Our People

Lumina’s Senior Leaders and Staff

Lumina Foundation fosters a strong, collaborative environment in which dedicated professionals enjoy rewarding careers as they work with business, government, higher education, and nonprofit leaders to improve the nation’s learning attainment after high school. A talented and committed Board of Directors helps lead our work.

See a breakdown of Lumina staff and board demographics.

Jamie Merisotis, an international leader in higher education, human work, philanthropy, and public policy, has been Lumina’s president and CEO since 2008.
Jamie Merisotis
President and CEO
Courtney Brown, Ph.D, is vice president of impact and planning for Lumina Foundation, an independent, private foundation in Indianapolis that is committed to making opportunities for learning beyond high school available to…
Courtney Brown
Vice President of Impact and Planning
Michelle Asha Cooper leads the development and implementation of state and federal policy initiatives for Lumina Foundation. She works to advance the foundation’s support for today’s students at community colleges…
Michelle Asha Cooper
Vice President for Public Policy and Executive Director of Lumina’s Washington, D.C., Office
Debra Humphreys, Ph.D., directs Lumina Foundation’s efforts related to student success in attaining high-quality four-year college degrees. She also oversees the foundation’s strategic communications team, working to influence national narratives…
Debra Humphreys
Vice President of Strategic Engagement
Chauncy Lennon, Ph.D., is the New York-based vice president for learning and work and senior strategy advisor at Lumina Foundation, an independent, private foundation in Indianapolis that is committed to…
Chauncy Lennon
Vice President for Learning and Work, and Senior Strategy Advisor
Linh C. Nguyen leads Lumina's racial equity efforts and works to embed equity in Lumina's grantmaking and operations and nurtures the foundation’s organizational culture to increase diversity, improve inclusion and…
Linh C. Nguyen
Vice President for Equity, Culture, and Talent
Tim Robinson is the vice president, general counsel, and chief of staff at Lumina Foundation, where he brings 25 years of legal and investment management experience. Before Lumina, he was…
Timothy P. Robinson
Vice President, General Counsel, and Chief of Staff
Investment Associate Apra Arnold administers Lumina's investment database and auditing interface tool. She also maintains operational and administrative investment functions to create strategic capacity for the investment director and CFO.
Apra Arnold
Investment Associate
Debbie Babcock is director of information technology for Lumina Foundation, an independent, private foundation in Indianapolis that is committed to making opportunities for learning beyond high school available to all.…
Debbie Babcock
Director of Information Technology
Amy Bartner is the audience engagement editor at Lumina Foundation, an independent, private foundation in Indianapolis that is committed to making opportunities for learning beyond high school available to all. She…
Amy Bartner
Audience Engagement Editor
André Callot is a New Mexico-based digital media producer who helps grow Lumina's audience engagement strategy through on-demand and online video production. 
André Callot
Video and Online Event Producer
Tracy Chen is director of media strategy for Lumina Foundation, an independent, private foundation in Indianapolis that is committed to making opportunities for learning beyond high school available to all. In…
Tracy Chen
Director of Media Strategy
Micky serves as the human resources and facilities associate assisting in the administration of assigned benefit programs, maintenance of personnel data files, and staffing activities. She also manages a number…
Micky Clymore
Human Resources and Facilities Associate
Cody Coppotelli serves as Lumina's director of investments leading internal diligence efforts in documentation and approval facilitation, and investment reporting. Cody also directs the Foundation's portfolio management and leads the…
Cody Coppotelli
Director of Investments
Kevin Corcoran leads Lumina Foundation's strategic communications team. Before assuming this role in late 2016, he spent eight years overseeing design and policy work that promoted development of new higher…
Kevin Corcoran
Strategy Director
As senior accounting officer, Monique oversees the data entry, reconciliation, and maintenance of all financial activity at the Foundation. From the general ledger to the annual audit, she ensures the…
Monique Crowell
Senior Accounting Officer
Shauna Davis is the strategy director for community college participation leading a portfolio of work designed to increase enrollment and re-enrollment in AA degree and short-term credential programs.
Shauna Davis
Strategy Director
DeLaRosa leads and manages Lumina's state policy work allowing the foundation to collaborate closely with our key state policy partners.
Amanda DeLaRosa
Strategy Officer
Julie is the administrative assistant supporting Lumina's finance and investments team. She also manages the workflow and scheduling for Lumina Impact Ventures. Julie brings over 20 years of experience in…
Julie Peters Dillman
Administrative Assistant
Lisa Dunham supports the vice president for strategy development and employees of this department. Lisa loves time with family and spends as much time boating as possible.
Lisa Dunham
Administrative Assistant
Jonathan Dunn is the IT applications manager for Lumina Foundation, an independent, private foundation in Indianapolis that is committed to making opportunities for learning beyond high school available to all. …
Jonathan Dunn
IT Applications Manager
Frank Swanzy Essien Jr. is responsible for Lumina’s work around identifying and synthesizing existing research and evidence as well as commissioning new research to inform Lumina and the broader field.
Frank Swanzy Essien Jr.
Strategy Officer for Research
Ernest Ezeugois is a strategy officer for federal policy for Lumina Foundation, an independent, private foundation in Indianapolis that is committed to making opportunities for learning beyond high school available…
Ernest Ezeugo
Strategy Officer for Federal Policy
Jasmine Haywood leads a portfolio of work that supports the creation of a system in which student success and credential attainment are scaled up significantly, particularly at four-year institutions. .
Jasmine Haywood
Strategy Director for Student Success
Melanie Heath is strategy director for participation leading a portfolio of work designed to increase enrollment and re-enrollment of students in bachelor’s degree programs.
Melanie Heath
Strategy Director
Beverly is responsible for the completion of financial closing procedures. This includes overseeing accounts payable, personnel expenses, the financial reporting process and the implementation and maintenance of accounting controls. These…
Beverly W. Hudson
Accounting Officer
Matthew creates online content highlighting the work of the Foundation and its partners with a focus on illustrating the reality facing today's students and clarifying policy imperatives for a broad…
Matthew Jenkins
Digital Content Producer and Editor
Scott Jenkins serves as strategy director for state policy at Lumina Foundation.
Scott Jenkins
Strategy Director
Susan D. Johnson, Ph.D., is the director of grants administration at Lumina Foundation.
Susan D. Johnson
Director of Grants Administration
Kermit Kaleba is the director of employment-aligned credential programs for Lumina Foundation, an independent, private foundation in Indianapolis that is committed to making opportunities for learning beyond high school available…
Kermit Kaleba
Strategy Director
Shyvon Lacy is Lumina's front desk and facilities assistant. Shyvon brings experience in the areas of customer service, and project and financial management from her previous roles at Liberty Mutual…
Shyvon Lacy
Grants Management Associate
Katy Launius, Ph.D. is a strategy officer for student success at Lumina Foundation, an independent, private foundation in Indianapolis that is committed to making opportunities for learning beyond high school…
Katy Launius
Strategy Officer for Student Success
Mary Laphen Pope serves as strategy officer for participation for Lumina Foundation, an independent, private foundation in Indianapolis that is committed to making opportunities for learning beyond high school available to all.
Mary Laphen Pope
Strategy Officer
Wendy Lopez is the administrative assistant for Lumina's Learning and Work team. Wendy brings extensive facilities and administrative experience having worked as an office manager at Veolia North America and…
Wendy Lopez
Executive Assistant
Shelley Lloyd leads Lumina's human resources team. Her expertise includes talent acquisition, staff development, compensation, performance, employee relations and benefits.
Shelley Lloyd
Director of Human Resources
Thomas Major Jr. serves as Lumina’s legal lead on strategic and programmatic matters, private foundation tax issues, and matters involving employee benefits, employment, intellectual property, enterprise risk, and general corporate…
Thomas Major Jr.
Associate General Counsel
Christopher (Chris) Mullin, Ph.D, is strategy director of data and measurement for Lumina Foundation, an independent, private foundation in Indianapolis that is committed to making opportunities for learning beyond high…
Chris Mullin
Strategy Director
Amie Michael is Lumina's grants management associate responsible for executing grantee payments, processing matching gifts, length of service awards and assisting in the grant and contract process.
Amie Michael
Grants Management Associate
Jackie Nichols is executive assistant for Lumina Foundation, an independent, private foundation in Indianapolis that is committed to making opportunities for learning beyond high school available to all. Nichols provides…
Jackie Nichols
Executive Assistant
Zainab Okolo works to support the creation of a system in which student success and credential attainment are scaled up significantly, particularly at four-year institutions.
Zainab Okolo
Strategy Officer
Celine Pierre-Louis is an administrative support and facilities associate at Lumina supporting Lumina's staff in Washington, D.C.
Celine Pierre-Louis
Administrative Support and Facilities Associate
Ratliff ensures accurate reporting of the foundation’s general accounting and financial reporting functions, including budget analysis and financial reporting. He develops communications protocols and touch points for internal and external…
James Ratliff
Financial Accounting Officer
Dominique (Domy) Raymond is the strategy director for partnerships at Lumina Foundation. In that role, she is responsible for amplifying Lumina’s thought leadership, developing new relationships and coalitions, and identifying…
Dominique Raymond
Strategy Director
Georgia Reagan serves as strategy officer for employment-aligned credentials for Lumina Foundation, an independent, private foundation in Indianapolis that is committed to making opportunities for learning beyond high school available…
Georgia Reagan
Strategy Officer
With 16 years in the non-profit sector, Barbara provides highly-specialized mentoring, training, and guidance personalized to her colleagues needs to help lead them on paths to success.
Barbara Rodriguez
Administrative Assistant
Wendy oversees the strategic direction and implementation of Lumina's research and data portfolio. This includes establishing and synthesizing the evidence and data necessary to advise Lumina’s strategic direction, documenting effective…
Wendy Sedlak
Strategy Director
Gretchen works closely with the vice president of impact and planning to coordinate cross-team integration and improve overall strategy development and execution.
Gretchen Syverud
Strategy Director
Paola Santana is a strategy officer for state policy at Lumina Foundation, where she supports states' efforts to increase education attainment and eliminate racial disparities.
Paola Santana
Strategy Officer
Sharon Shickel is an executive assistant in the office of the president providing organizational and administrative support to Lumina’s executive vice president, chief operating officer, and general counsel.
Sharon Shickel
Executive Assistant and Board Relations Officer
Amber Shelton is Lumina's human resources manager. She provides strategic, operational, and administrative support in all functional areas of human resources including recruitment, benefits, compensation, and employee relations, and helps with…
Amber Shelton
Human Resources Manager
Terri L. Steward is an executive assistant for Lumina Foundation where she brings over 30 years of administrative support experience. Terri supports the senior vice president and chief equity officer,…
Terri Steward
Executive Assistant
John helps tell the story of Lumina through blogs, multimedia, and other content, helping manage the foundation's social media channels and digital storytelling. He is a former editor with the Associated…
John C. Strauss
Senior Editor
Wayne Taliaferro is director for student success at Lumina Foundation, an independent, private foundation in Indianapolis that is committed to making opportunities for learning beyond high school available to all.…
Wayne Taliaferro
Strategy Director
Taylor leads the foundation’s efforts to develop new strategies to respond to the increasingly common question, education for what?
Terri Taylor
Strategy Director
Velasquez sources, structures, underwrites, and negotiates social investments to support Lumina’s strategic priorities.
Christa Velasquez
Strategy Director
Stephanie Wang is the communications strategy officer elevating Lumina’s work with nonprofit and public news organizations, coordinating writing and editing projects, and leading other high-profile comms projects such as Lumina’s annual…
Stephanie Wang
Strategy Officer
Steven Williamson is Lumina's data and knowledge manager.  Steven works with the impact and planning team to support the implementation of the Foundation's framework for measuring and reporting progress on…
Steven Williamson
Data and Knowledge Manager
Elise Zhao is Lumina's impact investing officer working on program integration, investee engagement, transactions, and developing and improving LIV systems and policies.
Elise Zhao
Impact Investing Officer