As Chief of Staff and State Operations, Kathleen oversees the state directors, executes the national 2020 strategy, runs the annual Philos conference for affiliate Education Reform Now, and manages staff gatherings and expansion planning. From 2010 to 2015, she was DFER's New Jersey State Director. In New Jersey, Kathleen supported the passage of the state’s first ever tenure reform legislation, protected public school choice policies, and led education advocacy efforts in the city of Newark.
Prior to joining DFER, Kathleen supported the growth of KIPP New Jersey in their development department. Before KIPP, Kathleen worked at The MCJ Amelior Foundation, beginning as a program officer focused on education and economic development initiatives in Newark. She later supported efforts to launch Malaria No More and the office of the Special Envoy for Malaria at the United Nations.
Kathleen holds a Master in Public Administration degree from New York University and a Bachelor of Arts degree from Georgetown University. She lives in northern New Jersey with her family.