Top 10 Chief Academic Officers - 2026

Nicky Ramos-Beban, chief academic officer at TUTORWORKS, is an education leader, a former English teacher and the founding principal of East Palo Alto Academy and Small Schools by Design. She is a Stanford graduate who has spent her career designing smaller, relationship-driven public schools where every student is well-known and supported to achieve. Her work spans classroom instruction, teacher development, school leadership and public school transformation and she has taught pre-service teachers at Stanford and San Jose State Universities since 1999.

Courtney Hills McBeth serves as Chief Academic Officer and Provost at Western Governors University, overseeing academic affairs across the institution's colleges and degree programs. Her career has moved through university leadership and education-focused philanthropy, exposing her to conversations about student success from multiple vantage points. Questions surrounding educational quality, workforce relevance and long-term outcomes have remained consistent throughout that work.

Dr. Lauren Loquasto is Chief Academic Officer at The Goddard School, where she oversees academic strategy and curriculum development across the organization's network of early childhood education centers. Her professional experience includes classroom teaching, school leadership and curriculum design. Work throughout her career has focused on a question that sits at the heart of early learning: how educational research can remain meaningful once it reaches a classroom full of young children.

With over 12 years in educational leadership, Anna Roe serves as Chief Academic Officer at Crowley Independent School District, driving research-based strategies to elevate student outcomes. She's active in national collaborations like the Gates Foundation's ENCORE network, championing school improvement and empowering educators to help every student thrive.

A proud product of the district he now leads, Brannon Gaskins serves as Chief Academic Officer at Fulton County Schools, where graduation rates recently hit an all-time high of 90.7%. He's driven academic gains across every tested subject area, strengthening Tier 1 instruction districtwide.

With more than 35 years leading organizational improvement, Carolyn Scott, DBA, serves as Chief Academic Officer at American National University, having risen from Student Success Advisor to Dean of Business before stepping into this role. She's known for solving complex operational challenges and building processes that help institutions perform and adapt.

An innovative leader in post-secondary education, Danielle Kwasnik serves as Chief Academic Officer at South College, guiding institutional strategy across nine cities and multiple learning formats. Her expertise spans program development, curriculum design, and organizational change, earned through a distinguished career balancing administrative and instructional leadership.

As Chief Academic Officer at Fairfield Public Schools, James Zavodjancik guides academic policy and student support across the district. A University of Connecticut graduate, he's contributed to national publications like NASSP's Principal Leadership magazine, tackling legal and policy issues facing K-12 schools today.

Dr. Tamara Williams serves as Provost and Chief Academic Officer at Forsyth Technical Community College, driving institutional excellence and student success across the campus. Under her leadership, graduation rates nearly tripled, earning the college a 2027 Aspen Prize semifinalist nod. She's also an Aspen Rising President Fellow.

Over a career spanning more than 15 years, Yvonne Wright rose through educational leadership roles across California, most recently serving as Chief Academic Officer at Sacramento City Unified School District. A Howard University graduate, she led with distinction across Elk Grove, San Juan, Stockton, and Alameda school districts before retiring in 2026.