Our TeaM
StrategyForward Advisors brings the expertise and skills to help you succeed.
Dr. Julie Johnson
Founder and Principal
Julie Johnson is a higher education leader with 20 years of institutional, policy, and entrepreneurial expertise. She oversaw state higher education policy and advocacy for 42 states as Vice President of Strategy for Complete College America. She helped launch and lead a new community college as Deputy CEO of the University of the District of Columbia Community College (UDC-CC). While at the Advisory Committee on Student Financial Assistance in the U.S. Department of Education, she conducted policy research on college access, success, and affordability for Congress and the Secretary of Education. She helped develop and launch a new education-to-business venture to close industry skill gaps at Strayer Education and co-founded Faculty Guild, an ed-tech startup, to help college faculty improve their teaching.
Dr. Julie Johnson
Founder and Principal
Julie Johnson is a higher education leader with 20 years of institutional, policy, and entrepreneurial expertise. She oversaw state higher education policy and advocacy for 42 states as Vice President of Strategy for Complete College America. She helped launch and lead a new community college as Deputy CEO of the University of the District of Columbia Community College (UDC-CC). While at the Advisory Committee on Student Financial Assistance in the U.S. Department of Education, she conducted policy research on college access, success, and affordability for Congress and the Secretary of Education. She helped develop and launch a new education-to-business venture to close industry skill gaps at Strayer Education and co-founded Faculty Guild, an ed-tech startup, to help college faculty improve their teaching.
Julie is a long-time board member and former board chair for Maya Angelou Schools, serving opportunity and justice-impacted youth and young adults. She is co-founder of Neighbors for Justice, a local organization that strives to be better neighbors to those at the DC Jail and beyond through awareness, advocacy, and support. Julie has also served as a professorial lecturer in education at the George Washington University’s Graduate School of Education and Human Development; a community college adjunct instructor at UDC-CC; and a guest speaker at Harvard University, University of Pennsylvania, University of Maryland, and George Mason University.
Julie received her Ed.D. in Educational Policy from the George Washington University, Ed.M. in Higher Education from Harvard University, and B.A. in English from Azusa Pacific University. Julie lives in Washington, DC with her husband and two children.
Dr. Jhenai Chandler
Policy & Research Collaborator
Dr. Jhenai Chandler
Policy & Research Collaborator
Dr. Jhenai Chandler is a Policy & Research Collaborator at StrategyForward Advisors. She is the lead education consultant at Chandler Solutions LLC, an organization that provides data-driven and equity-centred solutions to improve higher education and human resources systems. Dr. Chandler also serves as the Director for College Completion at The Institute for College Access and Success (TICAS) where she oversees the direction and implementation of TICAS’ College Completion advocacy and policy strategy. A significant part of Dr. Chandler’s focus is on the expansion of state and federal support for evidence-based student support programs that have been demonstrated by researchers to help more students graduate. She also leads coalition efforts to advance state policies that will support college completion efforts. Dr. Chandler has 16 years of higher education experience as a campus practitioner, researcher, and consultant.
As a former college student parent and Pell grant recipient, Dr. Chandler is committed to advocating for more college accessibility, affordability and comprehensive support that foster success for all students no matter their personal or financial circumstances. A native of Jersey City, New Jersey, Dr. Chandler is a first-generation college graduate with a Ph.D. in Higher Education Policy from Florida State University. She also earned a master’s degree from Nova Southeastern University, a bachelor’s degree from Florida State University and an associate degree from Florida A&M University.
Dr. Takeshi Yanagiura
DATA & POLICY COLLABORATOR
Dr. Takeshi Yanagiura
Data, Research & Policy Collaborator
Takeshi Yanagiura is a Data, Research & Policy Collaborator StrategyForward Advisors. He is an expert higher education policy analyst with many years of experience in a wide variety of programming, data manipulation, and statistical analyses, including quasi-experimental techniques. Takeshi’s strengths are in helping institutional, state, and national clients develop sustainable, research-based strategies to serve more students, increase their rates of success, and manage costs. He is well attuned to policy issues and can express complex ideas effectively in a practical context at national, state, and institutional levels.
Takeshi developed the institutional research office for the new community college of the University of the District of Columbia and contributed to the improved capacity of analysis and reporting in the college. Prior to that, he served as Research Director for the Tennessee Higher Education Commission, where he was instrumental in the development of the research base for the state’s outcomes-based funding formula, master plan for higher education, and state scholarship reforms. He has also worked for the State Higher Education Executive Officers, where he compiled the State Higher Education Finance study. He also has spoken and consulted on higher education data and research issues both nationally and internationally. Takeshi has a Ph.D. in Education and Economics from Teacher’s College at Columbia University, a master’s degree in Higher Education from the University of Minnesota and a bachelor’s degree in Economics from Soka University, Japan.
Dr. Stacy Townsley-Kestin
Strategy & Policy Collaborator
Dr. Stacy Townsley-Kestin
Strategy & Policy Collaborator
Dr. Stacy Townsley-Kestin has over 20 years of experience as a higher education leader and strategist. She served as the inaugural Associate Commissioner for Adult Strategy at the Indiana Commission for Higher Education, where she led key initiatives, including the development of the state’s first credit for prior learning (CPL) model policy guidance and a statewide initiative recognizing military student support efforts.
Previously, at Ivy Tech Community College, she spearheaded strategic statewide initiatives to enhance adult learner success. Her work included leading the Achieve Your Degree employer partnership program, developing ‘micro-pathway’ skills delivery models in advanced manufacturing, IT, and supply chain logistics, and overseeing learner outreach initiatives that leveraged federal, state, and grant funding in collaboration with community and employer partners.
Beyond her institutional roles, Townsley-Kestin has actively contributed to national policy and practice frameworks supporting adult learners, particularly in expanding CPL awareness and utilization, fostering stakeholder engagement across the education and workforce ecosystem, and improving data quality and capture to generate deeper insights into workforce development program effectiveness.
She has also held roles in research, academic administration, and as an adjunct faculty member working with adult learners. Her academic and professional interests center on effective cross-sector collaboration. She is a member of the Education Design Lab’s inaugural Designer in Residence program and CivicLab’s Systemness Leadership Academy and has been actively involved with the Indiana Talent Network, focused on workforce talent development.
Townsley-Kestin holds a Ph.D. in Organizational Systems from Saybrook University, where she studied how community partnerships are developed and sustained. She also earned a master’s degree from the University of Texas at Austin.
Dr. Jodut Hashmi
Evaluation Collaborator
Jodut Hashmi
Evaluation Collaborator
Jodut has worked in education as a practitioner, researcher, and most recently as a data strategy leader for various non-profit organizations. Jodut uses impact modeling and data strategy to support program evaluation and reporting. She has spent her career working to advance educational and economic opportunities for low-income students and students of color. More specifically, she has evaluated college access and retention programs, K-12 initiatives that aim to propel students to achieve their math and literacy goals, principal preparation programs, and postsecondary programs and graduate programs that support the retention of students of color in STEM fields. Jodut holds an Ed.D. in Higher Education and an M.Ed. in International Education Policy from the Harvard Graduation School of Education.
Dr. Dawn Y. Matthews
Advising Collaborator
Dr. Dawn Y. Matthews
Equity & Advising Collaborator
Dawn Y. Matthews, Ph.D. is a skilled higher education administrator with experience across functional areas including student transition, academic advising, success coaching, first & second year experience, residential life, curriculum design, and retention. She has also developed expertise in scaling student success initiatives and strategic priorities at both predominantly white institutions and historically Black institutions.
She currently serves as an Associate Dean in University College at North Carolina Central University where she supports the institutions strategic priorities around student success and holistic development by standardizing processes, evaluating academic technology efficiencies, and producing unit wide assessments. Prior to joining NCCU, Dr. Matthews served as the Associate Director of the Advising First department at Florida State University. In this role, she managed a team of 75 staff members in advising and college life coaching.
Dr. Matthews’ research has primarily focused on supporting underserved and marginalized student populations in higher education, with an emphasis on employing anti-deficit approaches toward student success, examining the experiences of Black college women, and promoting the continued relevance of HBCUs. She has published articles, reports, book chapters, and presented at numerous conferences. Dr. Matthews received both her bachelor’s degree and master’s degree from Virginia State University and earned a Doctor of Philosophy from Florida State University.
Heidi Rupke
Environmental Policy & Practice Collaborator
Heidi Rupke
Environmental Policy & Practice Collaborator
Heidi Rupke has spent the last four years working for Clean Memphis, a local environmental and educational nonprofit. While there, she built local partnerships to reduce food waste through prevention, donation, and increased composting. Heidi has worked with national organizations such as the Natural Resources Defense Council to strategize messaging and to share learning with other U.S. cities. As part of this work, she has written successful grant proposals to local and national funders. Earlier in her career, she taught children and adults in the U.S. and in China. Heidi holds an M.A. degree in International Training and Education from American University. Her academic paper "Country Roads to Globalization" has been cited more than 150 times. In her spare time, Heidi enjoys writing for local publications such as Edible Memphis.
Annie Khoa
Policy & Research Collaborator
Annie Khoa
Policy & Research Collaborator
Shaped by her experiences as a first-generation, low-income college student and the daughter of Cambodian refugees, Annie Khoa is passionate about closing equity gaps in higher education and accelerating socioeconomic mobility. Most recently, she served as Senior Advisor to the New Jersey Secretary of Higher Education, spearheading high-profile policy initiatives, including leading the review of the State’s performance-based funding formula, crafting an interagency effort to reengage students with some college but no degree, and directing legislative outreach to advance State priorities. Annie also has extensive experience working with institutions of higher education to recruit prospective students, amplify thought leadership, and deepen relationships with alumni and donors. She earned both her Bachelor’s degree and Master in Public Affairs from Princeton University’s School of Public and International Affairs.
Leah Moschella
Digital Credential Collaborator
Leah Moschella
Digital Credential Collaborator
Leah Moschella is a strategic innovator focused on modernizing education systems for today’s economy. With 18 years in national education leadership, she specializes in learner-centered strategies and education innovation.
At the National Center on Education and the Economy (NCEE), Leah leads the Leaders Collaborative and Superintendents Alliance, helping education leaders and policymakers navigate the future of work.
Previously, at Jobs for the Future, she scaled college and career pathways within the Pathways to Prosperity network, codifying processes for competency mapping, dual enrollment, and short-term credential expansion. At the Education Design Lab, she leveraged human-centered design to drive community college transformation, introducing micro-credentials and strengthening industry partnerships.
She founded and led Girls’ Leadership, Organized Women (GLOW), a nonprofit empowering thousands of women and girls through entrepreneurship and civic engagement training. An advocate for youth entrepreneurship and cultural exchange, she has been a Shafik Gabr Diplomatic Fellow (Egypt) and an Entrepreneurial Diplomacy Fellow (Tunisia) and sits on the board of Hostelling International USA.
Leah has been recognized as a White House United State of Women Changemaker and honored for social impact by the City of Boston, she was also part of the 2023 Women inPower cohort at NYC’s 92nd Street Y. She earned her Master of Science in Human Science from Northeastern University.
Renee Faulkner
Policy & Research Collaborator
Renee Faulkner
Policy & Research Collaborator
Renee Faulkner has 20 years' experience in direct student services, program management, and partnership development across the education spectrum. She has served in roles at highly selective liberal arts colleges, national non-profit organizations, and state and federal government agencies. Her professional experiences have focused on smoothing the transitions between high school, postsecondary education, and the workforce, particularly for underrepresented learners and workers. Renee most recently served as a director in the division of student life at Carleton College (Northfield, MN) where she designed strategic programs centered on the BIPOC student experience. She also worked cross-functionally to inform institutional-level DEI policy. Prior to Carleton, Renee was an associate director at Jobs for the Future, a national non-profit focused on improving education and workforce systems. In that role she coached leaders of school systems, county offices of education, and community colleges on developing initiatives, networks, and partnerships that promote economic advancement. Renee holds a bachelor's degree in public policy from Pomona College and a master's degree in higher education from Harvard University.
Raymond Rodriguez
Justice & Education Collaborator
Raymond Rodriguez
Justice & Education Collaborator
Raymond Rodriguez is a Justice & Education Associate at StrategyForward Advisors, focusing on justice and postsecondary education projects. He previously served as an advocate at Maya Angelou Academy located inside the Youth Services Center where he supported academic progression and developmental growth of incarcerated youth.
Raymond serves as Division Manager for the Petey Greene Program where he oversees the weekly operations of several tutoring programs for the incarcerated and formerly incarcerated students in DC. As a Bilingual Credible Messenger with the Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services in DC, he provides literary arts and education programming, intensive reentry services, workforce development, and trauma healing for individuals in the DC Jail, federal prison system, and returning individuals. As a Lead Facilitator Free Minds Book Club & Writing Workshops, Raymond facilitates weekly book club programs for incarcerated teens that are charged as adults, and he developed and implemented a curriculum introducing incarcerated youth to the life-changing power of reading and writing. In addition, he continues to contribute at Integrated Community Services, Inc., which creates group home settings for adults diagnosed with mental illnesses in the D.C. area, where he has served since 2013. His role assists with supporting daily life tasks, personal goal setting, community engagement, and medical distribution.
Raymond earned his Master of Public Administration (MPA) and BS in Public Health from the University of Maryland, College Park, and he has an Associate of Arts in General Studies from Howard Community College.
Brigid Torres
Director of Operations
Brigid Torres
Director of Operations
Brigid Torres leads operations for StrategyForward Advisors. With over a decade of experience in higher education administration, Brigid brings her expertise in operations, systems, and planning to SF. She began her career working for U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein. For nine years, Brigid worked at the University of San Francisco (USF), culminating in her role as Director of Administrative Services for the Office of the Dean in the College of Arts and Sciences. After relocating (back) to the Washington, DC region, she worked as Assistant Director for Mission Engagement at Georgetown University. She earned a BA in History from Santa Clara University and a Master of Public Affairs from USF. Brigid’s capstone project, “The Path Forward: Fixing California’s Failed Sentencing,” focused on criminal justice reform in the state. She lives in Falls Church, Virginia with her husband and three daughters.
Andy Sherman
DESIGN SPECIALIST
Andy Sherman
Design Specialist
Andy Sherman leads all design projects for StrategyForward Advisors. After 10 years working with design studios and advertising agencies in Denver, Creative Director Andy Sherman decided to build upon his experience and start Can of Creative. Andy has worked with national corporate leaders such as Microsoft, Qwest Communications, Vail Resorts, and Western Union, Dr. Pepper/Snapple Group, MARS, Dunkin’ Donuts, as well as with a variety of small businesses and startups. With a passion for distilling information and simplifying complex communication, he has carved a niche in the education space, helping his clients create professional reports and communication. Andy believes that graphic design is not simply a marketing tool, it’s an extension of a brand and the essence of communication. “It is imperative to gain insights into the language (both tone and visual) the audience speaks, and apply it across the brand and creative.”
Colleen Pawlicki
Editing Specialist
Colleen Pawlicki
Design Specialist
Colleen Pawlicki, PhD is a career educator, writer, researcher, and editor. As the owner of Troy Street Professional Services, Dr. Pawlicki provides qualitative research, copy editing, and writing coaching services to researchers, authors, and businesses. Before opening Troy Street, Colleen taught high school English in Chicago Public Schools and served in the Office of Special Education at the Indiana Department of Education. Colleen holds a PhD from Indiana University in Education Policy.
StrategyForward Advisors includes a roster of highly experienced education, workforce, and strategy professionals and can build collaborative teams to meet your unique needs.
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