Dean Victoria DeFrancesco Soto and Jared Henderson, CEO of Assist Services, were recently welcomed to the Forward Arkansas Board of Directors.
“Throughout their careers, Victoria and Jared have gained unique insight into the challenges and opportunities within our education sector,” said Ben Kutylo, Forward’s executive director. “Their guidance will be instrumental as we continue to develop and implement comprehensive strategies to improve outcomes for all Arkansas students.”
DeFrancesco Soto is the first Latina dean of a presidential institution. She is the former assistant dean at the LBJ School of Public Affairs. She is a political analyst for NBC News and Telemundo and a fellow of the National Academy of Public Administrators.
An award-winning professor, she has taught at Northwestern University, Rutgers and The University of Texas at Austin, designing and implementing curricula that combine instruction and community-based learning. She graduated from the University of Arizona and received an M.A. and Ph.D. in political science from Duke University.
Long involved with Forward, Henderson oversaw the development of the nonprofit’s initial strategic plan and served as implementation working group co-chair. He is the CEO of Assist Services, a student transportation company serving youth who are homeless, in the foster system or have special needs.
He is a former executive director and senior vice president for Teach for America (TFA) and engagement manager and business analyst for McKinsey & Company. He started his career at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center as an operations manager and research associate. He holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Arkansas and an MBA and MPA from Harvard University, where he was a Dean’s Fellow.
About Forward Arkansas
Established in 2015 by the Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation and Walton Family Foundation, Forward Arkansas is committed to improving all students’ outcomes. By helping advance public policy and replicable solutions, Forward aims to achieve its vision of every student graduating high school prepared for success in college and the workplace. For more information, visit forwardarkansas.org.
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