NEW ORLEANS, LA — October 28, 2015 — 11 cross-sector Louisiana leaders have been selected for the inaugural cohort of the Louisiana Education Policy Fellowship Program (EPFP Louisiana).

The state branch of a national program sponsored by the Institute for Educational Leadership (IEL), EPFP brings together established and emerging leaders to expand and contextualize their understanding of education from the school level to the federal. Nationally, the program is currently active in 17 sites across 15 states and Washington, DC. Alumni include three sitting school chiefs, several state-level policymakers, the editor-in-chief of Education Week, and a former US Cabinet Member.

Through ten months of colloquiums and professional development, EPFP Louisiana aims to build the leadership necessary to advance education throughout the state.

The program’s Louisiana chapter is an initiative of Orleans Public Education Network (OPEN), a New Orleans-based nonprofit dedicated to building civic capacity as a necessary component of excellent public schools. It is supported by an advisory board representing leadership in workforce development, K-12 education, governmental advocacy and more.

“Now more than ever, Louisiana education needs strategically aligned cross-sector leadership,” said Deirdre Johnson Burel, OPEN’s Executive Director. “Louisiana’s economic future is inextricably linked to education. We are excited to have such a strong and diverse array of leaders in this inaugural cohort. It bodes well for our state’s future.”

The EPFP Louisiana 2015 - 16 Fellows are:

Brian Adams
Teach For America South Louisiana

Marsha Broussard
Louisiana Public Health Institute

Sherdren Burnside
Journey Ninth Ward Assembly of God

Dr. Lisa French
Louisiana Department of Education

Dr. Lisa Green-Derry
Urban Strategies, Inc.

Dr. Leslie Grover
Southern University Baton Rouge

Susan Kahn
University of Louisiana at Lafayette

Sara Massey
Communities In Schools New Orleans

Zakenya Perry Neely
Orleans Public Education Network

Brionne Stewart
Young Audiences Charter School

Adrian Todd
Total Community Action New Orleans

For additional information on the Louisiana Education Policy Fellowship Program, please visit opennola.org. For more information on EPFP’s national presence, visit epfp.iel.org.

EPFP’s mission is to develop leaders in public and private organizations who have the capacity to create and implement sound public policy to improve outcomes for children and youth. In 2014, Louisiana joins the ranks of 13 other states across the US in welcoming EPFP to our community.

Fellows remain in their full-time positions and use their work environment as the context for examining important leadership and policy issues in their state and in the nation. EPFP activities are directed by on-site Coordinators.

Through EPFP’s Continuing Education Units (CEUs), states develop an extensive network of professionals capable of sustaining and acting on a coherent policy dialogue around significant issues in education. Organizations build the human capital and professional networks to enable them to compete effectively in a strategic environment, and individuals develop their leadership potential, knowledge of the policy process, and ability to add value to their organizations at a strategic level.

Since its inception in 1964, EPFP has produced nearly 8,000 alumni who now lead at high levels in all sectors of American life, within and outside education.

The inaugural Louisiana EPFP cohort is recruiting now and launches fall 2015. Will you answer the call to action?

Please return completed application by August 14, 2015, along with attachment materials. Enrollment is limited — please apply early.

Need more information about the program and its curriculum? Email us today.