In her role at Education First, Sheila advises district, state, and national leaders on designing academic strategies that bridge the gap between policy and practice. Her work is fueled by an unapologetic focus on equity and a belief that mission-focused, relationship-based leadership can transform even the most complex educational systems.

She joins with Education First in envisioning a world in which every student is prepared to succeed—a world in which income and race no longer determine the quality of education. Sheila was a first generation college student, and she has spent her entire career focusing on improving our systems by designing for students on the margins.

Prior to coming to Education First, she was a teacher, principal, central office administrator, and most recently, Assistant State Superintendent of the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction.  Sheila got her PhD from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis and did her doctoral research on the impact of racial consciousness in two high achieving urban districts.

After work, if you can’t find Sheila backpacking, paddling, snowboarding, scuba diving or hiking you will likely find her documenting the family adventures in many detailed scrapbooks. She and her husband and both kids have their blackbelts in TaeKwonDo.