The Hunt Institute Announces New Board Members

May 18, 2021

New Members Bring Educator, Administrator, and Finance Lenses

Cary, NC – The Hunt Institute is pleased to announce the appointment of three new board members, Secretary Pedro Rivera, former Pennsylvania Secretary of Education, Dr. Nancy Gutierrez, President and CEO of The Leadership Academy, and former California State Treasurer John Chiang.

“Our Board of Directors consists of a passionate group of individuals who are determined to make a difference in education, and Secretary Rivera, Dr. Gutierrez, and Treasurer Chiang are natural additions to the board,” said Board Chair and Founder of The Hunt Institute, Governor Jim Hunt. “Each of them brings their own unique set of skills that will help continue pushing The Institute’s mission forward.”

Secretary Pedro Rivera served as a teacher, assistant principal, principal, and superintendent before becoming Pennsylvania Secretary of Education in 2015. In October 2020 he took on the role of President of Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology.

Dr. Nancy Gutierrez began her career as a teacher and principal in her hometown of East San Jose, CA, before joining The Leadership Academy (formerly NYC Leadership Academy) in 2014. In 2018, she became the President & CEO of The Leadership Academy, a national nonprofit organization that builds the capacity of educational leaders at every level of the system to confront inequities and create the conditions necessary for every student to achieve academic, social, and emotional success.

Treasurer John Chiang began his career as a tax law specialist for the IRS, and his career in government in 1997 when he assumed responsibilities as the Acting Member of the California State Board of Equalization. He went on to become California State Controller from 2007-2015, and then served as California State Treasurer from 2015-2019. Treasurer Chiang currently serves as Co-Chair of California Forward and on the board of Apollo Medical Holdings. He was also a member of Cohort 2 on The Institute’s Hunt-Kean Leadership Fellows program.

“Dr. Gutierrez, Secretary Rivera, and Treasurer Chiang will provide additional layers of perspective to our Board, which will be critical as The Hunt Institute continues to grow,” said Dr. Javaid Siddiqi, President & CEO of The Hunt Institute. “The classroom and administrator experience that Dr. Gutierrez and Secretary Rivera bring will help shape the direction of The Institute as we recover from the pandemic, and Treasurer Chiang’s experience running California’s financial system will be incredibly valuable in terms of fiscal controls of The Institute and as we evaluate the financial landscape post-COVID.”

 

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About The Hunt Institute
An affiliate of the Duke University Sanford School of Public Policy, The Hunt Institute is a recognized leader in the movement to transform public education. Marshaling expertise from a nationwide partner network since it was established in 2001, the Institute brings together people and resources that help build and nurture visionary leadership and mobilize strategic action for greater educational outcomes and student success.

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