ABOUT
We build a culture of high expectations and shared community responsibility for student success and educational excellence. With our partners, we make sustainable investments that support student achievement and show measurable results.
To build and strengthen Tacoma’s community-wide movement to help every child achieve success from cradle to college and career by aligning goals, data, resources, and partners.
Today, Graduate Tacoma is more than 265 Community Partners strong. We are parents and educators, early learning and higher education, business and labor, youth and community service, civic and philanthropy, local government and communities of faith – all aligning our work together with Tacoma schools to impact student success.
Joining forces. Aligning resources. Strengthening our community.
Graduate Tacoma is taking a community-wide approach to ensure that every child has access and opportunities for quality learning. Kids need the community at different times. Graduate Tacoma is about reaching them when and where they need us.
Build Shared Community Goal
Forge and keep focus on our community-built 2020 goal to increase by 50% both the high school graduation and college or technical school completion rates and close gaps in access, opportunities, and achievement.
Measure Student and Community Indicators
Collect, share, and analyze data with the community around a common set of “cradle to career” measures. The data guides evidence-based decision making and collective action, helping identify what’s working, x what’s not, and reach the students in greatest need.
Organize Collaborative Action
Organize the power of shared goals, aligned strategies, and results- based actions to advocate and impact student success through three Collaborative Action Networks; Early Learning & Reading,
Out of School & Summer Learning, and College Bound Support.
Align Resources and Sustainability
Coordinate with community partners to initiate or redirect resources – time, talent and treasure – toward data-to-action practices on a continuous basis and engage the collective community to ensure long-term sustainability.
FOUNDATION FOR TACOMA STUDENTS STAFF
Eric Wilson
President & CEO
Tafona Ervin
Executive Director
Elvin Bucu
Director of Systems Alignment
Cecilia Garza
Director of Communications
Devin Rydel Kelly
Director of Data
April Renee Shine
Director of Advocacy & Policy
William Towey
Director of Development
Leigh Butler
Operations & Finance Manager
Joseph Colón
Assistant Director of Collective Action
Jenai S. Fields
Early Learning and Reading Network Manager
Chanel R. Hall
STEAM Network Manager
Wendy Holcomb
Tacoma College Support Network Manager
Shaima Shamdeen
Communications Coordinator
Emmeline Call
Executive Assistant
Ben Mitchell
Project Manager
Sarah Detweiler
Data Coordinator
FOUNDATION FOR TACOMA STUDENTS BOARD
Holly Bamford Hunt, Chair
The Bamford Foundation
Dion Rurik, Secretary
Russell Family Foundation
Jim Walton, Treasurer
Civic Leader and Former Tacoma City Manager
Jim Shoemake
Former Superintendent, Tacoma Public Schools
Lois Bernstein
Chief Community Executive, MultiCare Health System
Melannie Denise Cunningham
Director of Multicultural Outreach & Engagement, Pacific Lutheran University
Sara Irish
Community Leader, Tacoma Latino Round Table
Josh Knudson
Vice Chancellor for Advancement, UW Tacoma
Kathi Littmann
President & CEO, Greater Tacoma Community Foundation
Lyle Quasim
Community Volunteer, Tacoma – Pierce County
Richard Remmert
Production Engineering Manager, The Boeing Company
Patty Rose
Secretary – Treasurer, Pierce County Central Labor Council
Carla Santorno
Superintendent Tacoma Public Schools
Willie Stewart
Former Assistant Superintendent, TPS
Shon Sylvia
Executive Director, Metro Parks Tacoma
Debbie Winskill, At-Large
Director, Tacoma School Board
Victoria Woodards
Mayor, City of Tacoma
Jeff Woodworth, At-Large
Woodworth Family Foundation
Stuart Young, Vice Chair
Managing Principal, BCRA
Cassandra Mitchell
VP Corp.Responsibility Officer, KeyBank
Carrie Prudente Holden
President & CEO, Boys & Girls Club of So.Puget Sound
