Blog

Nicole Levine

New Board Chair.
Independent Consultant.

We welcome Nicole Levine as our new board chair and extend our deepest gratitude to our former chair, Shally Stanley, whose leadership far surpassed expectations. Nicole continues a legacy of doing good work and brings an incredible eye for strategy with 20+ years of experience working with nonprofits to address some of society’s most intractable problems.

Specializing in strategic planning and revenue generation, Nicole works with nonprofits to align mission, money, and operations to scale and sustain impact. Nicole has held senior positions responsible for strategy, operations, fundraising, and communications, most recently as Chief Business Development Officer of Polaris, a leading anti-human trafficking NGO. A nonprofit executive experienced in all facets of organizational leadership, Nicole has worked on a wide range of domestic and international development issues including education, land rights of Indigenous Peoples, technology, homelessness, and human rights.

Juliana Urtubey

New board member.
2021 National Teacher of the Year.

We’re honored to welcome Juliana Urtubey to the board, renowned across the educational field as the 2021 National Teacher of the Year. She brings fierce advocacy for a "joyous and just" education for all students, one that is inclusive and celebratory of all students’ identities, families and communities. A bilingual, first-generation immigrant, Juliana has worked throughout her teaching career to serve as a mirror for her school community, helping students to be proud of their identities and families, and to acknowledge their strengths and contributions to the community.

While teaching in Las Vegas, students gave her the nickname “Ms. Earth” for her efforts to beautify schools and unify the community through murals and gardens. With great pride, Juliana has coined the term “linguistically gifted” to honor the incredible linguistic gifts her students and their families contribute to our school communities. One of her greatest accomplishments is teaching linguistically gifted students to be confident readers, writers, and mathematicians who also care deeply about the wellness of their communities.

Juliana is a National Board Certified Teacher and holds a bachelor’s degree in bilingual elementary education and a master’s degree in special bilingual education from the University of Arizona. In September 2022, President Biden appointed Ms. Urtubey to the President's Advisory Commission on Advancing Educational Equity, Excellence, and Economic Opportunity for Hispanics. She is a National Board for Professional Teaching Standards Board of Directors member and Teacher Fellow. Ms. Urtubey has been featured on the cover of People Magazine representing educators as the 2021 People of Year and on Telemundo’s 2022 Hispanic Heritage Celebration.

Hank Harris

New Board Member.
President of Human Capital Enterprises.

Also new to the board is Hank Harris. As an educator, Hank brings a deep belief in the power of experiential education and the need for high quality instruction to serve all students -- with a particular commitment toward those students whose demographics have been farthest away from educational justice. Hank is also the President of Human Capital Enterprises, a west coast based Executive Search firm focused on Superintendent and C-Suite leadership for school systems. He served for many years as a teacher, school and district administrator, and CHRO in Washington, Oregon, and California. His firm is widely respected and boasts one of the highest longevity-rates for hired superintendents in the country. Hank has also served as a member of the governing board of the American Association of School Personnel Administrators and served as the Executive Director of the Virginia Association of School Personnel Administrators. He also served on the Out Teach Board of Directors from 2016-2019.

In his spare time, Hank is an avid traveler, piano player, and fan of international fringe festivals.