This summer we have been busier than ever planning for a school year that will be unlike any other. As we’ve reimagined school and work for the virtual world, equity has been at the center of our thinking and planning. We made the decision earlier this year to officially bring on a chief-level leader to marshal efforts and lead our commitment to identifying and confronting institutional racism, so we are excited to share an important update about that process.
KIPP DC’s new chief equity & inclusion officer will shape our diversity, equity, and inclusion strategy and guide our efforts; they will hold up a mirror to our team, and they “hold our hand” while “holding our feet to the fire.” We do not outsource our equity and inclusion efforts to this leader, but we look to them for leadership, alignment, support, and accountability. The chief equity and inclusion officer will report to the CEO and President.
Introducing KIPP DC’s new Chief Equity & Inclusion Officer
We are thrilled to share that Jami Dunham was selected by our stakeholder groups for this position and has accepted the role of chief equity & inclusion officer. Jami has been an important leader at KIPP DC for the past two years as both the deputy chief academic officer for high schools and the chair of our DEI Council. In her role, she has worked closely with high school principals and leadership teams, providing coaching and guidance in areas including instructional leadership and school culture. As the leader of our DEI work, Jami has been influential in expanding professional development offerings for staff members, implementing student policy changes, driving our advocacy efforts, and crafting a vision for KIPP DC’s equity and antiracism work.
Jami is a native of Tulsa, Oklahoma and brings 20 years of experience to this role. She obtained a bachelor of arts in English and a bachelor of arts in French from Howard University and a master’s degree in Education Administration from Trinity University. Prior to joining KIPP DC, Jami spent a decade at Paul Public Charter School as Head of School and then Chief Executive Officer. At Paul, Jami led transformational shifts, including the school’s high school expansion and the My Brother’s Keeper initiative to support black male students. While Jami isn’t working she can be found spending time with her husband and two children at any number of their sporting events and games including soccer, baseball, basketball, tennis, track, and cross-country.
Though we met a number of highly qualified candidates for the role throughout the selection process, it was clear that Jami has the strongest vision, change leadership skills, organization-wide relationships, and ability to inspire and champion a more equitable culture at KIPP DC. We are thrilled to welcome Jami to our chief team and look forward to supporting her as the leader of our equity and inclusion work at KIPP DC.
Please join us in congratulating Jami on this new role!
Susan Schaeffler Allison Fansler
Founder & CEO President
