Strada Education Foundation Board of Trustees Elects New Chair

Strada's Board of Trustees has unanimously elected trustee Ernest J. Newborn II to serve as its chair for a four-year term beginning January 2025.
February 4, 2025

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INDIANAPOLIS – Strada Education Foundation’s board of trustees has unanimously elected trustee Ernest J. Newborn II to serve as its chair for a four-year term beginning January 2025. In this role, Newborn will lead the 15-member board in executing its oversight and governance responsibilities for the organization and will represent Strada in engagements with key stakeholders.

Newborn began his board service with Strada’s predecessor, USA Funds, in 2000, previously serving as chair from 2009 to 2014. Most recently he served as the inaugural chair of the board’s policy committee, which has guided the development of Strada’s new policy development and advocacy capability.

Newborn brings valuable experience to this role as an insurance brokerage executive with over 25 years of experience assisting publicly and privately held firms acquire, integrate, and grow their businesses. Currently, he is senior vice president, general counsel, and secretary of USI Insurance Services, one of the world’s largest insurance brokerage and consulting firms.

“I am incredibly proud to lead such a dynamic and mission-focused organization,” Newborn said. “As an organization, we will continue leaning into our fundamental commitment to connecting education with opportunity through catalytic grantmaking, strategic investments, actionable research, and policy solutions,” he added.

“We are very fortunate to have someone of Ernest’s caliber as a Strada trustee and now as board chair,” said Stephen Moret, Strada’s president and CEO. “His deep business knowledge, legal expertise, and firsthand experience with multiple facets of our organization are a tremendous asset to our work. I’m optimistic about what we will achieve together during his tenure.”

Newborn succeeds Marlene V. Coulis, who provided exceptional leadership as board chair from 2021 to 2024. During her tenure, Strada made transformative strides, including launching an ambitious strategic plan built around five key focus areas – Clear Outcomes, Quality Coaching, Affordability, Work-Based Learning, and Employer Alignment.