systems Center, managing foundation, corporate, and public grants as well as designing and implementing communications strategies. Sarah first worked in journalism, as a reporter and news anchor at KOAM in Joplin, Mo., and KWCH in Wichita, KS. Since 2007, she has worked in marketing communications and development for non-profit organizations in the Chicago area.
Sarah received a Bachelor of Journalism and a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Missouri.