Julie Wilen has been named executive director at the Pritzker Pucker Family Foundation. Previously, Wilen was the director of strategic planning at the University of Illinois’ Center for Urban Education Leadership.
John Gasko has been selected to become the chief executive officer of UChicago Impact, the not-for-profit arm of The University of Chicago Urban Education Institute. He is currently the associate director of the Children’s Learning Institute at The University of Texas Health Center in Houston. Gasko was also the director of research and public policy for the Children’s Defense Fund in Austin, Texas. He will start his new position in mid-February.
Jitu Brown, an education organizer at the Kenwood Oakland Community Organization, is now the national director of Journey for Justice Alliance, a grassroots alliance of education justice advocates across the country. The alliance promotes equality in education for all students and sustainable, community-driven school reform.
Emily Miller is the policy and advocacy director at Voices for Illinois Children. Formerly, she was a policy and government relations coordinator at the Better Government Association.
Veena Villivalam, the network coordinator at Teach Plus, has left the position to return to the classroom. She will teach math to 5th and 6th graders at Frazier Preparatory Academy on the city’s west side.
Yolanda Knight has joined the Steans Family Foundation as a program director. Previously, Knight was the director of development and evaluation at the Network for College Success.