Staff Expertise and Contacts

Members of the media may directly contact the following staff members for questions or commentary in their noted issue/area of expertise.

• Martin J. Blank
  Community and education; community schools; parent, family and community engagement; community development; youth development; community as context/curriculum.

• Elizabeth L. Hale
  Leadership development and support; principals and superintendents; governance.
• Barbara McCloud
  School leadership; school leaders' capacity building/professional development/leadership training; the superintendency/ superintendents' searches; principal development and training; school boards.
• Karabelle Pizzigati
  Child and youth development; early childhood education; teacher and teaching quality; national policies affecting children, youth, and families.
• Mary B. Podmostko
  Leadership and school leadership issues; assorted issues in workforce development, special education, assessment, and disability.
• Curtis Richards
  Disability public policy, vocational rehabilitation, special education, higher education policy, workforce development, some health care.
• Kwesi Rollins
  Youth development, mentoring, substance abuse and violence prevention, strategic planning, evaluation, systemic reform, education reform, collaboration, community building.
• Michael D. Usdan
  Leadership development and support; superintendents and school boards; governance issues, including new and changing school governance arrangements in school districts; issues of large urban school districts; history of education in America; James Conant; Harold "Doc" Howe.
• Joan L. Wills
  Education and workforce accountability systems; organization of the intergovernmental system with special emphasis on transition from school to work; assessment systems; development and implementation of skill standards; and disabilities.