Celena advises education leaders on strategies and practices that strengthen the teaching profession and ensure every student has access to an excellent education. At Education First, she partners with state agencies and foundations to build diverse talent pipelines and increase the use of high-quality instructional materials (HQIM) in classrooms. Celena currently leads a community of practice that helps teacher preparation programs, and their district partners integrate HQIM into candidate training and residency experiences. She also supports state leadership teams in using data and targeted strategy to launch job-embedded licensure pathways and improve educator workforce initiatives.

Drawing on her previous experience as a Partner at TNTP, Celena leverages over 20 years of expertise to help school systems create supportive environments where both teachers and students can thrive.