Board of Directors

• David Sutphen, Chair
• Crystal Barnes, Vice-Chair
• John Branam
• Dia Bryant
• Anna Kimsey Edwards
• Carl Folta
• Jonathan Garcia
• Tracy Henderson
• John Jowers
• Rachel Kelly
• Lindsey Kendrick
• Kiesha King
• Dr. Mike Muñoz
• Heidi L. Naunton
• Shivam Shah

David Sutphen, Chair

David Sutphen is Founder & Co-CEO at Jasper Advisors, a boutique consultancy that advises non-profit leaders and organizations, CEOs, Fortune 500 companies, and more on managing their reputation and navigating the change, challenges, and opportunities that come with operating in today’s complex, multi-stakeholder world. Previously, he was Chief Engagement and Strategy Officer at 2U, an educational technology company that provides online degree programs to nonprofit colleges and universities. 

David is the Founding Board Chair of Get Schooled, an initiative he led through his tenure at Paramount as the company’s Senior Vice President of Government Relations. In addition to leading our Board of Directors, David also serves as a Board member of CityBridge Education and as the Secretary of the Board for the U.S. Soccer Foundation. 

David began his career as an Associate at Covington & Burling, following a clerkship on the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit. He is a graduate of The University of Michigan Law School.

Crystal Barnes, Vice-Chair

Crystal Barnes is Senior Vice President, Culture & Corporate Social Responsibility at Paramount. In this role, Crystal oversees the development of organizational initiatives in support of Paramount's culture, corporate responsibility goals, and business strategies. Prior to joining Paramount, Crystal was Senior Vice President of Global Responsibility and Sustainability at Nielsen and Executive Director of the Nielsen Foundation.

In addition to her work with Get Schooled, Crystal currently serves on the New York Department of Education Minority and Women-Owned Business Enterprise Diversity Council, as well as the Board of Advocates for Citizen Schools.

Crystal started her career as a CBS affiliate in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania and for Comcast SportsNet in Bethesda, Maryland. She received a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Broadcast Telecommunications and Mass Media from Temple University.

John Branam 

John Branam is the Executive Director of Get Schooled. John has served in senior education leadership roles for more than 15 years – each with a focus on expanding opportunities and outcomes, especially for Black and Brown youth.

Prior to becoming the ED of Get Schooled in 2019, John was the Executive Director of the 1Million Project, T-Mobile’s signature CSR effort. During his tenure, 1MP provided reliable, free, mobile connectivity for up to four years to 225,000 high school students in 191 school districts in 33 states. John has also served as the Deputy Director of Grantmakers for Education, a senior administrator at Portland Public Schools, a Volunteer in the Peace Corps in South Africa, and an educator in Anacostia, Washington D.C. As a Black male who grew up in a low-income family, John’s efforts to support Black and Brown youth are personal.

John earned his B.A. in political science from Washington & Lee University and a J.D. from the University of Oregon School of Law. He serves on several local and national boards and lives in Portland, Oregon with his wife and two young children. 

Dia Bryant

Dia Bryant is the immediate-past Executive Director at The Education Trust - New York, where she leads an ambitious policy and advocacy agenda focused on improving educational outcomes for children from early childhood through college. Prior to her work in her current role, Dia worked for the New York Department of Education in multiple capacities, including her role as founding principal at Vista Academy, a middle school in East Brooklyn, NY.

A Detroit native and first-generation college graduate, Dia earned her Bachelors degree in Economics from Kalamazoo College, a Master's degree in Math Education from Brooklyn College, and a Doctorate of Educational Leadership from Harvard University. 

Anna Kimsey Edwards

Anna Kimsey Edwards is the Chief Advocacy Officer and Co-Founder of Whiteboard Advisors, a mission-driven communications, research, and consulting firm that supports organizations working to advance educational equity and economic mobility.

Working with governors’ offices, state departments of education, higher education and workforce leaders, and school districts across the country, Anna is regarded as a trusted confidante and partner on K-12, higher education and workforce policy.

In addition to serving on Get Schooled’s Board of Advisors, Anna currently serves as a Senior Advisor to New Markets Venture partners and was the founding vice-chair of the national nonprofit mindSpark Learning.

A product of the Atlanta Public School system and honors graduate of Yale University, Anna now resides in Washington, D.C. 

Carl Folta

Carl Folta is Senior Counselor at Abernathy MacGregor, a leading strategic communications firm. As Senior Counselor, Carl provides client counseling and business development, focusing on the media and entertainment industries. Prior to joining Abernathy MacGregor, Carl was Executive Vice President, Corporate Communication at Paramount, where he was responsible for Paramount's overall communications activities, both internally and externally. Prior to joining Paramount, he held various communications roles of increasing responsibility.

In addition to serving on Get Schooled’s Board of Directors, Carl is a member of the Board of Trustees of St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City and serves on the Board of Directors of the International Radio and Television Society, and Literacy Inc.

Carl graduated from Boston University’s College of Communication with a Bachelor of Arts in Public Relations.

Jonathan Garcia

Jonathan Garcia is the former Chief of Staff at Portland Public Schools, the largest K-12 system in Oregon. Jonathan enjoys working in the social and public sector, particularly at the intersection of strategy, innovation, and partnerships; aimed at building systems that empower people, contribute towards racial justice, and build self-sufficient communities. In addition to being named to the 2018 Forbes “30 Under 30 in Education," Jonathan is a Pahara Fellow.

In addition to serving on the Get Schooled Board of Directors, Jonathan also serves on the Board of Directors for the Portland Trailblazers Foundation, The Futuro Media Group, and Arte Publico Press at the University of Houston.

A first-generation college student, Jonathan earned his Bachelor of Arts in Sociology & Philosophy and a Master of Arts in Management from Azusa Pacific University. 

Tracy Henderson

Tracy Henderson is currently Executive Director, Impact & Inclusion at Comcast NBCUniversal, where she builds and manages Comcast’s community investment portfolio, sourcing and cultivating relationships with external partners, including national and regional nonprofits, to advance the company’s commitment to digital equity and advancing social justice and equality. Additionally, she is a senior advisor on corporate giving operations and governance and impact metrics and evaluation.

Tracy is a first-generation college graduate with a BS in Community Health Education from San Francisco State University and an MBA from UC Riverside. She also received certificates from Boston College in Corporate Citizen Leadership and Cornell University in Diversity & Inclusion. 

John Jowers

John Jowers is the Vice President of Communications at Nike, where he thinks deeply about the brand, storytelling, impact, and resonance among youth in the U.S. and globally.

Originally from England, John - who is a first-generation college graduate - received his a Bachelor's of Science degree in Business Studies and Sports Science from Brunel University in London, UK. He lives in Portland, Oregon. 

Rachel Kelly

Rachel Kelly is an Associate General Counsel, Labor and Employment at Meta Platforms, and is based in Austin, Texas. In this role, Rachel counsels on employment considerations across the full range of the employee lifecycle including recruiting and hiring, leave and workplace accommodations, discipline, and claims of discrimination and retaliation. Rachel also regularly advises on novel issues at the forefront of technology, including AI and privacy.

Rachel is a first-generation attorney, having graduated magna cum laude with her J.D. from Texas Southern University –Thurgood Marshall School of Law and her bachelor’s degree from The University of Alabama. In her spare time, Rachel enjoys volunteering with underrepresented youth, mentoring young lawyers, traveling, and spending time with her husband and their dog. 

Lindsey Kendrick

Lindsey Kendrick is a partner with Deloitte with more than fifteen years of professional experience in the audit practice serving financial services clients including those in the insurance, investment management, and broker-dealer sectors. Lindsey has extensive experience in US GAAP, SEC and US statutory accounting and reporting requirements and has led cross-functional engagement teams in various audits of public, private and emerging growth companies.

Lindsey serves on the Board of Directors of Embrace Her Legacy, a non-profit personal development organization dedicated to equipping millennial women and Gen Z girls with the tools needed to overcome internal and external challenges in fulfilling a purpose-driven legacy. Lindsey received her master’s degree in Accounting from the University of Connecticut and is a certified public accountant. She lives in Stratford, CT with her husband, Brandon, and four children. 

Dr. Kiesha King

Dr. Kiesha King has led a career of service dedicated to youth as a classroom teacher, principal, and Executive Director of Curriculum and Technology Integration in a district of nearly 70,000 students with 92% economically disadvantaged families. After founding a thriving national virtual learning consultancy, Dr. King joined T-Mobile five years ago to build a new education segment that has grown partnerships with over 5,000 school districts serving 5.3 million students. 

Dr. King serves on the board of national non-profits and the University of Houston with a goal of helping to advance access for Black and Brown youth. Raised in Phoenix, AZ, she now resides in Houston, TX with her husband, active middle schooler and two very teenage high schoolers. 

Dr. Mike Muñoz

Dr. Mike Muñoz is President of Long Beach City College, and is a nationally-recognized transformational leader in higher education with an expertise in closing racial equity gaps for students of color.

In addition to serving on Get Schooled's Board of Directors, Dr. Muñoz also serves on the Board of Directors for the National Community Colleges Hispanic Council, is a founding Board Member of COLEGAS (the California Community Colleges Latinx professional association), and is a Member of the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office Fiscal Advisory Committee.

Dr. Muñoz is a first-generation college graduate and attended East Los Angeles College and Fullerton College before transferring to the University of California, Irvine (UCI), where he received his bachelor’s degree in Psychology and Social Behavior. He received his master’s degree in Counseling and his Doctorate of Education with a specialization in Community College Leadership from California State University, Long Beach.

Heidi L. Naunton

Heidi Naunton is Senior Vice President, Senior Counsel & Assistant Secretary at Paramount. In this role Heidi manages the legal support for the Paramount Board of Directors, including ensuring compliance with evolving corporate governance and disclosure and regulatory developments.

In addition to her service on Get Schooled’s Board of Directors, Heidi is Co-Chair of Paramount's companywide Pro Bono Task Force. She is a member of the Board of Directors of Lawyers Alliance for New York and Co-Chair of the Board’s Development Committee and an affiliate member of the Pro Bono and Legal Services Committee of the New York City Bar Association.

Heidi began her career as an Associate in the New York office of Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP. She received her law degree from Brooklyn Law School.

Shivam Shah

Shivam Shah is President of Summit Advisors, Inc. She served on the Senior Education Leadership Team of both the Gates Foundation and Chan Zuckerberg, was the Director of Special Initiatives at the USDOE, and is a Pahara Fellow. In addition to her work with Get Schooled, Shivam also serves on the Board of Directors at Education Forward DC, E.L. Haynes Public Charter School, and WETA, a DC-based television station. 

Shivam earned her bachelor’s degree in economics from Georgetown, studied at the London School of Economics, and has an MBA from Harvard Business School.