Board Of Trustees

Tim Abram

Tim Abram is the director of policy at the Charter School Growth Fund (CSGF), a nonprofit that identifies the country’s best public charter schools, funds their growth, and helps to increase their impact. Prior to joining CSGF, Tim was the associate policy director at the Foundation for Excellence in Education (ExcelinEd), where he led the organization’s private school choice policy portfolio. Before ExcelinEd, Tim worked as a public policy manager at VIPKid and as a United States history teacher through Teach For America. Tim was a public policy fellow at the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools and a Teach For America Capitol Hill fellow. He is a graduate of the University of Mississippi and has a MEd from the Harvard Graduate School of Education. Tim serves on the boards of Mississippi First, Man Up Teacher Fellowship, and EducateU. Tim resides outside Frederick, Maryland, with his wife and son.

Kelly Carroll

Kelly Carroll is a Partner in the Washington, DC, office of a national health law firm. Her practice focuses on Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement, and she regularly represents hospitals and other healthcare providers in federal courts and before administrative agencies. Kelly also advises providers and state agencies on matters involving federal funding of Medicaid programs and disputes with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), in addition to offering guidance on legal and ethical issues relating to informed consent and clinical research. Prior to her legal career, Kelly conducted NIH-funded bioethics research at the University of Pennsylvania and Saint Louis University, and she served as the managing editor of a peer-reviewed bioethics journal. Kelly holds a BA in Religion from Haverford College, a JD from Saint Louis University‘s School of Law, and a master’s in bioethics from the University of Pennsylvania. She lives in the Columbia Heights neighborhood of Washington, DC, with her husband and two young sons, both students at Creative Minds.

Michael J. Curran

Treasurer

Michael J. Curran blends his legal, teaching, leadership, and management experience to help individuals and organizations reach their full potential. He leverages his extensive background in growing, improving, and leading companies and business units by working with people who desire to realize higher levels of satisfaction and potential.

Michael’s work includes coaching and consulting for individuals and organizations, helping them develop personal, organizational-strategy, business-solution, and overall goals. Through his teaching, consulting, and facilitation, he helps people find new insights into how each person and organization can find more personal satisfaction and organizational success through changes in how people think and work together.

Michael earned his MPA at Harvard University, his JD at the University of Louisville, and his BA at Bellarmine University and holds a certification in leadership coaching from Georgetown University. He is also an adjunct professor in the Masters of Real Estate Development program at George Mason University. He is chair of the finance and audit committee of the Charter School Development Corporation and is a member of the Greater Washington Board of Trade, Federal City Council, Economic Club of Washington, and the Urban Land Institute.

Michael is an avid distance runner. He collects contemporary art and photography, plays the guitar, and is a photographer.

Heather Curtis

Heather Curtis is a database manager at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, where she maintains the data of the collection on record of the Holocaust, including art, film, objects, textiles, interviews, recorded sound, and documents. She has worked in a variety of roles in cultural institutions throughout her career. Heather received her BA in history from the University of Florida and a master’s in museum studies from George Washington University. She lives in the North Michigan Park neighborhood of Washington, DC, with her husband, David, and her son, Aden, a student at Creative Minds.

Imani Davis

Imani Davis has more than 20 years’ experience in the for-profit, nonprofit, and government sectors. She has worked in more than 17 “developing” countries, leading grassroots initiatives and managing budgeting, HR matters, and intercultural-diversity and inclusion initiatives. Imani was a founding member and co-president of Sankofa, a federal-employee resource group, and recently served as director of management and operations for the US Peace Corps program in Belize. After returning to the US, Imani shifted gears and dedicated two years to homeschooling her three children.

Imani is currently a Shriver Peaceworker Fellow at the University of Maryland, Baltimore, pursuing an MSW. She works for the Mayor’s Office of Homeless Services in Baltimore.

During her free time, Imani enjoys spending time outdoors, practicing yoga, and traveling. She lives in Washington, DC, with her husband and three children.

Dr. Art Fields

Dr. Art Fields has more than 25 years’ experience in the field of education and is the CEO for Innovative K12 Solutions, a company he founded after retiring from District of Columbia Public Schools. He believes that a child’s zip code shouldn’t define their success and that educational practices must be equitable and inclusive.

Before retiring from DCPS, Dr. Fields served as chief integrity officer, supporting school leaders in working with parents, staff, students and education stakeholders in addressing school-based concerns and facilitating systems improvement to support administrators and reconcile issues through coordination with internal offices and external partners. Leading up to this role, Dr. Fields served as special advisor to the chancellor and led the School Culture Division, where he was responsible for building healthy school climates, including providing supports to address student attendance and truancy, managing school disciplinary issues in reducing the number of suspensions, and supporting LGBT youth and parenting students to improve their academic experience and educational outcomes.

During his tenure at DCPS, Dr. Fields also served as the senior executive director of related services, supervising all related-service providers across Psychology, Social Work, OT/PT, and Speech-Language Pathology teams and ensuring assessment timeliness and optimal service delivery for students receiving special education services. Dr. Fields received his MSW from Howard University, his PhD from Capella University, and an executive master’s in leadership from Georgetown University.

Corey Gordon

Corey Gordon is a founding principal and the CEO of DeliverEd, an organization that supports education leaders in effectively planning for and managing change. In this role, she manages many of DeliverEd’s partnerships with charter schools, district superintendents, and nonprofit leaders. She is an expert at building relationships and a master facilitator, having taught the delivery approach to hundreds of educators across the country. Additionally, she serves as CFO, overseeing DeliverEd’s contracting and financials.

Prior to starting DeliverEd, Corey worked for five years with the Education Delivery Institute, managing engagements with partners at all levels of the US education sector. She started her career as a special-education teacher in Metro Nashville Public Schools. Corey holds a BS in special education from Vanderbilt University and a master’s in public policy from Georgetown University. She lives in the Petworth neighborhood of Washington, DC, with her husband, Peter; daughter, Alex; and son, Taylor. Corey joined the Creative Minds Board of Trustees in October of 2021.

Ebony Vines Jackson

Born and raised in the DMV, Ebony graduated from Duke Ellington School of the Arts and Howard University’s Chadwick A. Boseman College of Fine Arts.

Over the past twenty-five years, Ebony has specialized in the administration of various industries, including the arts, non-profit management, workforce, and economic development from Los Angeles to Atlanta. During her tenure as Regional Liaison for Fulton County, GA, Ebony spearheaded multiple projects specializing in federally funded workforce development initiatives. As well as representing Fulton County on state and county initiatives hosted by County Commissioners, State Representatives, the Governor’s Office, and regional partners. Ebony is employed by KRA Corporation, which contracts with federal and state agencies to provide workforce solutions for employers and employees nationwide. Ebony brings a love of the Nation Capital’s past and present with a firm commitment to service. Motto: “If you don’t stand for something, you’ll fall for anything!”

Holly Oliver

Chair of Development Committee

Holly Oliver is an experienced philanthropic strategist and chief development officer with a demonstrated history of engaging the community in the work of important organizations. Skilled in budgeting, organizational management, communications, team building and leadership, Holly has worked tirelessly to advance the work of local nonprofits. She is the executive director of Dance Loft on 14, in Washington, DC, leading a talented team of visionaries to create a new net-zero, mixed-use building on the grounds of the organization’s current home. The new space will house a performing arts center on the ground floor, with much-needed affordable apartments above. Before joining the team at Dance Loft, Holly worked as a consultant with both nonprofit and for-profit organizations, advising them on fundraising, organizational management, and community engagement. Previously Holly served as the chief development officer of Arena Stage, successfully growing annual contributions and launching the capital campaign. Before her time at Arena Stage, Holly was part of the fundraising team at a number of local theaters, including the Kennedy Center and Round House Theatre and worked with some of the many associations in Washington, DC.

Holly earned a BA from American University and lives in Washington, DC, with her husband and two daughters.

Lisa Raymond

Board of Trustees Chair

Lisa Raymond has served as a leader, elected official, and advocate with a focus on under-resourced populations in the District of Columbia, with more than 25 years of experience in the nonprofit and government sectors. She is currently a philanthropy consultant for MedStar Health. Lisa’s prior experiences in government include serving as president and Ward 6 member of the DC State Board of Education, chief of staff to the attorney general for the District of Columbia, and senior education advisor to the Council of the District of Columbia. In her role with the council, she led education-agency oversight and managed the legislative process for all education bills. Her nonprofit positions have included serving as deputy director for DC Action for Children and chief of staff of the See Forever Foundation. Lisa has also been a senior consultant for Collaborative Communications Group, where she provided strategic consulting to public-school superintendents and boards of education.

Lisa was one of the original leaders of the Cesar Chavez Public Charter Schools for Public Policy, helping to build the school from 60 students in 1998 to a charter school network. She served as the school’s first public policy director, chief of operations, and chief operating officer. Lisa received a master’s degree in public administration from Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs and a BA in psychology from Indiana University.

Sandi Soderstrom

Sandi Soderstrom is an attorney with more than ten years of federal government experience in law and policy. After graduating from Georgetown Law, Sandi worked in trade law and policy for the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of International Labor Affairs, where she advocated on behalf of the world’s most vulnerable workers. At the U.S. Department of Commerce, Sandi served first as an employment and labor law attorney in the Office of the General Counsel, where she advised the Department on diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility policies and practices. Sandi currently serves as the Chief Counsel for the Department’s Minority Business Development Agency. Sandi is an avid gardener and spends much of her spare time tending to her backyard vegetable garden in Petworth.