The Churn

Carol Rava, former vice president of operations & external affairs at Postsecondary Commission, is the new vice president of education grantmaking at Ascendium Education Group.

Sarah J. Johnson, current chief executive officer of Teaching Lab, will become the new president and chief executive officer of Relay Graduate School of Education as the two organizations merge.

Dr. Janice K. Jackson, former chief executive officer of Chicago Public Schools, has been named the new executive director of the Aspen Institute’s Education & Society Program.

Natasha Trivers, former chief executive officer of Democracy Prep Public Schools, is now the executive director at the Broad Center at the Yale School of Management.

Meilan Akaka Manfre, coach and former managing director at Teach For America Hawai‘i, now serves as the organization’s executive director.

Heather Gurken, current dean of Yale Law School, will become the 11th president of the Ford Foundation in November 2025.

Alex Harris, previously vice president of programs at the Harold K.L. Castle Foundation, is fulfilling the role of the organization’s president.

Lauren Asher, former principal of LJA Strategies, has joined the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching as managing director for postsecondary strategy and innovation.