Education Northwest is excited to welcome Stephen Plank to our board of directors. Stephen brings more than 25 years of experience in the education research and evaluation field, including his current role as vice president of Research, Evaluation, Evidence and Data at the Annie E. Casey Foundation.

He is a stellar person— thoughtful, smart, and intensely committed to improving educational outcomes and equity.
—CEO Jessica Johnson

Stephen’s wealth of professional experience reflects the breadth of content areas, services, and external partners served by Education Northwest. Stephen previously served as a managing researcher at the American Institutes for Research, taught and conducted education research at Johns Hopkins University, and directed research and evaluation for AmeriCorps—a longtime partner of Education Northwest.

“Steve brings deep knowledge and involvement in the education philanthropy space, a commitment to culturally responsive evaluation, and expertise in other areas of our work including AmeriCorps,” said CEO Jessica Johnson. “Most importantly, he is a stellar person—thoughtful, smart, and intensely committed to improving educational outcomes and equity through research, evaluation, and technical assistance.”

In addition to his work experience, Stephen currently serves on the AI & Philanthropy Steering Committee for the Partnership on AI, and as advisory board member to both Reading Partners Baltimore and Generation Patient.

“Throughout my career—across four distinct stages of it—I have admired and utilized the products and learnings of Education Northwest,” said Stephen. “I appreciate the organization’s commitment to generating evidence—based and action—oriented products and services. I look forward to joining the other members of the Board of Directors, and Education Northwest’s leadership team, to provide governance and thought partnership.”

Based in Baltimore, Maryland, Stephen brings additional geographic diversity to the Education Northwest board. As we continue to expand our work across the country, we commit to representing the communities we serve in our leadership and our staff.