DMC Senior Advisors bring a wealth of experience and perspectives from their work in education, education management, academia, and the private sector, all of which help to guide and inform the work that the District Management Council brings to its membership. In 2011-2012, we have the collective wisdom and experience of the following individuals:
Dr. Arlene Ackerman, Senior Advisor, The District Management Council
Dr. Ackerman served as the Christian A. Johnson Professor of Outstanding Educational Practice and Director of Inquiry Program at Teachers College, Columbia University. Prior to that, Dr. Ackerman served as the CEO of the School District of Philadelphia as well as the Superintendent of the San Francisco Unified School District, and has served in public education for 32 years.
Dr. Ellen Condliffe Lagemann, Senior Advisor, The District Management Council
Ellen Condliffe Lagemann is the Levy Institute Research Professor at Bard College and a Senior Scholar at the Levy Economics Institute at Bard. Until July 2009, she was the Charles Warren Professor of the History of American Education at Harvard University. A historian of education, Lagemann is a former dean of the Harvard Graduate School of Education and a former president of the Spencer Foundation.
Dr. James H. Lytle, Senior Advisor, The District Management Council
James H. Lytle (Torch) is Practice Professor of Educational Leadership at the Graduate School of Education, University of Pennsylvania.
From 1998 - 2006, Dr. Lytle was superintendent of the Trenton, NJ Public Schools where he led an aggressive effort to implement New Jersey's urban education reform initiative. Prior to his appointment in Trenton, he served in a variety of capacities in the School District of Philadelphia as an elementary, middle, and high school principal; executive director for planning, research and evaluation; regional superintendent; and assistant superintendent.
Mr. Andrew J. Parsons, Senior Advisor, The District Management Council
Mr. Parsons currently serves as Director Emeritus of McKinsey and Company Inc., a leading international management consultancy. He joined McKinsey in 1976 in New York, was elected a Principal in 1982 and a Director in 1988 and was on the McKinsey Advisory Council from 2001 to 2004 after his retirement as an active partner. At various times he led the North American Consumer practice, created the Global Marketing practice and founded the E-Marketing initiative. He served clients globally on strategic, organizational and marketing functional issues in the consumer goods and services, retail, marketing services, media and pharmaceutical/medical devices sectors.
Dr. Thomas W. Payzant, Senior Advisor, The District Management Council
Dr. Payzant is currently a Professor of Practice at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. The focus of his work is leadership and systemic reform in urban school districts and schools. He served as Superintendent of the Boston Public Schools from October of 1995 until his retirement in June of 2006. Before coming to Boston, he was appointed by President Clinton to serve as Assistant Secretary for Elementary and Secondary Education with the United States Department of Education.
Dr. Abelardo Saavedra, Senior Advisor, The District Management Council
Abelardo Saavedra was appointed superintendent of schools for the Houston Independent School District in December 2004. Prior to this appointment, Dr. Saavedra joined HISD in February 2001 as the superintendent of the Southeast District. Beginning in August 2002, until his appointment as interim superintendent in June 2004, he served as the district's executive deputy superintendent for School Support Services. Prior to joining HISD he was the superintendent of schools in his native Corpus Christi from 1993 to 2000. He retired from HISD on August 31, 2009.
Mr. George Russell, Senior Advisor, The District Management Council
George Russell is the CEO/President of George Russell & Associates, an independent education and management consulting firm located in Eugene, Oregon. Mr. Russell recently retired as the Superintendent/CEO of the Eugene Public Schools in Eugene, Oregon, where he served as superintendent for 12 years. Before becoming superintendent in 1998, he served as the executive director of human resources for the Eugene school district. Mr. Russell previously served in senior executive leadership roles with school districts in San Diego, Seattle, and Oklahoma City. He also worked for County government as director of human resource and management services, county treasurer, and county clerk
"DMC provides me with essential information related to the complex and difficult task of managing and developing our district's greatest asset - our human capital. DMC understands the issue and the solution; that is one of the many reasons that our district is part of the organization"David Anthony, Former Superintendent
Cypress-Fairbanks ISD, Houston, TX
96,000 students
