CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER

Alejandra currently serves as CEO of The Educator Collective. She recently led the organization through its merger with the Principal Impact Collaborative (PIC), where she was the Founding Executive Director. She was instrumental in PIC's development and launched the program in 2016 with the goal of improving principal retention and leadership capacity in urban public schools. Her vision ensured that education leaders received high-quality learning experiences that shape their whole selves, so that they can be fully equipped and energized to lead their schools and districts in the service of students.

While at UNT Dallas, where the Principal Impact Collaborative housed from 2019-2025, she also served as Special Advisor to UNT Dallas President, supporting key strategic initiatives such as the launch of the Center for Socioeconomic Mobility through Education. Prior to leading PIC, she discovered her passion for education while supporting internal strategy and college access initiatives at Educate Texas, at the Communities Foundation of Texas.

She began her career in the private sector, as a financial analyst in the energy sector and then as a management consultant with Boston Consulting Group in Dallas. She received her Bachelor of Science in Engineering from Princeton University and her MBA from Columbia University. Alejandra currently serves as Board Chair for Education is Freedom and previously served on the board of the Woodrow Wilson High School Community Foundation. Originally from southern California, Alejandra and her husband have happily made roots in Dallas, where they spend most of their free time driving and carpooling their four children around town. When they aren’t hustling between kid’s activities, you can find them running around White Rock Lake.

CHIEF GROWTH OFFICER

Allen Anderson is the Chief Growth Officer at The Educator Collective, where he leads strategic program growth, partnerships, community engagement, and fundraising to expand the organization’s impact on educators, students, and communities across Texas and beyond. Throughout his career, Allen has centered his work on developing talent and helping leaders realize their potential. Prior to joining The Educator Collective, he served as Vice President of Selection at the Pahara Institute, overseeing strategy for identifying and developing exceptional education leaders. He also held roles in organizational effectiveness, community engagement, and school partnerships as Senior Director of Impact at Education Opens Doors, after beginning his career with a decade of leadership at Uplift Education, including serving as founding Middle School Principal of Uplift Grand Preparatory and Senior Director of Talent Acquisition.

A 2009 Teach For America DFW alum and 2011 Teacher of the Year at Uplift Summit International Preparatory, Allen holds a degree in Public Relations from the University of Oklahoma and a master’s in Education Policy and Urban Leadership from Southern Methodist University. He is a Pahara Fellow, a member of Education Leaders of Color (EdLoc), and serves as Board President of Arcadia Schools, Board Secretary of the SustainED Leaders Board, and Board Treasurer of the OU LGBTQ Alumni Board. Allen lives in Dallas with his husband and goldendoodle and can usually be found biking, running, exploring new restaurants, or enjoying live music.

CHIEF PROGRAM OFFICER

Kristin Kuhne is the Chief Program Officer at The Educator Collective leading the design, execution and scaling of educator programming.

Before joining The Educator Collective, Kristin was a Senior Director at the Center for Socioeconomic Mobility through Education (CSME) at the University of North Texas at Dallas where she designed and led programs to end hunger and accelerate upward mobility. Previously, she was a Senior Director at Educate Texas, an initiative of the Communities Foundation of Texas, leading impact measurement. She also served as Associate Director at the Texas Schools Project at the University of Texas at Dallas, managing evaluation projects.

Kristin holds a PhD in Political Economy and a Master in Public Affairs from the University of Texas at Dallas, and a BBA in Finance from the University of Texas at Austin. She served as a trustee for Richardson Independent School District from 2014-2020 and has served on the Strategic Advisory Committee or board of directors for several non-profits. She enjoys reading, travel and gardening.

DIRECTOR OF STRATEGY & OPERATIONS

Dionna Matlock is the Director of Strategy & Operations at The Educator Collective (TEC), where she oversees organizational systems, finance, HR, compliance, and strategic operations. Her work strengthens the internal infrastructure that enables TEC’s program team to support principals, educators, and school communities across North Texas. A proud graduate of Southern Methodist University, Dionna brings operational expertise, thoughtful leadership, and a deep commitment to building systems that help people do their best work.

With more than a decade of experience in education and nonprofit operations, Dionna has dedicated her career to creating clarity, stability, and well-designed processes that help mission-driven teams thrive. She cares deeply about this work because she understands how essential strong behind-the-scenes systems are to the success of the people who serve schools. Her perspective is shaped both by her career in education and by her experience as a parent navigating the school landscape.

Dionna is a proud mom to her daughter, Emersyn, who inspires her daily.

Fun fact: Dionna once taught a coding class to middle schoolers and hosted an Hour of Code event to introduce students of color to computer science, and it remains one of her favorite experiences.

DIRECTOR OF LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT

Adam Flores is a lifelong educator and school leader whose work centers on educator well-being and transformational leadership. After graduating from Colorado State University, he spent five years teaching secondary history—ranging from AP to Emergent Bilingual—and became a district model for high-quality co-teaching. He also coached varsity soccer, directed Student Government, supported curriculum redesign, and helped launch an outdoor education program focused on climbing, backpacking, and skiing.

Adam earned his Master’s in School Leadership from Harvard Graduate School of Education in 2012 and went on to serve in EL Education schools as an assistant director and later as the founding principal of Texas’s first EL high school. Under his leadership, the Title I campus exceeded all academic standards, expanded AP and Dual Credit access, created an internship program, and achieved a 100% graduation rate.

He later joined Dallas ISD as an assistant principal and district leader, coaching school teams and designing professional learning around Teacher Clarity and Formative Assessment. Today, Adam co-leads programming for The Educator Collective’s Principal Fellowship and Educator Membership. When he’s not working, he’s most likely outside with his family.

DIRECTOR OF PROGRAM INNOVATION

Mary is an educator and designer committed to improving the experiences of students and the adults who support them. She thrives on uncovering insights that lead to “aha” moments and connecting the dots between people, ideas, and possibilities to drive meaningful change. She began her career teaching high school math, an experience that sparked her passion for supporting young people and shaping learning environments that better reflect their needs. Over time, this work led her into systems-level roles where she supported campus and district leaders in applying design mindsets to strengthen their leadership and practices and build more coherent, student-centered approaches to their work.

As the Director of Program Innovation with The Educator Collective, Mary designs and facilitates learning experiences that bring Human-Centered Design into the work of school improvement in ways that are thoughtful, responsive, and grounded in real student and educator needs. This work reflects her belief that meaningful improvement begins with deeply understanding the human experience and designing the conditions that truly support how students and educators learn, lead, and grow. Mary holds a Master of Arts in Design and Innovation from Southern Methodist University, a Master of Education in Educational Leadership from the University of North Texas at Dallas, a Master of Education in STEM Education from Southern Methodist University, a Bachelor of Arts in Architecture from Lehigh University, and a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from Lehigh University. Outside of work, Mary is steadily logging miles toward completing her first marathon and nurturing a small but mighty community of houseplants.

DIRECTOR OF PARTNERSHIPS AND PROGRAM ENGAGEMENT

A fourth-generation educator, Amy Lippa serves as Director of Partnerships and Program Engagement at The Educator Collective, where she connects districts to programs that help teachers and leaders thrive. She taught for twelve years across Texas and Virginia in multi-age, gifted and talented, and special education classrooms before serving as a teacher assessment specialist, 504 coordinator, and assistant principal. Amy earned her M.Ed. from the College of William & Mary and her Ph.D. in Education Policy from UT Austin, where she also worked in principal preparation and research. She believes education is one of society’s greatest levers for upward mobility and is passionate about supporting educators to sustain and grow in their craft. Amy and her husband, David, are proud parents of three young adults and two basset hounds, Bruce and Frank.

ASSOCIATE,
EVALUATION & INSIGHTS

Nava Mansouri earned her bachelor’s degree in Social Work from the University of Oklahoma and her master’s degree in Social Work from the University of Texas at Arlington. She also has a certification in Data Science and Business Analytics from the University of Texas at Austin. Her education has laid a strong foundation in professional ethics, advocacy, policy, nonprofit management, and data analytics. Nava’s professional background includes work in refugee resettlement and college readiness programming for immigrant and refugee youth. She joined The Educator Collective in November 2023. As the Associate of Evaluation and Insights, Nava leads the organization’s data collection efforts, analyzes and evaluates program effectiveness, and translates findings into insights that guide strategic decisions. This work matters deeply to her because she believes education is the cornerstone of a thriving society, and educators play a vital role in shaping future generations.

ASSOCIATE, PROGRAMS

Melissa is the Program Associate at The Educator Collective managing event planning and logistics across all programs. Before joining TEC, Melissa worked for the American Heart Association in School Engagement, where she educated hundreds of children about heart health via the Kids Heart Challenge Program. Previously, she was a fulltime volunteer and Public School Advocate in Richardson ISD where she served in many leadership capacities including PTA President at both the elementary and junior high levels, as well as an executive leader within the Richardson ISD Council of PTAs. She currently serves on the Parents Association Board at St. Mark's School of Texas as well as serving as a Court Appointment State Advocate for Dallas CASA. Melissa holds a degree in Literary Studies from The University of Texas at Dallas. She is thrilled to be able to plan fun and meaningful events, as well as encourage connection and growth, for the incredible educators that The Educator Collective serves. When she's not working, she can be found spending time with her family, walking in her neighborhood and relaxing with her two Havanese pups.

ASSOCIATE, OPERATIONS