Leadership

Craig Bednarovsky

Chief Operating Officer

Craig brings over twenty years of leadership experience in sales, marketing, operations, and product management, as well as a strong background in entrepreneurship and consulting. He has a proven track record of building businesses from the ground up, managing budgets and finances, shaping organizational culture, and implementing processes and structures in rapidly growing companies.

Before joining Creative Minds, Craig served as the COO of an IT consulting and staffing firm recognized on the Inc. 5000 list of fastest-growing companies in 2013, 2014, and 2015. During his tenure, he drove a 30% increase in top-line revenue. Craig began his career at General Electric and later worked in management consulting on a project at the Defense Logistics Agency.

Craig holds a BA in Economics and Political Science from American University and an MBA from the Smith School of Business at the University of Maryland. He resides in Washington, DC, with his wife and two children. Passionate about education, Craig sees his role at Creative Minds as a natural progression in his career.

Favorite Quote

“Education is the ability to listen to almost anything without losing your temper or your self-confidence.” (Robert Frost)

Maria-Jose Carrasco

Chief Projects Officer

Maria-Jose Carrasco is a distinguished executive leader with a proven track record of driving positive change in both educational and nonprofit sectors. As the Interim Executive Director at Latin American Montessori Bilingual Public Charter School (LAMB PCS), Maria-Jose guided the school through a critical transitional phase, minimizing staff turnover and reducing a projected deficit. Her strategic realignment of the school’s vision resulted in significant academic growth, especially among African American and Latino students. In her previous role as Chief Operating Officer, she enhanced operational efficiency, ensured compliance, and developed impactful policies and procedures, fostering a collaborative and inclusive school environment.

Beyond education, Maria-Jose has extensive experience in the nonprofit sector, particularly with the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI). As Director of the organization’s Multicultural Action Center, she led national efforts to advance multicultural mental health.

Maria-Jose’s accolades include the Seeding Disruption Fellowship from The Equity Lab and several national awards, such as the National Award for Leadership in Advocacy for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Mental Health from the National Mental Health Consumers’ Self-Help Clearinghouse and the Award for Excellence in Hispanic Advocacy and Leadership from the National Resource Center for Hispanic Mental Health.

Maria-Jose holds a Master’s degree in Public Administration/Nonprofit Management from George Mason University and a Financial Success for Nonprofits Certificate from Cornell University. With a passion for equity and excellence, Maria-Jose continues to be a dynamic force in shaping the future of education.

Chuck Jackson

Executive Director

Chuck Jackson is an education innovator with over 20 years of experience building and transforming thriving educational communities.

Chuck began his career as a civil rights attorney and transitioned into education in 2003.  He has worked in traditional public schools, started a charter school, has been the chief operating officer for two charter management networks, and was a deputy chief in DC Public Schools. Five years ago, Chuck joined Creative Minds to assist with the founding director’s departure and to ensure stability. Since then, he ushered Creative Minds through the pandemic, a charter renewal, its 10th Anniversary, its re-accreditation, a management reorganization, and massive investments in staff to ensure Creative Minds’ future.

In the morning, he can be seen directing traffic for dropoff and getting high fives and hugs from our students and families. Often, he is also dancing, singing, telling bad dad jokes, and wearing his cowboy boots.

Chuck has a BA in sociology from the University of Chicago and a JD from the Northeastern University School of Law. He has published multiple articles on civil rights and equity.  When he’s not riding his motorcycle, cooking, or traveling, he is home in Washington, DC, with his wife, Lori, and his three children, Xavier, Talia, and Andreas.

QUOTE:
“Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time. We are the ones we’ve been waiting for. We are the change that we seek.”  — President Barack Obama

Favorite International Destination:  Da Nang, Viet Nam or Provence, France

Nayamka Long

Chief Academic Officer

Nayamka Long was a founding teacher of Creative Minds and the first member of our school’s instructional leadership team. Before stepping into the role of CAO, she directed CMI’s lower school program and served as interim director of teaching & learning.

Nayamka has extensive experience in general and special education curriculum and program implementation. She is an expert in designing instruction to meet a wide range of student abilities, maximizing students’ learning potential by addressing individual learning challenges and supporting exceptional talents. She is able to differentiate instruction to help a class of diverse learners reach standards-based curriculum objectives. She has trained as an International Primary Curriculum coordinator and has supported the CMI Leadership Team as an instructional coach.

Nayamka taught students from prekindergarten through the elementary grades for more than 12 years in various educational settings, including public, private, and charter schools. She holds an MA in education and human development from George Washington University and a BS in kinesiology from the College of William and Mary.