Learn4Life Austin

Kenya Jackson has 20+ years leadership in urban and traditional public and charter schools. Her career has focused on advocating for students from underrepresented backgrounds. She is currently the academic director at Uplift Infinity Middle School in South Irving, one of 37 high-performing, tuition-free, public charter schools in underserved areas. B.A. in English from Dillard University, UNCF Mellon Fellow and scholarship to Rhodes University in South Africa. M.S. in secondary education and teaching from Pace University.

Virginia Lopez is a Society for Human Resources Management-certified professional (SHRM-CP) and has an extensive background in operations, administration, customer service and facilities management in a wide range of industries. She was with IDEA charter school for four years as head of operations and facility management, handling day-to-day operations, student recruitment and P&L responsibility. B.A. in Spanish and international relations from Texas A&M University.

Ward Tisdale is an accomplished executive with 20 years management experience, leading programs, policies and initiatives across the U.S. and abroad. He founded a first-of-its-kind advocacy organization aimed at recruiting, training and helping future-focused candidates get elected to the city council and critical city boards and commissions. He has been featured in numerous media stories about his innovative approach to local politics. The former newspaper reporter spent six years as deputy press secretary to the Texas attorney general. B.A. in Art History and M.A. in journalism from the University of Texas, Austin.

David Thompson has extensive experience in education as a teacher, department chair and administrator serving low-income students, and working with E3 Alliance to support district leadership in strategic planning based on student achievement data. His forte is building systems and processes that maximize efficiency and success. B.S. in business and management from Texas A&M.

Natalie Alexa Celia Hernandez represents the very students Learn4Life will reach. Growing up in East Austin, she saw first-hand the consequences of poorly funded and managed schools. She saw friends drop out due to pregnancy, drugs, poverty or immigration status. She transferred to IDEA charter school and found the personalized attention and focus on success to be the ideal opportunity to allow her to meet her potential. She graduated with honors and is pursuing a degree in government at the University of Texas, Austin.

Nathan C. Lowry is a champion of education in the North Austin area and knows how to run a successful school. For the past 10+ years he has been a special education teacher, principal and is currently vice president/regional administrator with IDEA charter schools. B.S. in industrial and labor relations from Cornell University and a Master’s of school leadership from Columbia University Teacher College.

Isabel Shelton Sapriel was appointed by the Obama administration to work with the secretary of education’s chief of staff for four years, helping initiatives to provide universal access to high-quality education. She headed people analytics and talent insights for Whole Foods Markets, and currently serves as director of Product Management at Visier. In her hometown of Austin, she advocates for local education reform by supporting high performing charter schools that serve low-income students and by engaging the business community to support student outcomes. Sapriel holds a B.A. in international studies from the University of Arizona and MBA from University of Texas McCombs School of Business.

Wayne Knox is a higher education administer with a keen interest in ensuring the K-12 pipeline is robust and diverse. He has served on the board of a K-8 charter school and currently serves on boards for community development, education and workforce development. His strength is in operations management, strategic planning, fiscal management and board affairs. B.S. in business administration and finance, Central State University in Ohio, and MPA in international public management from DePaul University.