Caroline King, Executive Director

Caroline brings more than 10 years of experience working to improve public schools, accelerate student performance, and close educational achievement gaps.

She was a founding member of the Public Education Leadership Project (PELP), a joint initiative of Harvard Business School and Harvard Graduate School of Education designed to strengthen the leadership and management of large urban school systems. At Harvard, Caroline created leadership courses and led strategy sessions for superintendents and senior executives from districts committed to increasing student achievement through reform and innovation, including Chicago Public Schools, Boston Public Schools and San Diego City Schools. Caroline has consulted for foundations, schools and nonprofits, including the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, New School Foundation and Grantmakers for Education. She has authored over 25 articles, case studies and book chapters on management and philanthropy in public education.

Caroline's passion for education stems from her experience as a teacher in Guayaquil, Ecuador. Her students were the first in their families to attend high school. During her return trips to Ecuador, Caroline has watched her former students graduate from high school, pursue dreams in college and the workforce, and transform their lives and communities.

Caroline holds an Ed.M. in Administration, Planning and Social Policy from the Harvard Graduate School of Education and a B.A. in Anthropology from the University of Notre Dame.

Outside of work, Caroline enjoys spending time with her husband Eric and two young sons, Charlie and Russell. She loves hiking, cooking, going to concerts and wine tasting her way around her new home in the Pacific Northwest (she's a native of the other Washington on the East Coast). Contact Caroline at caroline@partnership4learning.org.

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Kori Dunaway, Business Manager

Originally from the Midwest, Kori's background has primarily focused on corporate giving and talent development. Kori supported local and national non-profit and community development organizations through her work in Corporate Giving at Washington Mutual. Most recently Kori was a Program Manager for T-Mobile USA, Inc and supported the Talent Development organization by managing their nationwide MBA and Internship Programs.

Kori has a passion for international travel, culture and cuisine. In the fall of 2009, she returned from an 18 month trip traveling around the world. Through her travels she had a few opportunities to volunteer in both India and Myanmar. One highlight of her trip was her time working with youth in a small village school in central Myanmar.

With her experience in program management and corporate giving, paired with her personal experience working directly with youth, she's excited to join the Partnership by supporting the business and operational components of the team, as well as work towards a mission she feels will improve the lives of our friends, families, communities and future generations. Contact Kori at kori@partnership4learning.org.

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Anne Luce, Policy Manager

Anne brings a depth of education policy experience to Partnership for Learning and has worked in education for the federal government, consulting agencies and nonprofit organizations.

Anne joined Partnership for Learning after four years at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation working in the US Program/Education division. Her work at the foundation to develop great teachers and leaders, develop fewer, higher and clearer high school standards, and assist in developing a Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics national network has primed her well to advance education reforms in Washington state.

Prior to working at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Anne worked for a Seattle-based consulting firm, Strategies 360, coordinating and managing school district bond and levy campaigns. She has also worked for Senator Maria Cantwell as a Legislative Correspondent and holds a Masters in Public Administration from Seattle University and a B.A. in History from Gonzaga University.

During her free time Anne is often lacing up her running shoes and training for her next 10K, half-marathon or marathon. Having completed the Seattle, Portland and Boston marathons it is clear that Anne’s passion and competitive drive extends itself outside of education policy reform. Contact Anne at anne@partnership4learning.org.

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Maureen Trantham, Communications Manager

A native Washingtonian, Maureen began her career as an international journalist and has worked at newspapers in both Thailand and China. She has traveled to more than 25 countries and graduated from the University of Washington with dueling degrees in journalism and the comparative history of ideas.

Never quite content at doing just one thing, Maureen has worked in communications for Starbucks Coffee, Owen Media (a Seattle-based technology agency) and University of Washington Department of Media Relations. While working in such diverse environments, she gradually found that education policy and youth trends were what she loved to write about most.

At the Partnership, Maureen writes and speaks about education to her heart’s content, develops strategies for education reform--both online and off--and draws from her diverse print design background to create brochures and reports. Outside of the office, she serves on the boards of Communities in Schools of Seattle and the Denise Louie Education Center. And, when not planning her next attempt at expatriation, Maureen loves to bike, dine beyond her means and support Seattle independent music. Contact Maureen at maureen@partnership4learning.org.

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