A traditional part of Youth Today, from its days as a print publication through its transition online, has been a Newsmakers section. Newsmakers has traditionally highlighted key leadership changes and transitions in youth development organizations.
We are excited to bring back Newsmakers after a year-long hiatus with an updated approach — both in terms of frequency and focus. Rather than individual posts, we will provide periodic roundups of key leadership transitions, primarily in national organizations that advance youth thriving through their work. While we will keep our eye on updates, please feel free to send us press releases and announcements on leadership changes in organizations that exhibit a commitment to the belief that when youth thrive, we all thrive.
Elena Silva assumed leadership at Learning Policy Institute
Elena Silva was appointed Learning Policy Institute’s (LPI) President and CEO and stepped into the role on April 28, 2025. She succeeded LPI’s founder, Linda Darling-Hammond, who served as President and CEO for the organization’s first decade.
Immediately prior to LPI, Silva served as the Senior Director of Education at New America. In this role, she oversaw strategic planning, research and policy initiatives, helping to grow New America’s birth through 12th grade education program into a recognized hub for research and policy innovation, driving systemic change in areas such as teacher preparation, school finance equity and support for English learners and students with disabilities.
LPI conducts and communicates independent, high-quality research to improve education policy and practice. Working with policymakers, researchers, educators, community groups and others, the Institute seeks to advance evidence-based policies that support empowering and equitable learning for each and every child. Nonprofit and nonpartisan, the Institute connects policymakers and stakeholders at the local, state and federal levels with the evidence, ideas and actions needed to strengthen the education system from preschool through college and career readiness.
“Elena’s extensive experience bridging research, policy and practice makes her the ideal leader to guide LPI into its next chapter,” said Barbara Chow, Chair of the LPI Board of Directors. “She has a clear vision for how research can inform policy solutions that create stronger, more equitable public education systems.”
The Forum for Youth Investment named Philip M. Robinson, Jr. CEO
Philip M. Robinson Jr. has been named the new CEO of the Forum for Youth Investment and will officially begin in the role on June 30, 2025. He follows Judy Seltz, interim president and CEO, in leading the organization.
Robinson has most recently served for the last three and a half years as the Chief Impact Officer at Reading Partners. This national organization mobilizes communities to support children’s literacy and ensure they are reading at grade level by fourth grade. In this role, he supported all Reading Partners regional executive directors and oversaw the organization’s more than 400 sites. In addition, he supported external partnerships for the organization.
Robinson also currently represents Ohio’s 19th district in the Ohio House of Representatives.
The Forum works across youth-serving systems to ensure all young people — and the adults who support them — have what they need to thrive. Through a focus on continuous quality improvement, strategic partnerships and policy, the Forum strengthens the systems and supports that shape young people’s lives, advocating for equitable practices and policies that center youth voice and experience.
“This is a pivotal time. People are looking for connection, for clarity and for solutions — and I believe the Forum can be that steady force,” Robinson said. “With a strong team, trusted tools and the courage to reimagine how systems work for youth, we have everything we need to move from crisis response to lasting change. I’m excited to get to work.”
The Wallace Foundation named Jean S. Desravines president
Jean S. Desravines has been announced as the new president of the Wallace Foundation. He will assume the role on September 1, 2025, succeeding Will Miller who served in the role for nearly 14 years.
Desravines is currently the CEO of New Leaders and has overseen the organization’s growth in impact and scale. Focused on developing transformational school leaders committed to the success of every child, New Leaders has recently launched a strategic partnership to create one of the nation’s largest aspiring principals programs. Desravines personal and professional experience demonstrates a commitment to Wallace’s three focus areas: arts, education leadership and youth development.
The Wallace Foundation is an independent, nonpartisan research foundation focused on the arts, school leadership and youth development. The foundation collaborates with grantees and research partners to design and test innovative approaches to address pressing problems in the fields it serves. The evidence-based insights shared by the foundation support policymakers and practitioners in their efforts to improve outcomes, enhance community vitality, and help all people reach their full potential.
“Jean is an excellent choice to lead the foundation into the future,” said outgoing president Will Miller. “He brings a spirit of humility and collaborative leadership, which are at the core of the Wallace culture and key to our strategic approach to grantmaking. I’m confident he will work to strengthen Wallace’s role in improving outcomes. Advancing the foundation’s mission to help all communities build a more vibrant and just future is as important today as ever.”
***
A note from Youth Today’s editor-in-chief, Karen Pittman
I’ve had the unusual honor of close relationships with all three of these organizations — in my own role as cofounder and CEO of the Forum and working closely with the CEO’s and senior leadership of the Learning Policy Institute and the Wallace Foundation. Over the past decade, we worked to move ideas to impact through the National Commission on Social, Emotional and Academic Development (SEAD), the Science of Learning and Development (SoLD) Alliance and the Readiness Projects. The work they and their organizations have done to infuse science into policy and practice in ways that breakdown the boundaries between education and youth development systems has helped our fields get to a place I couldn’t have imagined 30 years ago. I am excited to work with these new leaders to move even closer to the finish line.
