Strada collaborates with students, policymakers, educators, and employers across the U.S. to strengthen the link between education and opportunity.
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We prioritize policies, practices, and programs that help ensure postsecondary education provides equitable pathways to opportunity.
We advance our mission through research, grantmaking, social impact investments, public policy solutions, Strada-supported nonprofit organizations, and strategic initiatives.
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INDIANAPOLIS, March 1, 2021 – Strada Education Network today announced that William D. “Bill” Hansen will step down from his role as president and chief executive officer after nearly eight years in the role. The Board of Trustees has named Tom Dawson, Strada’s chief operating officer, as interim CEO while the board conducts a search for the nonprofit’s new leader.
During his tenure, Hansen led the establishment of Strada’s mission to improve lives by forging clearer and more purposeful pathways between education and employment, as well as the organization’s unique model to achieve it, combining innovative research, thought leadership, strategic philanthropy, mission-aligned investments, and a network of affiliate organizations.
“Strada’s work has always been guided by the drive to empower more learners across our nation to succeed,” said Hansen. “We sought to build a new kind of organization, acknowledging that the problems Strada’s mission seeks to address are complex, and that only coordinated effort can make lasting change. I am proud of all we have accomplished together, and I know the network will continue to identify the most impactful ways to meet learners’ needs in a fast-changing world.”
“Over the past several years, Strada has grown as a market leader by combining research and action to combat inequities in our postsecondary education system,” said Marlene V. Coulis, Chair of the Strada Board of Trustees. “We thank Bill for his leadership and commitment to the Strada mission, which will continue under Tom’s leadership while the Board seeks a permanent CEO replacement.”
“I am grateful for Bill’s work leading our efforts as CEO, and for the foundation on which the leadership team at Strada will continue to build,” said Dawson. “Over my nearly six years with Strada, I have seen us learn a great deal from our collaborative efforts, and I believe we are well-positioned to play a key role in how educators, employers, and policymakers help learners achieve their education and career goals throughout their lives.”
About Strada Education Network
Strada Education Network is a new kind of social impact organization dedicated to improving lives by forging clearer and more purposeful pathways between education and employment. Our approach combines innovative research, thought leadership, strategic philanthropy, mission-aligned investments, and a network of affiliate organizations. Together, we work to better serve millions of individuals in the United States seeking to complete postsecondary education and training, gain clear value from those experiences, and build meaningful careers. Learn more at stradaeducation.org.
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