A Passion For equity and excellence.

Katherine Bradley is the founder and chair of CityBridge in Washington, DC. The CityBridge enterprises include a family foundation, a policy action fund, and CityBridge Education, a public charity investing in the people and bold ideas that can transform local public education. Bradley chairs the board of the KIPP Foundation, the largest operator of public charter schools in the nation. She also serves on the boards of the DC College Access Program, CityWorks DC, and the National Geographic Society, and she served for 12 years as a trustee of Princeton University, from which she graduated in 1986. She and her husband David have three adult sons and live in Washington, DC.

To contact Katherine Bradley, please email Lauren Russer at lrusser@bradleyholdings.com.

As Chief Executive Officer, Rachel Evans works alongside the CityBridge team, community stakeholders, and external partners to support leaders and incubate ideas that will radically transform the equity and opportunity landscape for DC students.

Prior to joining CityBridge, Rachel was a White House Fellow at the Department of Defense. She began her career in education as a high school English teacher in Baltimore and later joined Teach For America staff as a recruitment director. After serving as a school administrator in the Cristo Rey Network, she started at TNTP (formerly The New Teacher Project) as the Site Manager for the Oakland Teaching Fellows program. Later, she launched TNTP’s statewide expansion from Phoenix into Yuma and the Navajo Nation as the Site Director for the Arizona Teaching Fellows program. In her final three years at TNTP, she built out the organization’s business development function as the Partner overseeing strategic growth.

Rachel currently serves on the board of directors for the White House Fellows Foundation and Association. She has a B.A. in English Literature from Texas A&M University, an M.A. in Teaching from Johns Hopkins University, and an Executive M.B.A. from the Quantic School of Business & Technology. She lives in Brookland with her wife, Stephanie, and their dog, Toby.

As the Director, Implementation for CityTutor DC, Deidra Bailey (she/her/hers) works with the CityTutor DC team to support school leaders as they work to integrate and implement high-impact tutoring in their schools.

Immediately before joining the CityTutor DC team, she was High School Principal at DC International School (DCI), a dual-language and IB for all charter school in Ward 4. At DCI, she served first as a founding special education and math teacher in the DCI Middle School, and then went on to be the founding Assistant Principal for DCI High School upon its opening in fall of 2016. During her time at DCI, she supported the building of the high school programming, and most importantly, supported the matriculation of DCI’s founding class of students.

Deidra began her career in education in 2009 as a Teacher For America corps member in Washington, DC, as a special education teacher at Anacostia Senior High School. Committed to equitable learning environments for students and ensuring schools have strong teachers, she has served as both a Curriculum Specialist and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusiveness Facilitator for Teach For America Summer Institute, supporting the development of first year teachers. She also served as a founding member of DC Education Coalition for Change, a community made up of families, students, educators, and friends of education that organizes around the needs of students in the District.

Deidra holds a B.A. in Government and International Politics with a minor in African and African American Studies and an M.Ed. in Special Education, both from George Mason University.

As Director, Coaching at CityBridge, Kim Beck (she/her/hers) is a manager, coach, and workshop facilitator for educators and innovators serving the young people of DC.

With over 10 years of teaching experience, Kim is committed to helping students and teachers develop the knowledge and sense of belonging necessary to succeed in school and life. Prior to joining CityBridge, Kim was a Vice Principal at KIPP DC: Promise Academy, a Blue Ribbon school where she oversaw Kindergarten and 1st grade. Kim began her teaching career at KIPP DC as a founding elementary school teacher, ultimately becoming a dean and then Vice Principal. Prior to teaching, Kim played professional basketball for the WNBA.

Kim holds a B.A. in History from George Washington University.

As Project Coordinator for CityTutor DC at CityBridge Education, Savannah is responsible for strategic project management and operations for expanding access to high-impact tutoring for DC public school students.

With six years of experience in the nonprofit world, Savannah is passionate about creating sustainable systems to empower programs promoting equity and dignity. Prior to joining the CityBridge team, Savannah was a Program Associate at The Samaritan Women – Institute for Shelter Care where she managed the operations for the Shelter Mentorship Program, an educational program for restorative care providers serving survivors of sexual exploitation.

Savannah also served with Cru City for four years, both in DC and Milwaukee, collaborating with nonprofits and faith-based organizations to engage their communities in justice issues. While working with Cru, she founded and facilitated a pilot program to recruit and launch first-year teachers in Southeast DC. Formerly, Savannah was a contractor with International Justice Mission, a global organization that protects the poor from violence by strengthening justice systems. In her role as Operations Assistant, she supported execution of IJM’s first staff conference, The Gathering.

Savannah graduated from the University of Maryland with a B.A. in Sociology.

As Director of Partnerships for CityTutor DC, Gina builds relationships with local universities and tutoring organizations to strengthen the tutoring ecosystem for public school students in Washington, DC.

Prior to joining CityTutor, Gina led the academic team at Horton’s Kids, a community-based organization that supports children and families in the Wellington Park and Stanton Oaks neighborhoods. In addition to overseeing OST academic programs, Gina focused on school advocacy work. She provided workshops on students’ educational rights for parents and facilitated conversations between parents and school leaders.

Gina taught high school English and directed the school’s Restorative Justice Program in Milford, Massachusetts for 12 years before moving to DC. Gina earned a B.A. in Writing and Literature from Wheaton College and a M.A. in English Literature and Women’s Studies from Brandeis University.

Gina lives with her partner in Park View and paints in her spare time.

As Chief of Staff, Jen Davis (she/her/hers) facilitates and coordinates internal management of CityBridge. For nearly a decade, Jen previously directed CityBridge’s Stewardship and Network Engagement practice, overseeing a strategy to leverage content and convenings to build an “army of stewards” who understand DC public education and support the practices that are best helping children succeed. In this role, Jen designed a portfolio of content-rich events for philanthropic, business, and civic leaders to learn about the issues and ideas most relevant to our city’s education landscape. She also supported our entrepreneurs by building political maps of DC to navigate and develop critical local relationships.

Before Jen joined CityBridge in 2008, she spent five years with the national literacy nonprofit Everybody Wins!, first managing its corporate volunteer program and development efforts in Chicago and later serving as national development and communications director. She was also previously a spokesperson for the Got Milk? campaign. Jen earned a B.A. from Washington and Lee University. Her two children inspire her commitment to creating an excellent, equitable education system.

As Senior Project Director of CityBridge’s Transforming Teaching Portfolio, Leslie works with DC schools to drive forward the planning, piloting, and implementation of new models for teaching aimed at making the teaching profession more successful and sustainable. 

Leslie has served as an educator championing equity-centered learning for both students and teachers for over two decades. She is committed to leading in urban school districts to ensure high-quality, antiracist school experiences are the standard for all school communities, especially those that are often marginalized. Leslie’s passion for education started during her tenure as a National Board Certified English Teacher and evolved into increasing her impact in subsequent roles as a Master Educator, Assistant Principal, and Principal-in-Residence.  

Most recently, Leslie has led district-level initiatives as the Director of Leadership Development, pioneering transformative programming through professional learning communities for teacher leaders, assistant principals, Latino/a leaders, and aspiring principals. 

Leslie believes that living and leading liberation begins with interrogating biases, disrupting systemic barriers, and stepping into the power of being a change agent. As a proud mother of two children, Leslie staunchly advocates for whole child and whole adult success as the North Star for every school district.

As Grants Manager, Matthew Gasper (he/him/his) works to ensure the sustainability, growth, and compliance of CityTutor DC.

Prior to joining CityBridge, Matthew served as Manager of Compliance & Systems at PAVE (Parents Amplifying Voices in Education), developing processes, procedures, and data competency across the organization while supporting the organization’s fundraising work and grant management. Previously, he worked at the National War College Alumni Association in support of fundraising efforts, alumni events and outreach, and student and faculty engagement.

A graduate of American University with a B.A. in International Studies, Matt’s first experience engaging in the DC education system was as a mentor and summer teacher at Higher Achievement Program in Ward 1, where he saw the experiences of DC students moving from middle school to high school and the positive impact of strong tutoring programs.

As Senior Director of Development, Liesl Groberg (she/her/hers) focuses on pursuing and maintaining financial support for the organization’s mission.

Before joining the CityBridge team, Liesl was a Partner with the nonprofit TNTP (formerly The New Teacher Project), where she helped grow the organization’s impact both through the development of new partnerships and by leading client engagements with public district and charter schools in Washington, DC, and Illinois. While at TNTP, Liesl and her colleagues won and managed several large, multi-year grants from the U.S. Department of Education, which put tens of millions of dollars toward developing sustainable human capital approaches in partner school systems from coast to coast.

Liesl earned her B.A. in communication at American University, then entered the field of education in 1993 as a Teach For America corps member, teaching middle school language arts in Washington, DC. Later, she relocated to Austin, Texas where she was a coach to undergraduate student-teachers while pursuing her M.Ed. at the University of Texas. Liesl returned to teaching with the Austin Independent School District before coming home to DC and stepping into the nonprofit sector with the Breakthrough Collaborative, then joining TNTP in 2007.

As the Associate Director of Recruitment and Cultivation, Millissa Hare (she/her/hers) serves as the primary recruiter for CityBridge’s incubator, cultivating education innovators interested in scaling their ideas to serve the young people of DC to participate in our programming.

Committed to social justice, Millissa has spent the past decade working at the intersections of social work and education. She began her career as a case manager and clinician supporting families and youth in foster care and other out-of-home placements. Prior to joining CityBridge, she honed her skills in developing recruitment systems to foster equitable outcomes and increase access for historically marginalized groups. Most recently, she was a partnership coach at the Flamboyan Foundation where she coached and supported schools in setting conditions to implement and sustain equitable family engagement.

Outside of CityBridge, Millissa can be found on an outdoor adventure (fishing, hiking, skiing, etc.) with her family.

Millissa holds a B.A. degree in Psychology, Criminal Justice & Africana Studies and a M.S.S. from Bryn Mawr College School of Social Work.

As Chief Program Officer, Rena Johnson (she/her/hers) leads CityBridge programming and coordinates across our program lines to increase internal coherence in our approach to advancing equity and opportunity for all children. Before joining the CityBridge team, Rena was a DC Public Schools principal. She led the longest-standing DCPS and charter partnership school, DC Scholars Stanton Elementary, to national recognition for meaningfully engaging families through authentic relationship building.

Rena taught 2nd and 3rd grade in Atlanta, Georgia. Following her classroom teaching, she worked for Teach For America, DC Region as the Manager of District Strategy and served as a Resident Principal with New Leaders For New Schools. She holds a B.A. in History from the University of Virginia and an Ed.M. in Education Policy from Harvard Graduate School of Education.

As Manager, Donor Relations, Gina Lee (she/her/hers) supports the Development team with cultivating relationships with financial supporters of the organization.

Prior to joining CityBridge, Gina spent a year in Melbourne, Australia interning with Cru where she largely focused on managing social media and executing campaigns to initiate discussions surrounding spirituality with University of Melbourne students. Previously, she interned with a branding agency, JST.B, where she managed communications and relationships with clients while also introducing public relations strategies as a new practice area for the firm. During this internship, Gina assisted in launching a network that aimed to connect and empower Asian American creatives in the DMV area.

Gina holds a B.A. in Communication with a concentration in Public Relations from the University of Maryland, College Park. During college, Gina took several classes that brought light to systemic racial injustices, fueling her desire to directly engage in work that aims to dismantle inequitable systems.

Arthur McKee (he/him/his) is the Senior Director of Research & Learning, identifying large-scale challenges in DC’s education system and driving the analysis necessary to craft effective responses. He and his team glean insights from the progress of the entrepreneurs CityBridge supports and the broader initiatives CityBridge leads.

Arthur rejoined CityBridge in May of 2015. From 2011 to 2015, he led the first-ever comprehensive evaluation of over 2,000 teacher preparation programs across the country at the National Council on Teacher Quality. From 2000 to 2010, Arthur helped develop and lead CityBridge’s Early Years Education Initiative, a five-year effort to ensure high-quality early childhood education for all children in the nation’s capital.

Arthur earned a B.A. from Princeton University and a Ph.D. in Russian history from U.C. Berkeley in 1997.

As Project Coordinator, Renee Metellus (she/her/hers) is responsible for strategic project management in support of CityTutor, with a specific focus on expanding and deepening the impact of CTDC Hubs.

She started her career in education as a tutor with City Year in her hometown of Chicago, and then went on to explore public education from different angles, including as graduate assistant for DC Reads at American University, an English teaching assistant with the Teaching Assistant Program in France, and most recently as a parent engagement coordinator with Montgomery County Public Schools.

Renee holds a B.A. in French Studies and Political Science from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, as well as an M.Ed. in Education Policy and Leadership from American University. She enjoys exploring hiking spots around the DMV and spending time with her cat.

As Associate of Program, Elham Mohaba (she/her/hers) works across all CityBridge programs, as well as serving as the main internal logistical support for the team as a whole.

Prior to joining CityBridge, Elham worked as an Administrative and Programs Assistant at the Parking and Transportation Department of George Mason University, working to make transportation more accessible and sustainable for members of the Mason community.

Elham holds a B.A. in Government and International Politics from George Mason University, and is currently pursuing a M.A. in Interdisciplinary Studies with a concentration in Social Justice and Human Rights, also from George Mason University. She is currently working on her graduate thesis on the experiences of Black women in academia, focusing on how trauma is often at the center of these experiences.

Elham is a DMV native and currently resides in Northern Virginia with her husband and two cats.

Cat Peretti (she/her/hers) has tutored students for more than 20 years, and her experiences personalizing learning to improve outcomes have fueled her career in education policy.

After earning her law degree, Cat was an analyst at the US Department of Education focused on grants management during the Obama administration. She then served as the Director of Policy and Accountability at E.L. Haynes Public Charter School.

In 2015, Cat became the Executive Director of My School DC, the common application and lottery for the District’s public school options. Under Cat’s leadership, the lottery program operated with technical precision as the number of participating families and schools steadily increased. Now, nearly all schools serving grades PreK-12 have opted in to use My School DC and 75% of families with students in DCPS or DC public charter schools have used the lottery system for school access. In 2019, she and her team won the Morris & Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation award for innovation in the DC government.

Cat brings keen strategic judgment, strong operational skills, a commitment to educational equity and access, and a deep set of relationships with DC’s educational leaders to the role leading CityTutor DC. She oversees strategy development and overall execution for CityTutor DC with the full support of CityBridge’s team.

As Director of Program, Andrew Plemmons Pratt (he/him/his) builds experiences for education leaders to learn equity-centered design tools and apply them to create transformative schools and social ventures. Since joining CityBridge in 2015, he has supported leaders and teacher teams across the District and charter sectors on school redesign, coached school designers on new start charter applications, and led multiple fellowships focused on innovation, design thinking, and race equity. His work is grounded in the belief that schools can disrupt and dismantle systems of oppression.

Formerly, Andrew worked in school partnerships at New Classrooms; taught 7th-grade English as a Teach For America corps member in Prince George’s County, Maryland; and edited a magazine about science policy at the Center for American Progress. He holds a B.A. in English and American Studies and an M.A. in English, both from the University of Virginia. He and his wife are public school parents to two kids and live on Capitol Hill.

As Project Director, Transforming Teaching Portfolio, Heidi works with DC schools to drive forward the planning, piloting, and implementation of new models for teaching aimed at making the teaching profession more successful and sustainable.

Heidi is a leader and designer with over 15 years experience in the education sector supporting a wide range of learners, from adolescents to adults. She is passionate about creating the conditions in which both adults and young people can thrive. Most recently, she was the Director of Professional Learning at Turnaround for Children where she used her school leadership and teaching background to lead partnerships, design and facilitate internal and external professional learning, and develop a rich variety of tools and resources to support schools in whole-child aligned change initiatives.

Heidi got her start in the education field as a first generation college student at the University of Chicago where she worked for the Neighborhood Schools Program. She was a research assistant at the Chapin Hall Center for Children and participated in a fellowship at the Council for Adult and Experiential Learning. She moved to Washington, DC, in 2007 as a Teach for America Corps member. After that, she worked at DC Prep’s Edgewood Middle School Campus, where she supported many culture and academic initiatives as a teacher, grade-level leader, department chair, coach, home office curriculum writer, and assistant principal.

Outside of work, Heidi enjoys volunteering and spending time with her husband and son. She also remains close to her family in Minnesota, visiting them as often as she can.

As Associate Director of Program Strategy, Meghan Grady Serrano (she/her/hers) manages CityBridge’s early-stage program, Design Studio. She also supports entrepreneurs working to design new school models in DC.

Before joining CityBridge, Meghan worked as a science teacher and grade team leader with KIPP STAR Middle School in New York. Meghan began her career in education as a Teach For America corps member in Indianapolis. In total, she spent five years as a STEM educator and is passionate about sparking students’ love of science from an early age. In addition to her time in the classroom, Meghan has experience working in development and communications for youth-based nonprofits.

Meghan holds a B.A. in Communications and Political Science from Purdue University, as well as an M.A.T. from Marian University and an M.Ed. in Education Policy and Management from the Harvard Graduate School of Education.

As Director of Learning, Agasthya leads CityBridge’s efforts to become an organization of continuous improvement by documenting the impact of our work, refining theories of change, and developing data-driven learning agendas.

Prior to joining CityBridge, Agasthya was a Research Scientist at the Harvard Advances in Learning Research Group, where he investigated innovative pedagogical frameworks for online learning and led the curriculum development for a suite of case-based data science courses for Harvard Business School Online.

Agasthya began his career in education as a Teach For America corps member in New Orleans. He eventually moved on to serve as a Program Manager with New Schools for New Orleans, where he coached teachers and leaders in pedagogy and change management, analyzed city-wide achievement data, and developed programs to increase college readiness for high school students in New Orleans.

Agasthya holds a B.A. in Psychology from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst and an Ed.M in Technology, Innovation, and Education from the Harvard Graduate School of Education.

As Associate, Communications and Events, Jordan Sugick supports the execution of CityBridge’s communications and events strategy, helping to grow awareness of the organization and elevate the projects we support.

Jordan brings extensive knowledge in graphic design to CityBridge, having previously interned in marketing and social media for two local small businesses, Can I Live, Inc. and The Innovative Academy of Liberal Arts and Sciences (IALAS). There, she created engaging content and assisted in developing their branding. Before that, Jordan served as a Marketing and Communications intern at Destination DC, DC’s premiere tourism organization, where she supported their advertising efforts and organized digital content for their website. 

Jordan holds a B.A. in Communications with a concentration in Advertising and a minor in Digital Marketing from Fairleigh Dickinson University, Metropolitan Campus. She is a native Washingtonian and attended DC Public and Public Charter Schools. Jordan’s passion for giving back and academic excellence drove her to pursue work that would create an impact on her community.

As Director of Interventions for CityTutor DC, Susannah Tsien (she/her/hers) works  to support and coach school teams and Hubs as they work to integrate and implement high-impact tutoring across the city.

With over 12 years of experience in DC schools—and as a DC native—Susannah is deeply committed to closing the opportunity gap in the nation’s capital. Prior to joining CityTutor DC, Susannah worked as Regional Math Coach at KIPP DC. In this role, she developed curricula and supported elementary leadership and school teams with implementation. As an inaugural fellow in KIPP DC’s DEI Coalition, Susannah partnered with leaders across the network to lead equity conversations and set equity agendas to push KIPP DC’s anti-racism work forward. Susannah began her career as a teacher at KIPP DC: Promise Academy where she taught for several years before moving into instructional leadership.

Susannah graduated from Bucknell University with a B.A. in anthropology and political science.

As Chief Operating Officer, Carla Watson (she/her) is directly responsible for operationalizing CityBridge’s strategic plan with an inclusive and equity-centered approach. She helps maintain the organization’s long-term fiscal sustainability, ensures the efficacy and efficiency of our business operations, and stewards our brand, our standard of excellence, and commitment to equity in all that we do.

A dedicated public servant and life-long champion for education equity, Carla began her career as a staff attorney with Legal Services for Children in New York City, where she provided free legal representation for at-risk children and their families denied public benefits and access to appropriate education. Inspired by her work in education law and committed to championing equity for all students in DC, Carla joined DC Public Schools (DCPS) as a Senior Policy Associate in 2008. She spearheaded efforts that successfully navigated the District’s exit from multiple class-action lawsuits while supporting principals, teachers, and other key stakeholders ensuring that students are provided safe, accessible, and fully resourced schools. As Chief Operating Officer for DCPS and more recently as Chief Program Officer for Higher Achievement, Carla provided turnaround solutions and innovative business plans that increased efficiencies, ensured high-quality programming, and helped provide families access to the support and resources they needed to achieve their educational goals.

Carla currently serves on the board of directors for Monument Academy Public Charter School, a weekday boarding school with a mission to empower students, particularly those who have experienced significant adversity, including involvement or risk of involvement in child welfare and/or other social service systems. She has a B.S. in Government and Politics, a J.D. from NYU School of Law, and an Executive Master’s in Leadership from Georgetown University.

As Director of Communications, Kate Wiley (she/her/hers) is focused on growing awareness of CityBridge and elevating the projects we support through strategic and compelling storytelling. 

Kate has deep experience in building and growing communications programs in the nonprofit space, most recently at SOME (So Others Might Eat), a nonprofit dedicated to providing crucial services to DC residents experiencing homelessness, hunger, and poverty, where she oversaw all external communications and online fundraising. Prior to her work at SOME, Kate spent nine years in public affairs at the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of American History and Lemelson Center for the Study of Invention and Innovation, bringing awareness to and engagement with diverse topics such as the Star-Spangled Banner, the history of skateboarding, and the discovery of the only playable recording of Alexander Graham Bell’s voice. 

Kate holds a B.A. in Foreign Language and Communication Media from American University and a M.A. in Cultural Heritage Studies from the University College London. Her passion for education was fostered by her mother, a high school math teacher for over 30 years, and continues to be inspired by her son.