Margaret R. Burchinal, Ph.D. is a senior scientist at the FPG Child Development Institute at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill and an adjunct professor in the Department of Education at the University of California, Irvine. She serves on the editorial boards for Child Development and Early Childhood Research Quarterly. Dr. Burchinal earned her doctorate in quantitative psychology from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.
Olivia Golden, Ph.D., is an institute fellow at the Urban Institute, where she focuses on child and family programs, specifically service providers. In 2007, she worked with then-Governor Spitzer as director of state operations for New York. Previously, she served as director of the Child and Family Services Agency of the District of Columbia. She earned her Ph.D. in public policy from the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.
Nancy Gonzales, Ph.D., is an ASU Foundation Professor of Psychology (Clinical) and co-director of the Principal Research Core at the Prevention Research Center of Arizona State University. Her research focuses on the influence of culture, neighborhood, and other contextual factors on adolescent mental health, and the development of culturally sensitive prevention and promotion strategies for high risk youth. Dr. Gonzales earned her Ph.D. in psychology from the University of Washington.
Henry E. Gooss (Chair) is senior adviser to Investor Growth Capital, Inc., the venture capital arm of Investor AB, a Swedish industrial holding company, where he also served as president from 2005 through 2008. Prior to joining Investor AB in 1998, he had been chief investment officer of Chase Manhattan Bank and its predecessors since 1986. In addition, Mr. Gooss was a visiting professor at the Darden School of Business at the University of Virginia from 1987 through 2008. He began his career at Brown Brothers Harriman & Co., and received his M.B.A. from New York University.
Robert C. Granger, Ed.D. (President) has been president of the William T. Grant Foundation since 2003. He joined the Foundation in 2000 as senior vice president for program. His previous positions include senior vice president of MDRC and executive vice president at Bank Street College of Education. He received his Ed.D. from the University of Massachusetts.
Lisa Hess is president and managing partner of SkyTop Capital Management LLC. She is also a regular contributor to Forbes magazine. From 2002 to 2008, she served as chief investment officer for the Loews Corporation. Ms. Hess also previously held positions at Goldman Sachs, Odyssey Partners, and First Boston. She was a founding partner of Zesiger Capital Group, and was a member of the U.S. Treasury Debt Management Advisory Committee. She received her M.B.A. from the University of Chicago.
Christine James-Brown (Vice Chair) became president and CEO of the Child Welfare League of America (CWLA) in April 2007. She previously served as president of United Way International since 2004, and before that she spent 10 years as president and CEO of United Way of Southeastern Pennsylvania.
Sara McLanahan, Ph.D., is the William S. Tod Professor of Sociology and Public Affairs at Princeton University, where she also founded the Bendheim-Thoman Center for Research on Child Wellbeing. She is editor-in-chief of the journal The Future of Children. She received her Ph.D. from the University of Texas at Austin.
Melvin Oliver, Ph.D., is the SAGE Sara Miller McCune Dean of Social Sciences and a professor of sociology at the University of California, Santa Barbara, and is an expert on racial and urban inequality and poverty. Prior to his tenure at UCSB, Dr. Oliver was vice president of the Asset Building and Community Development Program at the Ford Foundation. He earned a Ph.D. in sociology from Washington University in St. Louis. .
Russell Pennoyer (Secretary, Treasurer) is president of Benedetto, Gartland & Company, Inc. He was formerly an executive of American Exploration Company and also served as an associate with Davis Polk & Wardwell. He received his J.D. from Columbia University School of Law.
Andrew C. Porter, Ph.D., is dean of the University of Pennsylvania’s Graduate School of Education, where he also serves on the faculty as the George and Diane Weiss Professor of Education. Dr. Porter has also taught at Michigan State, the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and Vanderbilt University. He received his Ph.D. from UW-Madison.
Judson Reis, M.B.A., is the president of Sire Management Corporation, which manages several multi-manager investment partnerships. He is an active supporter of several private primary and secondary schools, a trustee at the Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture, and a trustee at the Pomfret School. Mr. Reis earned his M.B.A. at Harvard Business School.