OneGoal Leadership
Network Coaches
OneGoal’s coaches make up a deep network of diverse leadership and expertise. Our team provides your district with strategic insights fueled by their extensive hands-on experience as school and district leaders.
COACH
Michael Allen, Ed.D.
Postsecondary Leadership Coach
Dr. Michael Allen facilitates learning experiences and provides one-on-one coaching for school and district leaders. He spent 14 years serving as principal at various schools in the Chicagoland area and was named 2020 Elementary Principal of the Year. As a mentor and a coach, Michael has extensive experience helping leaders effectively implement comprehensive mindfulness practices in their schools. He is also a skilled researcher specializing in emotional intelligence, equity, and school improvement. Michael and his brother co-authored the best-selling children’s book, Brotherly Love. He advocates tirelessly for ending policies that hold down students of color. He was the only contributing school leader on the 2021 Inclusive Education Act, which mandates the teaching of pre-enslavement Black history to all students in Illinois. Michael holds an Ed.D. in Education Administration and Supervision from Loyola University Chicago, an M. Ed. in Education, and a B.A. in Sociology from Valparaiso University.
COACH
Cindy Anderson, Ed.S.
Postsecondary Leadership Coach
With eighteen years of dedicated experience in education, including recent work as a Lead School Counselor, Cindy brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to her role. As a postsecondary leadership coach, she works with district and school leaders to establish and activate postsecondary leadership teams. Cindy is deeply committed to supporting school and district leaders to foster environments where students can thrive. Her passion for this work is driven by a belief in the transformative power of education and the importance of guiding young people to achieve their full potential. Cindy earned her B.S. in Agriculture from the University of Missouri-Columbia and her M.A. and Ed.S. in School Counseling from the University of the Cumberlands.
TEAM LEADER
Beth Bazer, Ed.D.
Managing Director of Program Design + Strategy
Dr. Beth Bazer oversees the support of school and district leaders to improve their postsecondary leadership. Before joining OneGoal, Beth was the Executive Director of Schools That Can Chicago, a local educational non-profit. Before this experience, Beth was a principal, assistant principal, and teacher in Chicago Public Schools. Beth has passionately pursued equity and inclusion for her students throughout her career and is thrilled to be a part of OneGoal’s mission. Beth holds an Ed.D. in Urban Education Leadership from the University of Illinois Chicago and an M.A. in Education from Northwestern University.
COACH
John Boumgarden, M.S., Ed.D.
Postsecondary Leadership Coach
John works with district leaders across Illinois by coaching and facilitating professional development sessions for OneGoal partner schools and districts. He works with system leaders to co-create coherent, system-wide solutions to ensure that all students are on their way to postsecondary success. Before joining OneGoal, John worked with the Chicago nonprofit LEAP Innovations as an Instructional Coach and helped lead their education policy initiatives. He began his career in education with Teach For America and worked in a variety of school structures in St. Louis, New York City, and Baltimore. He holds an M.S. in Education from Hunter College and an Ed.D. in K-12 Education Leadership and Policy from Vanderbilt University.
COACH
Brianna Brown, M.S.
Postsecondary Leadership Coach
Brianna is a dedicated Postsecondary Leadership Coach with a rich background in the post-secondary education realm for over a decade. Having served as both a Counselor and Director of College Counseling, she has honed her expertise in guiding students towards a successful academic journey beyond high school. Brianna’s primary professional objectives are centered around enhancing college persistence, closing achievement gaps, and preparing students for triumphs in the post-secondary landscape. Throughout her career, Brianna has had the privilege of partnering with diverse school districts, employing data-driven methodologies to identify obstacles and craft tailored strategies to address their distinctive needs. She thrives on collaborating with a variety of stakeholders to foster student success and facilitate smoother transitions into higher education. Brianna holds a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Prairie View A&M University and a Master’s degree in School and College Counseling from San Francisco University. She is deeply committed to advocacy, leadership, coaching, and acting as a catalyst for social change within educational settings. Brianna takes immense pride in leveraging her skills and experiences to empower students to achieve their educational aspirations and navigate the complex paths to postsecondary success.
COACH
Tenganyike Cook, Ed.D.
Postsecondary Leadership Coach
Dr. Cook is a lifelong educator committed to providing educational opportunities and support for underserved communities for over twenty years at the secondary level. Dr. Cook has worked in a juvenile court school, a recovery school, and Title One public and charter schools/school districts during her career. Dr. Cook started her career as secondary science teacher and matriculated to several positions serving at the school and district levels. She has served as principal designee, assistant principal, principal fellow, principal, Director of Education, and Director of Middle School Achievement. She exhibits extensive knowledge in the education world, solidifying her instructional and leadership lens, skill set, and expertise. Dr. Cook is the author of “Ummm Yes…..It’s Middle School,” which is a guide demonstrating how to interact with and teach middle school students. She is also the CEO of Middle School Rocks, LLC which is a small consulting business dedicated to providing support to middle school leaders, teachers, parents, and students. Dr. Cook holds a B.S. in Biology from the University of Southern Mississippi; a M.Ed. and an Ed.S. in Education Administration and Supervision from Tennessee State University; and an Ed.D. in Educational Leadership from Tennessee State University. She also holds a Diversity and Inclusion for Educators certification from UMASS Global.
SENIOR DESIGNER
Ivory Duncan, M.A.
Senior Director, OneGoal Leadership Network Design
Ivory Duncan has spent over 13 years as an education leader advocating for innovative approaches to honor the experience and identity of scholars from resilient communities. She has held various roles in education and non-profit spaces, such as Senior Vice President of Programs and Special Initiatives at the Urban League of Greater Kansas City and Assistant Principal at Noble Network Charter Schools. Lead by her passion for Equity, Ivory was a Loyola University Leading DEI 2021 Cohort Fellow, A Diverse Leaders Fellow, and an Anti-Racist Planning Committee member at Noble Schools, and served on the Teach for America Planning and Design Task Force for the Diversity, Equity & Inclusiveness Council. She holds a B.S. in Criminal Justice and M.A. in Public Policy.
COACH
Dustin Dunlavy, M.A.
Postsecondary Leadership Coach
Dustin collaborates with educational leaders to reduce inequities in postsecondary preparation, resources and exposure for students. As a first-generation student, Dustin has always wanted to be that person he wished for during his journey toward a postsecondary education. Fueled by his journey, he began his career in college admissions, enrollment management, higher education leadership, the college access non-profit space, technical education and graduate education for the last 14 years – all while championing efforts to increase the accessibility of postsecondary education through policy and process reform. Dustin earned his B.A. in Psychology + Public Administration from Capital University, his M.A. in Communications from the University of Cincinnati and plans to begin his Ed.D in the coming year at the University of Cincinnati for Urban Educational Leadership.
COACH
Julie Fregien, M.Ed.
Postsecondary Leadership Coach
Julie Fregien facilitates learning experiences for school and district leaders and provides one-on-one coaching to build their capacity to create system-wide solutions to support postsecondary success for all students. She began her career in education as a high school mathematics teacher. From teaching, she served as a high school principal in urban and rural communities. As a principal, she worked to create inclusive and compassionate school communities that supported equity and access for all students to relevant, rigorous learning experiences to prepare them for postsecondary success. Prior to joining OneGoal, Julie served as a district Director of Data Strategy, utilizing real-time data to build early warning systems to design tailored intervention systems for students. Julie holds an M.ED in Educational Leadership from Ball State University, as well as a B.A. is History and a B.S. in Education from Valparaiso University.
TEAM LEADER
Milissa McClaire Gary, M.Ed.
Managing Director of Program Implementation
Milissa is an experienced educational leader, coach, consultant, and National Board Certified Teacher with an M.A. in Educational Research and Policy. She began her career as a high school teacher in Chicago and then transitioned to work at the district level, developing teachers and supporting instructional leadership teams. Milissa went on to be a consultant and program director for New Teacher Center, where she developed instructional coaching, mentoring, and professional learning. In her current role, Milissa engages district and school leaders in the OneGoal Leadership Network. She is also responsible for leading the Postsecondary Leadership Coaches with partner districts across the state. Her entire career has been driven by a deep desire for young people—particularly those historically underserved—to have equitable access to opportunities and choice-filled lives.
COACH
Kelsey Griffin, Ed.D.
Postsecondary Leadership Coach
Dr. Kelsey Griffin is a visionary education leader dedicated to fostering transformative change in educational systems across the state of Texas. With over two decades of experience in both academic and administrative roles, Dr. Griffin has emerged as a trailblazer in the field, renowned for his commitment to student-centered learning, equity, and innovation. Dr. Griffin had the privilege of teaching and leading in the same communities that he resides for over 15 years. Building community with former students and parents sparked his interest in shifting his focus to postsecondary access systems support. In his current role, Dr. Griffin engages district and school leaders in the OneGoal Leadership Network. Dr. Griffin approaches this work as a ministry. He has truly been called and has a passion to advocate and support initiatives associated with equity in education systems. The major driving forces behind his passion are his three kids, the tens of thousands of students he has impacted, and the dream for all students to be able to reach their life/education aspirations.
SENIOR DESIGNER
Julie Hess, M.A.
Senior Director, OneGoal Leadership Network Design
Julie Hess supports leadership network coaches at OneGoal by designing relevant, inclusive, and comprehensive resources to guide school leaders in attaining their postsecondary access goals. Julie believes education should be the great equalizer, thus she has dedicated her career to empowering underserved students. Julie began her career as a high school Spanish teacher in Chicago Public Schools. Soon after, she transitioned into college access and persistence and discovered her passion for the work. Julie served in Chicago and Baltimore as a College Seminar Teacher, College Counselor, and a Dean of College. She holds an M.A. in Teaching from Dominican University and a B.A. in Women and Gender Studies and Spanish from Washington University in St. Louis.
COACH
Danyeil Reese, Ed.S
Postsecondary Leadership Coach
Danyeil Reese is an educator with more than 15 years of experience in instruction, program administration, and leadership in career & technical education. Danyeil has experience working in every aspect of college and career readiness planning, from convening advisory boards to designing content and programmatic outcomes. Prior to joining OneGoal, Danyeil was a postsecondary success specialist with Chicago Public Schools. Danyeil holds a Bachelors in Business from Wilberforce University and M.A.T and Education Specialist degrees in Workforce Education from the University of Georgia.
COACH
Kayla Ritter Rickels, Ed.D
Postsecondary Leadership Coach
Kayla Ritter Rickels serves as a Postsecondary Leadership Coach, working with district leaders across the commonwealth of Kentucky. With a set of values rooted in the belief that education is liberation, she has dedicated her career to the creation of enabling conditions for equity in exploration, access, and attainment of a postsecondary credential. She began her career in college admissions and enrollment management and has moved through roles within college access non-profit, K12 school district, and ed tech organization spaces that allowed her to drive impact and system change with a keen focus on equity for historically marginalized and minoritized students. She earned her Ed.D. in Educational Leadership from Northern Kentucky University, her M.S. in Marketing from the University of Cincinnati, and her B.A. in Mathematics from Thomas More College.
SENIOR TEAM LEADER
Andrew Schmitz, M.A.T., M.P.P.
Senior Managing Director of System Impact
Andy leads the execution of the OneGoal Leadership Network, serving leaders at partner schools and districts. In this role, he sets the vision and manages the implementation of different services and products that build leadership capacity to strengthen postsecondary practices and systems. Before joining OneGoal, Andy worked as a teacher, teacher coach, and assistant principal in Chicago and led the Urban Education Institute’s school improvement leadership coaching team. Andy holds an M.A.T. from Dominican University and M.P.P. in Education Policy from the University of Chicago’s Harris School of Public Policy.
COACH
Catisha Toney, M.P.A
Postsecondary Leadership Coach
Catisha Toney is a graduate of Indiana University who has more than 15 years of experience working in education developing, coordinating, and implementing college and career readiness programs. Throughout her career she has been working for, speaking for, and representing underserved students. Prior to joining OneGoal, Catisha served as the Senior Director of College and Career Advising for Lighthouse Academies—supervising the network’s College and Career team across five campuses. Catisha is an advocate for equity in education and an educator who is passionate about creating opportunities for underserved students and young adults so that they can pursue their dreams and positively impact their families and communities. Catisha also holds a Master’s in Public Administration and Management through Indiana University—Northwest and serves as a consultant for the Indiana Association of College and Admission Counselors.
COACH
Renee Vai, M.A.T.
Postsecondary Leadership Coach
Renee engages partner school and district leadership in the shared creation of systemic solutions through one-on-one coaching and the facilitation of professional development sessions. Renee has over 14 years of experience dedicated to creating equitable initiatives in education for underserved students with a career history steeped in the facilitation and creation of curriculum, equitable instructional practices, productive partnerships, and individual coaching and adult capacity building. As a high school administrator, Renee identified and confronted problems with inequity at every level, from teaching and implementing relevant classroom management and equitable instructional practices, to building holistic student development and supports, to improving structural and programmatic issues, including implementing college readiness workshops and work experience programs to provide real-world experience to students while connecting them to business professionals and postsecondary opportunities.
TEAM LEADER
Andraya White, M.A.
Managing Director of Program Implementation
Andraya is an experienced and dynamic educational leader committed to transforming postsecondary success through her unwavering dedication to equity. Throughout her journey, she has consistently demonstrated a passion for expanding access and opportunity in education. With a career spanning roles as a high school teacher, lead school counselor, Postsecondary Leadership Coach, and now her current role, Andraya brings a wealth of experience and insight to her work that has been instrumental in building trauma-informed and resilience practices, systemic change, and improving educational outcomes. In her current role, Andraya supports program implementation by engaging district and state-level partners and leading a team of dedicated Postsecondary Leadership Coaches in executing the OneGoal Leadership Network. She holds her B.A. in Secondary Education and an M.A. in Education from the University of Kentucky, and furthered her specialization with an M.A. in School Counseling from Eastern Kentucky University. Her commitment to equity drives her desire to help every student navigate the complexities of postsecondary education and realize their full potential.
SENIOR DESIGNER
Heather Zoll, Ed.S.
Senior Director, OneGoal Leadership Network Design
Heather facilitates learning experiences for school and district leaders and provides one-on-one coaching to build their capacity in creating systems and structures that help ensure postsecondary success for all students. Heather has more than 16 years of experience and leadership in education. She began her career as an English language arts teacher. From the classroom, she moved into the role of director of her district’s first stand-alone career academy. Heather most recently served in a school administrator role as Academy Coach, where she worked to help implement wall-to-wall career academies that changed the focus and quality of learning experiences for all students at her school and throughout the district. Her passion is to work with district, school, and community members to bring relevance and purpose to learning in an equitable way and to have a long-term impact on student postsecondary success. Heather holds an Ed.S. in Educational Leadership and an M.A. in Secondary English Education from the University of Kentucky. She also holds a B.A. in English from Western Kentucky University and a National Board Teacher Certification.