CINCINNATI, OHIO — StriveTogether, a national nonprofit working to improve education for every child, today announced the addition of three members to its board of directors. Joining the board are Connie Ballmer of Ballmer Group, Lisa Hamilton of the Annie E. Casey Foundation and Sue Lehmann of the Student Success Network, strengthening the organization’s expertise in data and policy advocacy, philanthropy and systems-change work.
Connie Ballmer is a co-founder of Ballmer Group, which supports efforts to improve economic mobility for children and families in the U.S. who are disproportionately likely to remain in poverty. Her longstanding focus on the well-being of children, especially those living in out-of-home care, led to the creation of Partners for Our Children in 2006. Ballmer is also a general partner and founding investor at Blue Meridian Partners, a funding collaborative seeking to transform the lives of America’s most economically disadvantaged children and youth through strategic investments. She also serves on the board of the L.A. Clippers Foundation.
A native of Oregon, Ballmer serves as a trustee on the governing board at the University of Oregon, where she earned a bachelor of science in journalism before entering a career in public relations and marketing for the technology sector. She and her husband, Steve Ballmer, current owner of the L.A. Clippers and former CEO of Microsoft, have three sons and live in Bellevue, Wash.
As executive vice president and chief program officer for the Annie E. Casey Foundation, Lisa Hamilton oversees the Foundation’s investments to promote community change, economic opportunity for families and public system reform. She also guides efforts to strengthen the social sector and encourage the take-up of effective strategies through policy and data advocacy, leadership development and research. Hamilton previously served as the Foundation’s vice president of external affairs.
Prior to joining Casey, Hamilton enjoyed a 14-year career at UPS in multiple leadership positions. She also serves on the boards of the Baltimore Community Foundation and Case Commons. She served as a trustee of the Casey Foundation from 2008 to 2011. A native of Atlanta, Hamilton earned a law degree from the University of Michigan and a bachelor’s degree in commerce from the University of Virginia.
Sue Lehmann is a former management consultant who worked independently with senior corporate executives to shape their strategies and operations. Two assignments in the early 1990s — helping rethink special education in New York City and leading the team that designed the AmeriCorps program — sent her in a new direction. For more than 20 years, Lehmann has worked alongside nonprofit leaders with systems-changing approaches to helping all children achieve their full potential.
Most recently, Lehmann co-founded and is facilitating the Student Success Network, a rapidly growing community of youth-serving organizations sharing evidence-based social-emotional practices to ensure all New York City’s children have the experiences they need to become empowered, connected adults with fulfilling work and relationships. She also co-founded and chairs the board of Chalkbeat, an online news organization that provides coverage of education issues in seven metro areas daily, as well as in a weekly national edition. Lehmann is a trustee of New Visions for Public Schools and is a lifetime director of Teach For America; she is on the advisory boards of 100K in 10, South Bronx Rising Together, Teach For America-New York and Teaching Works.
Ballmer, Hamilton and Lehmann will serve on the board with Nancy L. Zimpher, former chancellor of The State University of New York and current chair and co-founder of StriveTogether; Danae D. Davis, executive director of Milwaukee Succeeds, a collective impact initiative of the Greater Milwaukee Foundation and a member of the StriveTogether Cradle to Career Network; and Tom Fry, partner at Dietel Partners and former managing director of The Draper Richards Kaplan Foundation.