OUR STORY

Dr. Nancy B. Gutiérrez is the President & Lead Executive Officer of The Leadership Academy, a nationally recognized nonprofit dedicated to driving transformational leadership development for educators at all levels of the school system. Under Nancy’s leadership, the organization has supported educators across 41 states and more than 430 school districts, equipping them with the skills to create sustainable, context-driven change.

Nancy has earned numerous accolades for her leadership and contributions to the field of education, including being named a 2025 Innovator of Color by ASU+GSV Summit, one of the 100 Most Influential Education Leaders in New York by City & State Magazine, and a Distinguished Alumna by San Jose State University.

Her education leadership journey began as a teacher and principal in her hometown of East San Jose, CA, where she was the founding principal of Renaissance Academy, a California Distinguished School. She later spearheaded the successful turnaround of the district’s lowest-performing middle school, which was just two blocks from her childhood home and was the same school her  her mother had attended as a child. She was honored as California’s Middle Grades Principal of the Year for her impact.

A two-time published author, Nancy co-wrote Stay and Prevail: Students of Color Don’t Need to Leave Their Communities to Succeed (2023), which highlights the stories of leaders who have given back to their home communities, and Coaching Education Leaders (2024), which showcases The Leadership Academy’s groundbreaking coaching model. Her insights on education leadership have also been featured in Education Week, Kappan, The74, and Hechinger Report among others.

Nancy earned a Doctor of Education Leadership (Ed.L.D.) from Harvard’s Graduate School of Education and has had the privilege of being asked to serve as an expert guest at The Principals’ Center, where Harvard convenes school leaders from around the world to engage in transformative professional learning experiences. She is also an alumna of the Association of Latino Administrators & Superintendents (ALAS) Aspiring Superintendents Academy and was a 2019 Pahara-Aspen Education Fellow. Dedicated to developing the next generation of education leaders, she is currently a faculty member at Teachers College Summer Principals Academy and has previously been an adjunct professor at NYU.

Nancy also champions educational initiatives and advancement through her service as the Board Chair of Education Leaders of Color (EdLoC), and as a member of the Boards of Directors for The Hunt Institute, brightbeam, and The Neurodiversity Alliance (formerly Eye to Eye).

Find Nancy on LinkedIn.

Mary Rice-Boothe, Ed.D., joined The Leadership Academy in 2015 and currently serves as Executive Director, Curriculum Development & Equity. In this role, she oversees The Leadership Academy’s internal and external equity strategy, design, and collaboration, and ensures expanded access to our work through different learning systems. At The Leadership Academy, she has had the opportunity to partner with school systems across the country to support them in implementing their equity policies. Mary has also supported the development of equity-focused resources for district-level leaders looking to name and dismantle the inequitable practices they are seeing at the school and district level. Mary came to The Leadership Academy with more than 20 years of experience in education as a teacher, principal, mentor, and coach. Before joining TLA, she worked at New Leaders, a national non-profit organization, as Executive Director of Content and Assessment, leading the team that designed, developed, and delivered content and assessments for the organization. She began her career in education as an high school English teacher in East Harlem. Mary is a certified Courageous Conversations about Race Affiliate and a certified Facilitative Leadership Trainer. She sits on the board of Marathon Kids. Mary holds a BA in Metropolitan Studies from New York University, an MA in English and English Education from the City College of New York, and a Doctorate Degree in Leadership and Organizational Change from the University of Southern California. Her book, focused on leaders of color, will be published by ASCD in 2022. Mary lives in Round Rock, Texas, with her mom, husband, daughter, and son.

Mary Jo joined the Leadership Academy in 2011 to help grow the organization’s national consulting practice as Chief Strategic Partnerships and Communications Officer, and now serves as Executive Director, Business Development & Finance. Prior to joining the Leadership Academy, she served as Chief Operating Officer of the Partnership for New York City, which led the fundraising campaign that helped launch the Leadership Academy. Previously, she served as Vice President of Strategic Partnerships at All Kinds of Minds, which provided training and tools for educators based on research from neuroscience on how people learn. Mary Jo began her career in education at the National Geographic Society, where she developed and implemented teacher training and outreach programs and facilitated the development of teacher leadership networks. Mary Jo has also focused on student learning as a mentor to students at the Young Women’s Leadership School in Harlem and at the Higher Achievement Program in Washington, D.C., and has taught both supplemental ESL and national high school civics classes. Mary Jo was a Morehead Scholar at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and earned both an MBA and an MA in Education from Stanford University.

Michelle joined the The Leadership Academy in 2004 and now serves as the organization’s Executive Director, Learning & Strategy. In that capacity, she spearheads the organization’s internal capacity building, ensuring organizational sustainability and growth. As one of the designers of the Leadership Academy’s signature coaching model, Michelle continues to implement direct service programs as well as facilitate capacity building for clients seeking to develop in-house expertise in leadership coaching. Additionally, she brings her extensive experience as a curriculum designer, facilitator, and consultant to a range of leadership development initiatives in districts throughout the country. Prior to her work with the Leadership Academy, Michelle was the Director of Education for the Union Square Partnership, where she developed an award-winning, public-private partnership that leveraged the resources of the private sector to support NYC public school students through innovative enrichment programs and career readiness opportunities. Michelle holds an MA from Teachers College, Columbia University, and a BA from Union College. Having reveled in games and puzzles as a child, Michelle continues to take great (perhaps excessive) pride in her ability to complete the New York Times Sunday crossword puzzle.

As Executive Director, Innovation & Operations, Carole serves as a thought partner and advisor to the CEO, supporting the organization’s strategic goals and initiatives. Since joining the Leadership Academy in 2017 as a fellow from Harvard University’s Education Leadership program, she has helped lead district and state level work with partners across the country, including designing professional learning experiences for leaders in Cypress-Fairbanks, TX; Somerville, MA; and Fayette County, KY. In Hillsborough County, FL, Carole co-designed an equity walk tool and co-led learning sessions for the superintendent’s leadership team in analyzing the district’s work to dismantle inequities and to create a strategic plan focused on equity. She recently co-facilitated the NYC Department of Education First Vice Chancellor’s leadership retreat and in Rochester, NY, led the superintendent’s leadership team in analyzing the district’s work to dismantle inequities and to create a strategic plan focused on equity. She has also led training for principals and superintendents for the Nevada Department of Education and worked with district-level administrators to create curricula for aspiring and new principals in both Cleveland and Chicago. Carole is the lead researcher and author of the The Leadership Academy’s Equity at Work guide for district leaders on equity-focused strategic planning. Carole is a former teacher, principal, and central office administrator. She has taught aspiring teachers and principals at Smith College and the University of Massachusetts and has served as a coach for aspiring and sitting administrators. She was an Ambach Fellow at the Massachusetts Department of Education, where she focused on equity projects such as assisting with the oversight of the METCO desegregation program. Carole enjoys writing about leadership and equity and her work has been published by the Century Foundation and the National Coalition on School Diversity. Carole holds a doctorate from Harvard University’s Graduate School of Education’s Education Leadership (Ed.L.D.) program.

David Baiz joined The Leadership Academy in October 2020 as a National Designer & Facilitator and now serves as the Executive Director, Programs. Inspired by The Leadership Academy’s shift to transformative leadership, David was thrilled to join the team and support adults across the sector in this important work. David has over a decade of experience serving students in New York City. He is an award-winning math teacher and former principal of Global Tech Prep Middle School in East Harlem, a technology- and wellness-focused school. Students thrived at the school, which earned high marks in positive school culture, student academic growth, teacher effectiveness, and parent satisfaction. As part of the Harvard Doctor of Education Leadership program, David worked with the College Board to lead expansion efforts of computer science and civics in high schools across the country through their AP Computer Science Principles and AP U.S. Government and Politics courses. David holds a Bachelor of Arts from The Ohio State University, a Master of Science in Mathematics Education from City College of New York (CUNY), a Master of Education with a focus on school leadership from Bank Street Graduate School of Education, and a Doctor of Education Leadership from Harvard Graduate School of Education.

Dr. Anthony King, Ed. L.D., joined the Leadership Academy in 2022 and currently serves as Executive Director of External Engagement. Prior to joining the Leadership Academy, Anthony served as the Director of Continuous Improvement for the Sonoma County Office of Education in Santa Rosa, CA. In his role, he supported several districts throughout the county in their improvement efforts and the development of their Local Control and Accountability Plans. He also led the 21st Century California School Leadership Academy for five counties in the California North Bay region where he led the planning and implementation of professional learning opportunities, communities of practice, and leadership coaching focused on equity and continuous improvement. These offerings were designed to develop school leadership at multiple levels of educational systems. Dr. King has experience working with numerous schools, districts, national and regional foundations, and state departments of education across the country. Anthony has 14 years of experience in education, having previously served the students and families of Independence, MO as a former elementary teacher and principal. Anthony holds a B.A. in Interdisciplinary Studies with emphases in math, physics, and Black studies and an M.Ed in Curriculum & Instruction from the University of Missouri. He also holds an Educational Specialist degree in administration from the University of Central Missouri and he earned his doctorate in education leadership—Ed.L.D.— from the Harvard Graduate School of Education.