EdRedesign, based at the Harvard Graduate School of Education (HGSE), is proud to announce the second cohort of By All Means Senior Fellows, a visiting fellowship initiative launched in 2023 for exemplary senior leaders of place-based collaborative action.
The Senior Fellows program provides a platform for distinguished practitioners to engage with the Harvard community, including faculty, students, centers, and initiatives; collaborate on transformative projects; and advance the field of cradle-to-career place-based partnerships tackling issues of educational equity, intergenerational poverty, and economic mobility in communities across the country.
“We are thrilled to welcome this new cohort of Senior Fellows, each of whom has been at the forefront of transformative efforts to reimagine and expand opportunities for children, youth, and families across the nation,” said Rob Watson, EdRedesign executive director. “Their leadership, expertise, and commitment to systemic change will contribute to our collective efforts to amplify the impact and expand the footprint of the field of cradle-to-career place-based partnerships to our university community and beyond.”
The 2025-2027 By All Means Senior Fellows are:
Dreama Gentry, President and CEO, Partners for Rural Impact
Elson Nash, Senior Fellow, Blue Meridian Partners; Strategic Partnerships Lead Consultant, Education Commission of the States; and Former Director, U.S. Department of Education’s Division of School Choice and Improvement Programs
Christian Rhodes, Deputy Executive Director, William Julius Wilson Institute at Harlem Children’s Zone
Rey Saldaña, President and CEO, Communities In Schools National Office
Sondra Samuels, President and CEO, Northside Achievement Zone
These fellows bring extensive experience in cross-sector partnerships, politics, federal, state and local policymaking, school district leadership, community organizing, and public service — expertise that is critical for addressing the challenges facing children and families today in urban, suburban, and rural contexts. Over the course of their fellowship, they will work with EdRedesign on signature projects that aim to elevate and accelerate the impact of place-based collaborative action at the national level.
“We’re honored and excited to welcome the second cohort of By All Means Senior Fellows. We celebrate their exemplary leadership in community-rooted cradle-to-career work. This fellowship enables us to learn from them and share their expertise and inspiration with the Harvard community and our many colleagues engaged in this work that serves children and families all over the country,” said Paul Reville, founder and faculty director at EdRedesign.
As EdRedesign welcomes the new cohort, it also celebrates the accomplishments of the outgoing inaugural cohort of Senior Fellows (2023-2025) and their contributions to advancing educational equity, upward mobility, and racial justice — Russell Booker, Alan Cohen, Sonali Nijhawan, Richard Raya, and Libby Schaaf. Their work has helped shape the field and foster lasting collaborations.
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