Nicole Rodriguez Leach will be the new executive director of Grantmakers for Education. Rodriguez Leach has over a decade of experience with Grantmakers for Education, including four years of board service, serving on the finance and external committees and chairing the organization’s annual conference.
Rodriguez Leach is currently a nonprofit and philanthropic executive advisor while she works towards a Ph.D. in public and urban policy at Ohio State University. She recently served as interim executive director for the Center for Racial Justice in Education in New York City and is a former vice president of Deutsche Bank Americas Foundation.
A veteran of the education sector, Rodriguez Leach has worked as a director of admissions, education coordinator, teacher and consultant at various organizations and schools. She first got her start in philanthropy as a program officer for the Stella and Charles Guttman Foundation.
Rodriguez Leach holds a bachelor’s degree in socio-cultural anthropology from Wesleyan University and a master’s degree in urban policy analysis and management from the New School.
“Nicole has a strong track record as a strategic and mission-driven leader. It is clear she has what it takes to lead the organization, deepen connections among grantmakers, and build on our mission of centering racial justice and equity in education and philanthropy,” said Richard Tagle, chairperson of the EdFunders board of directors in a press release. “The board is thrilled that she will be the next leader of Grantmakers for Education.”
Rodriguez Leach officially began work leading Grantmakers for Education on July 1, succeeding Celine Coggins who stepped down in December 2022.
