Prior to coming to Seattle, Goodloe-Johnson served as the Superintendent of Charleston County School District in South Carolina and held various leadership roles in the Corpus Christi Independent School District in Texas and the St. Vrain Valley School District in Colorado. She began her career as a high school special education teacher and coach in Colorado.

Dr. Goodloe-Johnson holds a Bachelor of Science in Special Education from the University of Nebraska at Lincoln; a Master of Arts in Educationally Handicapped K-12 from the University of Northern Colorado at Greeley, and a Ph.D. in Education Administeration, Supervision, Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Colorado at Denver. Dr. Goodloe-Johnson is also a 2003 graduate of the prestigious Borad Superintendent’s Academy.

Patrick D’Amelio, Executive Director, Alliance for Education
Patrick D’Amelio is president and CEO of Alliance for Education, an independent nonprofit organization that seeks to advance academic achievement for all students in Seattle Public Schools. In his position, Patrick carries out a passion that has spanned his career: helping nonprofit organization, and the children they support, reach their highest potential.

Prior to joining the Alliance, Patrick spent four years as president and CEO of Big Brothers, Big Sisters of King and Pierce Counties and served in various leadership roles at The Catholic Youth Organization and The Washington Post Company.

Patrick’s educational background and professional associations reflect his leadership experience in nonprofit work. He has participated in nonprofit management training at Harvard Business School and relief work in Rwanda with CRS, and is a member of Executive Alliance, a group of nonprofit executives based in Seattle. Patrick holds a B.A. degree in nonprofit leadership from Evergreen State College.

Kimberly Mitchell, Senior Program Officer, Education (WA State), The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation
Kimberly is a Seattle native (and Whitworth Elementary School graduate). She started her education career as a 1991 Teach For America corps member in Compton, California, spending several years as classroom teacher in urban public schools, an international school in Quito, Ecuador and at a Coalition of Essential Schools school in East Los Angeles. She was a high school assistant principal at Seattle’s Chief Sealth High School an elementary school principal at the International School of Athens, Greece and consultant to the International Baccalaureate Organization, the Washington Education Foundation, TeachFirst and Seattle Public Schools. Kimberly earned her BA in History and Philosophy from Skidmore College and her MA in Administration and Policy Analysis from Stanford University. She is the Senior Program Officer for Washington State education at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the proud parent of a Seattle Public Schools first grader.

Don Nielsen (HBS ’63), Former Seattle School Board President and Chairman, Teach First
Formerly an elected member and President of the Seattle School Board, Don brings both passion for and knowledge of K-12 education. Prior to being elected to the Seattle School Board, Don had a successful career in business. He co-founded Hazleton Corporation which became the world's largest contract biological and chemical research company. Under Don's leadership, Hazleton grew dramatically, was listed on the New York Stock Exchange and then purchased by Corning, Inc. Don currently serves on the boards of many community organizations, including Seattle Pacific University, the Talaris Institute, the Seattle Foundation, the Alliance for Education and is the Chairman of the National Eating Disorders Association. Don is also a member of the Board of Advisors for the Harvard Business School, and both the University of Washington Business School and Education School. He has a BA from the University of Washington and an MBA from the Harvard Business School.