Angie Wright, Ed.D., is an accomplished education administrator with over twenty years of experience working across P-20 systems. A proud alumna of Appalachian State University and a first-generation college graduate, she is deeply passionate about the importance of access across the educational continuum from PreK to higher education.

Dr. Wright currently serves as Director of Corporate Relations for Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia. Before Emory, she led grants development and strategic advancement for over a decade for North Carolina’s largest school district, the Wake County Public School System. During her tenure with WCPSS, she led the development of two successful Magnet School Assistance Program (MSAP) Grant proposals that were awarded a total of $25.2 million. Her experience also includes other US Department of Education program awards, including the Elementary and Secondary School Counseling, Teacher Incentive Fund, and Title III Part A Strengthening Institution grants. Her portfolio of expertise also includes foundation and corporate philanthropic investments.

As a United States Peace Corps Volunteer (Papua New Guinea, South Pacific, 1996-1998), Dr. Christine Gross developed interest in working to reduce, eliminate, and/or prevent minority group isolation in schools and communities. This interested strengthened while teaching in Africa (Yaoundé, Cameroon, 2003-2005). From 2005-2015, Dr. Gross enjoyed working as a magnet school administrator (Las Vegas, NV, International Baccalaureate Magnet School, 2008-11) and as the District Magnet Director of over 20 magnet schools (Clark County School District, NV, 2012-2014). Living in Napa, CA, Dr. Gross wrote the MSAP 2010-13 Final Report, was the Project Director for the MSAP 2013-16, and wrote and now serves as the Project Director of the MSAP 2017-2022. Dedicated and diligently working to bring students from different social, economic, ethnic, and racial backgrounds together.

Gillian Cohen-Boyer directs the Magnet Schools Assistance Program in the School Choice and Improvement Programs division of the Office of Elementary and Secondary Education at the U.S. Department of Education (ED). Gillian came to ED in 2000 after completing a Master of Public Policy Degree at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government. Prior to this, she worked in MA State Government on school-linked services; implementation of the state’s first Charter School Law; and at the intersection of education with the Governor’s Commission on Domestic Violence. At ED, Gillian’s work has focused primarily on supports for great teachers and leaders, including helping to found and lead the Department’s School Ambassador Fellowship program, as well as Teach to Lead, an initiative providing educators with time, space, and professional consultation to take school improvement ideas to scale. Gillian currently lives in Northern Virginia with her husband and two school-age daughters.

For three decades, clients have sought Maree Sneed’s advice as a result of her experience working in the education space, her legal acumen, her public policy work, and her ability to make connections between the education and legal arenas.

Maree advises clients in the education sector on a broad range of issues, including regulatory issues on transactions for companies in the education arena. She provides advice to education companies, school districts and educational associations and institutions on issues, such as contract provisions, social media, bullying and cyberbullying, harassment, sex and race discrimination, English language learners, and magnet schools. She also advises on privacy issues, including the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act; special education/IDEA; equitable access and opportunities; integration and desegregation; school facilities; contracts; Title IX, Title VI, and 504 compliance; and charter schools. Maree has provided regulatory advice to clients and litigated cases for clients in state courts as well as federal, district, and appellate courts. Maree and her team worked on two important Supreme Court cases involving school districts — Schafer v. Weast and PICs v. Seattle School District No. 1. Maree has also represented school districts in Office for Civil Rights (OCR) and Department of Justice (DOJ) investigations and negotiated voluntary resolution agreements.

Melissa Jordan has served as the Executive Director for Northwest Suburban Integration School District (NWSISD) since January 2015. In addition to overseeing the daily operations of NWSISD, Ms. Jordan provides leadership, resources, and staffing for integration activities to seven Public School Districts located in the northwest metropolitan area of Minneapolis and St. Paul. Jordan provides leadership around magnet school development, implementation, and sustainability based on Minnesota’s Achievement and Integration Legislation. Prior to accepting the role of Executive Director with NWSISD, Jordan served as Integration Coordinator for the Elk River Area School District from 2003 to 2014. Jordan has also served as an Emergency Response Coordinator, Prevention Specialist and Special Education Social Worker, all within the Elk River Area School District, located in Minnesota.

Ms. Jordan has a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Social Work, as well as an Education Specialist Degree, and is licensed as an Independent Social Worker, K-12 Principal, and Superintendent.

Ms. Jordan also serves as a board member with the Association of Metro School Districts, Minnesota Education Equity Partnership, and Minnesota Association of School Administrators.

Ms. Jordan’s mission is to use collaborative practices to close opportunity gaps for students in the prek-12 school system.