Jennifer Niles
Leadership Council Member
Jennie is presently a Senior Fellow based at CityBridge Education. The outcome of her research and design project is CityWorks DC, an entrepreneurial venture with the mission of bridging the gap between education and employment in order to build a local talent pipeline for high wage, high demand jobs in the Metro DC area. Jennie founded and led the acclaimed E.L. Haynes Public Charter School before serving as D.C.’s Deputy Mayor for Education from January 2015 until February 2018, where she was responsible for DC’s K-12 education (DCPS and public charter schools), the Office of the State Superintendent of Education, the Department of Parks and Recreation, the DC Public Libraries, and the University of the District of Columbia. During her 12-year tenure at Haynes, Jennie built myriad programs focused on improving urban education beyond the school’s own walls, including cross-sector initiatives to build a teacher pipeline, race and equity seminars, and ongoing professional development for teachers. She began her career teaching science and directing service-learning programs at schools in California and Massachusetts. She holds two master’s degrees and is a graduate of New Leaders for New Schools and a Pahara Institute Fellow.