Regina Armour
Chicago
Summary
Experienced senior leader with a proven track record of leading high-performing teams and driving organizational growth through strategic initiatives. Directs cross-functional projects, resulting in significant process improvements and operational efficiencies. Demonstrates strong leadership and communication skills in fostering collaborative environments and delivering impactful results. Highly skilled in executive and administrative functions, with a bold visionary mindset, design thinking approach, and balanced decision-making abilities. Possesses key skills and experience in education, communications, organizational development, and strategic partnerships.
Overview
30
30
years of professional experience
Work History
Director of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
Concept Schools
01.2022 - Current
- Create, develop and implement a network-wide, systemic diversity, equity and inclusion strategic plan that builds capacity within and across 36 public schools in 7 midwestern states; provide professional development, leadership training and DEI coaching utilizing national, regional and state equity measures, guidelines and metrics; utilize all of the current research to explore and customize protocols, policies and procedures based on each school's context within their respective communities and identified needs; gather data and information utilizing multiple datapoint and methodologies to ensure impact achievement and performance
- Developed a systemic strategic plan and DEI implementation model to serve schools their leaders, faculty members, students and families
- Successfully provided differentiated professional development to entire network leadership corps (building principals, superintendents, CEO & CAO) and central office within first 15 months
- Successfully provided professional development and coaching to 11 schools with the first year (avg faculty size = 40-120 teachers and staff)
- Developed a DEI organizational infrastructure, programming, handbook & implementation guide, website and resources digital platform
Director of New School Development, Community Engagement & Partnerships
Concept Schools
10.2013 - 02.2022
- Authentically engage communities through various protocols and researched based strategies that provides extensive supports for charter network expansion
- Provide public relations and communications coaching on negotiating the current local political landscape and its complexities across 7 states re: negotiations with local and state governing agencies with respect to school proposal approval, zoning, construction impact on communities, neighborhood hearings and ultimately student recruitment for opening schools
- Developed authentic relationships with primary, secondary and tertiary stakeholders that led to charter expansion, brand recognition, & strengthening of professional industry networks
- Successfully opened 2 new charter school campuses and obtained 5 charter renewals
- Secured $200k grant from Invest for Kids for one-to-one student tech campaign - including $100k of funding total over 3 years
- Secured numerous STEM partnerships including $50k+ in donations from patrons
- Developed network-wide school-based parent and community advocacy groups with accompanying training and cultivation on local, state and federal policy issues
The Armour Group
01.2004 - 01.2013
- Co-facilitate and support various networks and districts through equity and inclusion training, community engagement, leadership and coaching site-based administration
- Supported and guided organizational development and vision planning utilizing pragmatic structures within networks on the district level and school level for 7 school districts
- Successfully provided professional development for organizational growth & expansion that aligned with goals, improvement efforts, and academic achievement trajectories
- Documented and analyzed organizational progress and development utilizing metrics and multiple data points that created equitable reporting structures and feedback loops
District-wide Administrator & Leadership Coach
Evanston Township High School District
01.2006 - 01.2010
- Designed, managed and monitored a district-wide literacy system and led an implementation team that provided a research-based structure and literacy infrastructure for each academic discipline and struggling students who placed below grade on all levels within the district
- Was a leadership team member that guided and co-governed district policy
- Created a district-wide four-year professional development cycle of learning for entire faculty and instructional support
- Became an Equity and Diversity coach and ally after a 3-year formal training by Pacific Education Group (PEG)
- Developed partnerships with universities and external stakeholders to assist in advancing the vision, mission and goals of the district
- Built capacity in department based professional learning communities creating a professional development model that resulted in a successful train-the-trainer model
- Recruited and managed external consultants in order to support the on-going leadership work at each level of team/individual readiness
Assistant Professor
National Louis University
01.2003 - 01.2005
- Taught graduate level teacher preparation methods and facilitated graduate level teacher preparation seminar courses for multiple student cohorts; Program Coordinator and a liaison to Chicago Public Schools representing National-Louis University in the First Class partnership/Alternative Certification Program (ARC)
- Successfully transitioned 2 cohorts of new teachers into the Chicago Public Schools
- Successfully supervised and coached new teacher candidates in 10 CPS schools
- Developed and maintained successful working relationships in the partnership between Chicago Public Schools and National Louis University
Director of The School Development Program
The Center for School Improvement The University of Chicago
06.2001 - 06.2003
- Oversight and management of a comprehensive literacy initiative for a network of 9 schools under a multi-year educational grant; supervised a team of 15: literacy specialists, subprogram coordinators, professional developers and consultants on various high profile projects
- Developed learning experiences and visioning retreats for organizational staff
- Developer of training and coaching support structure for network principals and leadership teams within network schools
- Obtained $235,000 in funding from individual network schools to continue the work at the conclusion of the initial grant for the first time in the history of the organization
Executive Director
North Lawndale Learning Community
01.1998 - 05.2001
- Managed a network of 9 schools under a multi-year literacy and arts grant that focused on providing opportunities for students and families to transcend the restrictions of abject poverty and become more college-ready and workplace ready
- Increased funding from $300,000 in operating capital to a $1.4 million budget
- Expanded an 11 school network to 13; with the addition of 2 high schools
- Developed learning experiences and visioning retreats for Board and organizational staff which led to a 3 year strategic plan that was ultimately voted on and accepted
- Developed a training and coaching support infrastructure for network principals and leadership teams within network schools
- Wrote a regular issues-based column in an organizational newsletter, which was distributed to 5000 teachers, parents and administrative leaders
Director - Title 3 Grant- Upward Bound Program
Richard J. Daley College - City Colleges of Chicago
02.1995 - 06.1998
- Co-designed, implemented and managed a 50 student yearly cohort through a D.O.E
- Title 3 multi-year grant; the first at a City College of Chicago that prepared public high school students for postsecondary success
- Successfully developed, coordinated and co-conducted workshops and stretch-learning classes with a staff of 8
- Created curriculum and instructional design for first-generation college bound students and their families
- Successfully wrote two grants that were awarded with a 30% increase in operational support
- Developed service learning partnership with Malcolm X City College for high school seniors and the Department of Sociology
Education
Doctorate (Ed.D) - transformational organizations and leaders; use of qualitative data as it connects to quantitative data in organizational development through an equity lens
National Louis University
M.Ed. - Curriculum & Instruction
Loyola University
B.A. - Professional Education Summer Institute
Harvard Graduate School of Education
Boston, MA06-2021
Skills
- Adult professional learning
- Partnership building
- Leadership coaching
- Strategic planning
- Relationship building
- Equity specialization
- Project management
- Program coordination
- Fundraising
- Communications
- Community outreach
- Equity and social justice
- Verbal and written communication
Affiliations
- American Educational Research Association (AERA)
- Learning Forward
- National Coalition for Dialogue & Deliberation (Chicago)
- Forum for Democracy and Education
- Illinois Art of Hosting Community of Practice
- Dialogue & Deliberation Community of Practice
- Black Women in Education
- Chicago United for Equity
- The Public Narrative @ Columbia College
References
- Xavier Owens, xowens@cutd-edu.org, Director of Professional Learning - Concept Schools, Schaumburg, Illinois, 3127209278
- Seat Vedziovski, vedziovski@hsamckinley.org, Principal - Horizon Science Academy Mckinley Park, Chicago, Illinois, 7086552283
- Ninja Idrizi, nidrizi@glenbrook225.org, Assistant Superintendent for Professional Learning - District 225, Glenview, Illinois, 8474864701
Coreproficiencies
- Experience working with schools, school districts, and their leaders to provide resources, partnerships and support for their respective improvement and change efforts through: adult professional learning, partnership building, leadership coaching and other successful strategic planning efforts
- Experience developing, managing and negotiating school and school networks, accomplished through successful relationship building between and among primary, secondary and tertiary partners
- Experience as an equity specialist, project manager, program coordinator; fundraiser, and communications specialist to both internal and external stakeholders
- Educational experience as an elementary and secondary teacher and of high-risk youth; higher education program coordinator, NFP executive director, and community outreach administrator
- Leadership philosophy and decision-making grounded in equity and social justice that directly addresses poverty and exclusion
Timeline
Director of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
Concept Schools
01.2022 - Current
Director of New School Development, Community Engagement & Partnerships
Concept Schools
10.2013 - 02.2022
District-wide Administrator & Leadership Coach
Evanston Township High School District
01.2006 - 01.2010
The Armour Group
01.2004 - 01.2013
Assistant Professor
National Louis University
01.2003 - 01.2005
Director of The School Development Program
The Center for School Improvement The University of Chicago
06.2001 - 06.2003
Executive Director
North Lawndale Learning Community
01.1998 - 05.2001
Director - Title 3 Grant- Upward Bound Program
Richard J. Daley College - City Colleges of Chicago
02.1995 - 06.1998
M.Ed. - Curriculum & Instruction
Loyola University
Doctorate (Ed.D) - transformational organizations and leaders; use of qualitative data as it connects to quantitative data in organizational development through an equity lens
National Louis University
B.A. - Professional Education Summer Institute
Harvard Graduate School of Education
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