The Council for Educational Change has appointed Nancy Jean Davis to its Board of Directors. Ms. Davis’ business leadership skills and passion for giving back to the community will help further the Council’s mission across the state of Florida.

The Weston-based Council for Educational Change is a statewide nonprofit organization dedicated to strengthening the leadership team in Florida schools. School leadership is instrumental to improved student academic performance. The Council’s premiere programs partner school leaders with business leaders. The business partner shares strategies to address school challenges with the ultimate goal of increasing student academic achievement.

Under the CEO/principal partnership, the partners design, develop and deliver targeted strategies and skills that prepares students for current and future careers. Most recently, the Council launched a new signature program, the Career Awareness Leadership Forum. Under this four session program, industry experts share knowledge of their respective fields with school principals, teachers, and students to increase awareness of the skills needed to fulfill current and future job opportunities.

As a board member, Ms. Davis will play a key role helping the Council develop policies that make a positive difference in our public schools so all children can succeed.

“Ms. Davis’ commitment to making our community a better place, her desire to improve public education, and past experience on various Boards of Trustees make her a great fit for our Board of Directors,” said Dr. Elaine Liftin, President and Executive Director of the Council for Educational Change. "With Ms. Davis on board, our public schools win."

Ms. Davis currently serves as President of McArthur Management Company and President of the J.N. McArthur Foundation. She is a member of the Board of Trustees of the Chapman Partnership for the Homeless, the Orange Bowl Committee, the International Women’s Forum, Miami Lighthouse for the Blind, Bok Tower Gardens, and the Florida Council of 100. She is a graduate of Southern Methodist University, and is a Founding Director of the Miami City Ballet, Trustee of the The Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami-Dade County, the National Symphony Orchestra, the Kennedy Center International Committee, Ice Dance International; Director Florida Grand Opera; and member of the National Council for the Shakespeare Theatre.

“Education is extremely important for the future of our region,” said Ms. Davis. “By working together with principals and their leadership teams, we can give our schools the right tools to build a strong workforce and give our students a bright future.”

Widely respected for her business leadership, Ms. Davis has provided her expertise and served numerous professional and entrepreneurial organizations in agriculture and other fields, including Florida Land Council, Florida Dairy Farmers, Inc., Florida Agricultural Institute, Wild Goose Brewery, AquaPenn Spring Water Company, the American Red Cross, Bok Tower Gardens and the Fugua Business School of Duke University.

Over the last 15 years, the Council’s innovative approach to improving public education, one school at a time, has impacted the future of 1.54 million students, more than 39,000 teachers, 5,075 school-based leaders and 885 schools in Florida’s 67 school districts, especially in Miami-Dade, Broward, Palm Beach, Hillsborough, Pinellas, and Duval. This important addition to our Board assures that our commitment to quality education will continue to positively influence Florida schools.

About the Council for Educational Change

The Council for Educational Change is a statewide, 501 (c)(3) non-profit organization with a mission to focus on LEADERSHIP to improve student achievement and address critical issues in education. Leonard Miller founded the Council for Educational Change in 2003, as the successor organization of the South Florida Annenberg Challenge. Based in Weston, the Council is led by a Board of Trustees. Some of its accomplishments include the creation of the Executive PASS© program, which forms a partnership between a business leader and a school principal to share business strategies to bring positive changes to the school. The Council also has a three-year matching grant executive partnership program in which a CEO mentors a school principal and commits up to $100,000 to develop and fund strategic plans to create a culture of excellence and success. For more information visit: http://www.changeeducation.org