Anissa, based in Chicago, has 25 years of executive, nonprofit leadership experience including 15 years as the Founder and CEO of the National Center for Teacher Residencies (NCTR). During her tenure, she supported the development of three dozen residencies in 25 states through an innovative, one-of-a-kind consulting program, raised $60m to develop and maintain high-quality programs, and created a robust policy and advocacy agenda to sustain a robust movement to transform teacher preparation in the United States. Before launching NCTR, Anissa served in leadership roles with the Academy for Urban School Leadership, City Year Seattle/King County and Public Allies. In each position, Anissa exceeded fundraising goals, worked closely with boards of directors, dove into policy work, and honed her ability to successfully manage teams through strategy improvement, change and growth.
Anissa earned a Master of Science degree in Public Service from DePaul University, a Bachelor of Arts in International Studies from the University of Dayton, and a Diversity & Inclusion Certificate from Cornell University/E-Cornell. She has been an active volunteer in multiple organizations, including the Honeycomb Project, as a Team Leader for Habitat for Humanity/Women Build, as a Board Member of the Hypocrites Theatre Company and Public Allies Chicago, and as a member of Chief, an organization and network designed to promote women leaders.
Anissa lives in Chicago with her husband, two t/ween girls, a dog, a cat, a gecko and a snake. She loves exploring the city, visiting museums and restaurants, hitting Cubs games, traveling and puzzling.
