Before the successful convening of the 5^th annual National HBCU Week, PROPEL officially welcomed educator Dr. Lisa N. Herring as President. Herring, who most recently served as superintendent of the Atlanta Public Schools, is respected as a champion of innovation in education, having charted a longstanding history of success in propelling students to new heights of academic achievement. Herring also formerly served as superintendent of the Birmingham City Schools.

PROPEL also announced that the U.S. Department of Education named Dr. Herring as Strategic Advisor to the Secretary, where she'll help shape the USDOE's strategy to engage state and local officials. As the incoming president of the PROPEL Center, Dr. Herring is singularly enthused by the distinctive appointment, and the many potential ways in which the strategic role with the USDOE aligns with and complements her important work with PROPEL on behalf of America's Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and their students.

Dr. Herring's nearly 30-year track record of excellence, from classroom teacher to trailblazing edu-tech advocate and leader spans public and private environments. She has garnered numerous accolades for her staunch, future-focused leadership and unwavering dedication to students and their success. While with the Atlanta Public School system, she established the Ed Farm Teacher Fellows, Innovation Fellows and Code Clubs. During her tenure, the school system realized exponential corporate partnership growth, and achieved the highest three-year graduation rate increase in district history. Most recently, she was recognized for her leadership in generating private-public partnerships with Fortune 500 companies to forge stronger career pathways and reimagine learning for students.

PROPEL's leadership is energized by the addition of the prominent and accomplished education executive. "Dr. Lisa Herring is a highly regarded and transformational leader in education, who has charted a longstanding and distinctive record of stewarding innovative approaches to learning. We are pleased to welcome her as the president of PROPEL," stated Anthony Oni, Founder and Board Chair of PROPEL. "Dr. Herring's wealth of experience in building and leading effective teams, pioneering technology integration in learning, and cultivating impactful industry partnerships clearly sets her apart as a leader. We are confident that under Dr. Herring's stewardship, PROPEL will continue to empower HBCU students with significant opportunities for future-focused learning, economic opportunities, and leadership development."

Dr. Herring thoughtfully echoes that sentiment. "As many people across the HBCU ecosystem are aware, PROPEL has made tremendous strides in moving forward its mission to elevate the educational experiences of, and career opportunities for the next generation of Black leaders across industry," says Herring. "Being a proud graduate and a recent visiting lecturer at Spelman College, I am incredibly humbled by this opportunity, as it stands as a rare chance to bring the innovation that has long been my hallmark to this organization. My goal with PROPEL is to continue to do just that, while we blaze broader paths of opportunity for the coming generations of young HBCU scholars and leaders."