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The Broad Center

Becca Bracy Knight
Managing Director
Email: bbracyknight@broadcenter.org
Phone: 510-451-4442
Fax: 510-451-4441

Becca Bracy Knight currently serves as Managing Director of The Broad Center for the Management of School Systems. Previously, Ms. Bracy Knight served as a Director of The Broad Foundation, and was responsible for managing numerous grants and two of the Foundation's flagship initiatives: The Broad Prize for Urban Education and The Broad Superintendents Academy. Earlier in her career, she served as Regional Director of K-12 Programs for Kaplan Learning Services, Family Services Director for the Salvation Army's South Central Los Angeles Youth Project, and as a Healthy Start Coordinator in San Francisco. Ms. Bracy Knight also worked in Oakland on major school reform initiatives through Partners in School Innovation. She has held leadership positions in the AmeriCorps National Service Program and its precursor, the Summer of Service. Ms. Bracy Knight received her B.A. from Stanford University.


Greg Francis
Associate Director, Curriculum
Email: gfrancis@broadcenter.org
Phone: 510-451-4443
Fax: 510-451-4441

Greg Francis serves as Associate Director, Curriculum for The Broad Center for the Management of School Systems. In this role, he develops and revises curriculum for both The Broad Superintendents Academy and The Broad Residency in Urban Education. Previously, Mr. Francis was a curriculum specialist for the Stanford Program on International and Cross-Cultural Education at Stanford University, where he developed curriculum units for secondary students and conducted training workshops for teachers. He also worked as a program operations analyst for the World Bank Group, as a research analyst for Menlo Consulting Group, and as a language teacher in Japan through the Japan Exchange and Teaching Program. Mr. Francis holds a B.A. in International Relations from Stanford University, an M.A. in Latin American Studies from the Universidad Andina Simón Bolívar in Ecuador, and has completed graduate-level coursework in educational technology at the University of Hawaii.


Kendra Racouillat
Office Manager
Email: kracouillat@broadcenter.org
Phone: 310-954-5084
Fax: 310-954-5081

Kendra Racouillat currently serves as the Office Manager for The Broad Center for the Management of School Systems. In this role, she is responsible for managing all logistical aspects of the Center's office, as well as coordinating team development. Ms. Racouillat previously served as the Program Assistant for the Center's recruitment team where she coordinated recruitment and selection efforts for The Broad Superintendents Academy and The Broad Residency. Prior to joining The Broad Center, Ms. Racouillat was an assistant at The Broad Foundation, where she supported grant development as well as media and communications activities. Ms. Racouillat holds a B.A. from the University of California, Los Angeles.


Recruitment

Chaka Booker
Director of Recruitment, The Broad Residency
Email: cbooker@broadcenter.org
Phone: 310-954-5083
Fax: 310-954-5081

Chaka Booker is the Director of Recruitment at The Broad Center for the Management of School Systems. In this role, he leads recruitment and selection for The Broad Residency in Urban Education and oversees summer opportunity partnerships. Prior to joining The Broad Center, Mr. Booker worked in the public sector for the majority of his career, first as the founder and director of A+ Services, a tutorial company operating within the Los Angeles Unified School District, and then as Director of Education for Star Inc., a provider of after-school enrichment, curriculum development, and supplemental education services. He also worked for William Morris Consulting, where he evaluated partnership opportunities and analyzed potential Fortune 500 clients. Mr. Booker received his B.A. from the University of California at Los Angeles and an M.B.A. from Stanford University.


Amy Shea
Assistant Director of Recruitment, The Broad Residency
Email: ashea@broadcenter.org
Phone: 310-954-5023
Fax: 310-954-5081

Amy Shea is the Assistant Director of Recruitment at The Broad Center for the Management of School Systems. In this role, she supports the recruitment for The Broad Residency in Urban Education. Prior to joining The Broad Center, Ms. Shea was a senior recruiter for Bain & Company, Inc., where she developed on-campus recruiting strategies and developed grassroots marketing efforts to promote Bain and attract top talent. She also worked as the assistant resident director for the Boston University Los Angeles Internship Program, as a career services associate for employer relations at Emerson College Career Services in Boston, and as a senior associate for the strategic communication firm Citigate Cunningham. Ms. Shea received her B.A. from Providence College in Rhode Island.


Rachael Shrout
Outreach Manager
Email: rshrout@broadcenter.org
Phone: 310-954-5080
Fax: 310-954-5081

Rachael Shrout is the Outreach Manager for The Broad Center's recruitment team. In this role she is responsible for managing the logistical and administrative aspects of recruitment efforts for both The Broad Superintendents Academy and The Broad Residency. Prior to joining The Broad Center, Ms. Shrout served as recruitment coordinator for DreamWorks SKG. She also served as recruitment director and field organizer for a political fundraising organization in Boston. Ms. Shrout holds a B.A. in psychology from Occidental College.


Tanya Tai
Associate Director of Recruitment, The Broad Superintendents Academy
Email: ttai@broadcenter.org
Phone: 310-954-5082
Fax: 310-954-5081

Tanya Tai is the Associate Director of Recruitment for The Broad Center for the Management of School Systems. In this role, Ms. Tai is responsible for helping to develop a targeted recruiting strategy, including a marketing and public relations campaign, for The Broad Superintendents Academy. Prior to joining The Broad Center, Ms. Tai worked as a University Relations Recruiter for DIRECTV, Inc., where she most recently was a Project Manager. Previously, she worked as a Senior MBA and undergraduate Recruiter for Bain & Company, Inc. in Los Angeles and Boston. Ms. Tai holds a B.A. from The Lynch School of Education in Human Development/Organizational Studies and Human Resources Management from Boston College.


Marc Terry
Director, Recruitment, The Broad Superintendents Academy
Email: mterry@broadcenter.org
Phone: 310-954-5095
Fax: 310-954-5081

Marc Terry is the Director, Recruitment for The Broad Superintendents Academy. In this role, Mr. Terry is responsible for overseeing the annual recruitment campaign for The Academy’s military and public sector candidates. Mr. Terry most recently served as Manager, Talent Acquisition for Electronic Arts, where he managed all recruitment activities for the company’s Los Angeles campus. He previously worked for seven years in various recruitment positions for The Walt Disney Company, including Senior Recruiter for Disney Mobile and Recruitment Lead for Disney Consumer Products. Mr. Terry holds a B.S. in Marketing and a B.A. in English Literature from Indiana University.


The Broad Superintendents Academy

Christina Heitz
Senior Director
Email: cheitz@broadcenter.org
Phone: 310-954-5062
Fax: 310-954-508

Christina Heitz, Senior Director of The Broad Superintendents Academy, joins The Broad Center from The Broad Foundation, where she worked on a national campaign to raise public awareness about the current crisis in education. Prior to her work with Broad, Ms. Heitz was an early leader in the marketing of broadband Internet, having held key roles at AT&T, start-up Northpoint Communications, and SBC Communications. Ms. Heitz started her career as a marketing manager with Ralston Purina. She has a bachelor’s degree in economics from Duke University and an MBA from the J.L. Kellogg Graduate School of Management at Northwestern University.


Tim Quinn
Managing Director
Email: tquinn@broadcenter.org
Phone: 231-223-8814
Fax: 231-223-8815

Dr. Timothy G. Quinn currently serves as Managing Director of the Broad Superintendents Academy and is the President of the Michigan Leadership Institute.

Dr. Quinn's career spans teaching and administration at all levels of public education from K-12 through university. He has served the Michigan and Wisconsin K-12 systems, including six years as superintendent of the Green Bay Public Schools and a term as Wisconsin's Deputy State Superintendent of Instruction. He has also served as chief academic officer and then as president of Northwestern Michigan College in Traverse City, Michigan.

Dr. Quinn has also served as The University of Michigan's Director of Collaborative Efforts in Academic Outreach. While at The University of Michigan, he was the chief executive officer of Michigan's first virtual college, which was the prototype for the expanded Michigan Virtual University. Dr. Quinn led the initial planning and startup for both of those entities.

Dr. Quinn earned his doctoral degree in educational leadership from The University of Michigan, and has received honorary doctoral degrees from Eastern Michigan, Central Michigan and Grand Valley State Universities. He has published numerous articles and lectured across the country on such topics as effective governance, the future of education, leadership and business/education partnerships. His public speaking skills have been recognized by Toastmasters International, through the presentation of their Distinguished Leadership and Communication Award.

In 1997, Dr. Quinn founded the Michigan Leadership Institute, which is dedicated to continuous research on the topics of leadership, leadership development, and placement of outstanding leaders. Through the Institute, Dr. Quinn has been engaged by The Broad Center to partner on The Broad Superintendents Academy.


Arlene Ackerman
Superintendent in Residence

Dr. Arlene Ackerman currently serves as Superintendent in Residence of the Broad Superintendents Academy and as the Christian A. Johnson Professor of Outstanding Educational Practice at Columbia University. Dr. Ackerman has served in public education for 33 years, most recently as Superintendent of the San Francisco Unified School District. Previously, she served as Superintendent of the Washington, D.C. Public Schools. Other work experiences include classroom teacher at both the elementary and middle school levels; principal at the middle school level; Director, Upward Bound Program for first generation college-bound students; Director, Basic Skills Academy for at-risk high school youth; Assistant Superintendent, Special Services, Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum, Instruction and Academic Achievement and Deputy Superintendent/Chief Academic Officer. Dr. Ackerman possesses a strong leadership background with an unparalleled blend of academic credentials and professional accomplishments.

Dr. Ackerman is affiliated with such organizations as Phi Delta Kappa, the Council of the Great City Schools, College Access Board, Reading is Fundamental, Inc. - National Advisory Council Board Member, Haberman Educational Foundation, Inc. - Advisory Board Member, Network for Instructional Television, Inc. - Board of Directors, National Alliance of Black School Educators, the Association of Supervision and Curriculum Development, the American Association of School Administrators, the Bay Area School Reform Collaborative - Board of Directors, WestEd - Board of Directors, Bay Area Partnership, Local Workforce Investment Board of San Francisco, Harvard Urban Superintendents Advisory Board and nominated for the Harvard Principal's Center Advisory Board. She is also a Broad Center for Superintendents Advisory Board member.

Dr. Ackerman has received numerous honors and awards, including Uniquely University City Award for Outstanding Service, Apple for the Teacher Award (Iota Lambda Sorority), Distinguished Alumni Award (Harris Stowe Teachers College), and the McDonnell Douglas Fellow (Harvard Urban Superintendents Program). She also has been honored in Who's Who in American Colleges and Universities.

Dr. Ackerman holds a doctorate and master's degree in Administration, Planning and Social Policy from the Harvard Graduate School of Education, Master of Arts in Educational Administration and Policy from Washington University (St. Louis, MO) and a Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education from Harris Stowe Teachers College (St. Louis, MO).


Shelley Keith
Director
Email: skeith@broadcenter.org
Phone: 231-223-8814
Fax: 231-223-8815

Ms. Michelle Keith currently serves as the Associate Director of The Broad Superintendent Academy and as Vice President of the Michigan Leadership Institute.

Ms. Keith's career includes twenty years of higher education experience in the areas of human resources, planning and governance. As a human resources officer at Iowa State University and as the Director of Human Resources at Northwestern Michigan College, she has had extensive professional experience in recruitment, employment, collaborative bargaining, benefits, compensation, and training and development.

Ms. Keith served as the Director of Planning and Business Operations for Michigan's first virtual college, which operated through The University of Michigan. She also served on the planning and implementation team for the new Michigan Virtual University.

Ms. Keith has worked extensively with governance matters of public and private organizations, including implementing shared governance systems and the policy model of board governance. In addition to teaching human resources at the community college level, she has made presentations and conducted several workshops on governance, planning and human resources.

Ms. Keith earned her master's degree from Iowa State University in industrial relations.


Sadie Peckens
Program Assistant
Email: speckens@broadcenter.org
Phone: 510-451-4440
Fax: 510-451-4441

As Program Assistant, Sadie Peckens is responsible for managing all logistical aspects of The Broad Superintendents Academy. Prior to joining The Broad Center, Ms. Peckens served as an AmeriCorps VISTA Volunteer at Interim, Inc., a mental health organization in Marina, California. In this role, she worked on resource development, publicity and event management. She previously served as a public relations assistant for the Michigan State University Museum and as a publicity officer for the Common Grounds Coffee House in East Lansing, Michigan. Ms. Peckens holds a B.A. in English with minors in communication and social science from Michigan State University.


The Broad Residency in Urban Education

Lynn Liao
Senior Director
Email: lliao@broadcenter.org
Phone: 310-954-5064
Fax: 310-954-5081

As Senior Director of The Broad Residency in Urban Education, Lynn Liao is responsible for all aspects of the program including recruitment, selection, professional development, and alumni support. Prior to joining The Broad Center, Ms. Liao served as a Director at The Broad Foundation and was responsible for the Foundation's portfolio of investments in district and national principal leadership programs. She also served as the Foundation's liaison with districts including New York City, San Diego, and Philadelphia. Before joining Broad, Ms. Liao worked with community-based organizations and education technology companies to improve learning experiences for students and teachers. She formerly managed an online math tutoring program for SCORE! Learning Corporation's Internet division. Ms. Liao has also served as an AmeriCorps member and then later as a board member for Partners in School Innovation. She also was a consultant for McKinsey & Company, an international strategy consulting firm. Ms. Liao holds a B.A. from the University of California, Berkeley and an M.B.A. and M.A. in Education from Stanford University.



Julie Lee
Operations Manager
Email: jlee@broadcenter.org
Phone: 310-954-5086
Fax: 310-954-5081

As Operations Manager, Julie is responsible for managing all logistical aspects of The Broad Residency in Urban Education. Prior to joining The Broad Center, Ms. Lee worked as an executive assistant and coordinator of education programs at The Santa Barbara Museum of Art. She has also served as an English as a Second Language (ESL) and kindergarten teacher in Los Angeles. Ms. Lee holds a B.A. in communication and a B.A. in fine art from the University of Wisconsin – Madison.


Brandi Sims
Program Administrative Assistant
Email: bsims@broadcenter.org
Phone: 310-954-5094
Fax: 310-954-5081

As Program Administrative Assistant, Brandi Sims is responsible for assisting with recruitment for and the logistical aspects of The Broad Residency in Urban Education.  Prior to joining the Broad Center, Ms. Sims worked in the legal field.  She also worked as Assistant Director of the Howard University High School Forensics Academy.  Ms. Sims holds a B.A. in Communication and Culture with a minor in Philosophy from Howard University.