People on the Move

New Leadership Roles Announced for Yang, Ware, Cafiero, Beckerman, Lee, Charland, Jones, Mathews, Stimpson

• By Kristal Kuykendall
• 09/26/22

Editor's Note: THE Journal invites submissions about new hires and promotions among ed tech industry management and K–12 public school administration in the United States.

“People on the Move” publishes every few weeks with news items about “movers and shakers” among K–12 school administrators, nonprofits serving K–12 schools, and ed tech providers serving the K–12 sector in the United States. The archives can be accessed at any time at THEJournal.com/articles/list/people-on-the-move.

A formal news release is not necessary to get an item published in People on the Move — though they are welcome, too; email news releases to [email protected].

Anyone may submit news items about new leadership and management changes at K–12 ed tech companies and at nonprofits in the K–12 ed tech space by completing the form at bit.ly/EdTechPeopleNews. To submit information about new hires and promotions among K–12 public schools administration, complete the form at bit.ly/K12AdminNews.

Jim Yang Joins ParentSquare as Chief Marketing Officer

Unified communications provider ParentSquare recently introduced a new chief marketing officer: Jim Yang, a seasoned B2B marketing executive.

Yang’s 25-year career in marketing has included over a decade at high-growth vertical SaaS companies, ParentSquare said in a news release. “He has expertise in elevating brands and generating demand through industry-leading content and account-based marketing while focusing on solving customer problems,” the company said.

Yang most recently served as senior vice president and vice president of marketing at software companies in the K–12 sector and in other industries.

He holds an M.S. in Engineering Management from Stanford University and a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Brown University.

Learn more at ParentSquare.com.

Newsela Expands Leadership Team, Promotes Derrick Ware to Chief Product & Technology Officer

Newsela has added four people to its executive leadership team in recent weeks, one of which was naming Derrick Ware as its new Chief Product & Technology Officer.

Ware most recently served as Newsela’s Chief Technology Officer; in the newly expanded role, he will oversee “the ideation, development, and execution of all Newsela products, the Newsela platform, and company digital innovation initiatives,” according to a news release. Ware has over two decades of experience leading product as well as engineering teams at high-growth tech firms including Fidelity Investments, PeopleFluent, and Brightly, the company noted.

Ware began his career as an F-15E “Strike Eagle” crew chief in the U.S. Air Force; after his military service he worked on hardware and software solutions at IBM. Ware also helped launch Futures Inc., a human capital management startup built for veterans, Newsela said.

Other recent leadership additions at Newsela are:

Holly Cafiero, Chief People Officer: Cafiero brings over 25 years of human resources experience in both start-ups and globally established businesses across SaaS, advertising, technology consulting, life sciences, and financial services. Most recently, Cafiero served as Chief Human Resources Officer at Druva. “She has deep expertise in organizational development, engagement, cultural transformation, and talent management from her years in leadership roles at Vistaprint, Hologic, and Cloud Technology Partners,” Newsela said.

Igor Beckerman, Chief Financial Officer: Beckerman has worked in the tech industry for 25 years, most recently as CFO at Gainsight, where “he helped grow the company 5x,” Newsela said. “He combines strong finance expertise, a strategic and business mindset, and strong experience in scaling software businesses,” the announcement said. Previously, Beckerman held leadership roles at Marketo and Precise Software.

Gloria Lee, General Counsel: With more than two decades of experience representing technology and healthcare companies, government organizations, and private practice, Lee brings “a significant track record of advising on complex and novel legal matters,” Newsela said. Prior to joining Newsela, she held leadership positions at Google, Fitbit, and McKesson; earlier in her career, she practiced law as a trial attorney with the Oakland City Attorney’s Office, as an attorney at the law firm of Morrison & Foerster, and as a judicial law clerk for Chief Judge Pallmeyer of the U.S. District Court of the Northern District of Illinois.

Learn more at Newsela.com.

SchoolStatus Names Phil Charland to New Chief Revenue Officer Role and Expands Sales Team

School communications and data analytics provider SchoolStatus, recently announced it has appointed Phil Charland as the company's first chief revenue officer amid ongoing work to expand its U.S. sales team.

Charland brings over 15 years of experience “building and leading high-performing global sales, customer success, and revenue enablement and operations teams,” SchoolStatus said in a news release. Most recently, he led Ascend Learning's Safety and Security global sales teams as Vice President of Sales, with a focus across K–12, higher education, and professional learning markets.

Previously, Charland served in national and global sales leadership roles for numerous ed tech companies including Edmentum, Ellevation Education, Renaissance Learning, and Eduventures.

Charland started his career in education as a K–12 teacher and athletic director at The American School In Switzerland, where he taught for three years. He holds a B.A. from Harvard University.

Additionally, SchoolStatus said it has expanded its sales team with six new hires in the U.S. market.

Learn more at Schoolstatus.com.

Dwight D. Jones Joins the Institute for Education Innovation as a Senior Advisor

The Institute for Education Innovation, a national K–12 superintendent think tank that aims to connect district leaders and the ed tech industry to develop solutions to schools’ greatest challenges, has announced that renowned education leader Dwight D. Jones has joined IEI as a senior advisor.

Jones will co-chair the IEI advisory board, “help direct the organization's thought leadership initiatives, and serve as an ambassador for IEI at administrator events and industry summits,” IEI said in a news release.

Jones, who previously served as superintendent at one of the nation's largest school districts, has also been a state commissioner of education and a senior executive working to address issues of equity and access within the private sector, IEI said. He is the founder and president of Education Practice and Policy Partners, where he advises donors, investors, and executives across the K–12 sector. Jones also remains a senior advisor with Whiteboard Advisors.

"Because administrators are spread across the country, they don't have a lot of opportunities to really learn from each other and problem solve together,” Jones said. “I'm excited to use my background in education to advise IEI on its efforts in facilitating a community approach to developing effective, sustainable solutions that advance K-12 education and student outcomes."

Learn more at InstituteForEdInnovation.com.

Scholastic Names Jeffrey Mathews as Executive Vice President, Corporate Development and Investor Relations

Children’s publisher and literacy curriculum provider Scholastic has named Jeffrey Mathews as its new Executive Vice President, Corporate Development and Investor Relations, according to a news release.

A member of the executive committee, Mathews will focus on “identifying and evaluating investment and partnership opportunities to accelerate Scholastic's growth across its leading businesses,” Scholastic said.

Most recently, Mathews served as Managing Partner at Gagnier Communications, a financial communications and investor relations agency serving clients across North America, Asia, and Europe. From 2008 to 2012, he served as Scholastic’s Vice President, Corporate Strategy, Business Development & Investor Relations, after four years as head of investor relations for the company.

Mathews holds an A.B. in Biology from Princeton University, and a D.Phil. in Zoology from Oxford University.

Learn more at Scholastic.com.

Jennifer Stimpson Joins T.D. Jakes Foundation as Chief Programs Officer

T.D. Jakes Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to “building bridges to opportunity for underserved populations around the world,” has named Jennifer Stimpson, Ed.D., as its Chief Programs Officer. Reporting to President and CEO Hattie Hill and serving as a member of the senior leadership team, Stimpson “will play a key role in developing and implementing T.D. Jakes Foundation's mission-focused programs in STEAM education and training, workforce development, and community building,” the organization said in a news release.

Stimpson is a “content expert who consults with community, civic and federal organizations — including the National Science Foundation, the Department of Justice, and Girl Scouts of Northeast Texas — to design educational programs that expand STEAM education opportunities for all students,” the announcement said.

She is the founder of JSTEMP Science and has produced science-themed camps for students for 20 years. In 2020, Stimpson was honored by the U.S. Congress as an Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator, helping craft STEM education legislation, co-authoring the first Women and Girls in STEM Resolution for Congress, and launching the HBCU Podcast to honor the voices and experiences of Blacks in the federal government.

Stimpson is a graduate of the Education Policy Fellows Program, representing the state of Texas, and she is an American Association for the Advancement of Science/IF THEN Science Ambassador. A life-size, 3D-printed statue of her is featured among the Smithsonian Institution’s If Then She Can exihibit, featuring 120 women scientists of note.

Most recently, Stimpson taught science at The Hockaday School for 11 years. During her tenure there, she participated in global educational initiatives in Ghana, Brazil, and Uganda, and was awarded a grant to investigate seismic activity in the Galapagos Islands and pre-Colonial Andean and Incan mathematics in Peru. Previously, she taught at Dallas’ Yvonne Ewell Townview Magnet School. Before entering the teaching field, she was a forensic chemist for the Drug Enforcement Administration and a forensic toxicologist at Dallas County, according to the news release.

Stimpson has received numerous accolades for her work in science education, including from Oprah Magazine, the Michael Jordan Foundation, and the Drug Enforcement Administration. She received the inaugural Hidden Figures in STEM Dallas award from the National Society of Black Engineers and was a finalist for the People's Choice Award by Ebony Magazine. Stimpson is also a recipient of Texas Women's Foundation's Maura Women Helping Women Award. In 2021, she founded the National Association of Black Science Teachers.

A native of Dallas, Stimpson holds a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry from Dillard University, a Master of Arts in Environmental Chemistry from the University of Northern Iowa, and a Doctorate in Education from the University of Pennsylvania.

Learn more at TDJFoundation.org.