Ian S.

Ian brings over a decade of experience in education and nonprofit management with a strong focus on team culture, project and event management, and executive support. Ian really fell in love with this work during their tenure as Chief of Staff for Teach For America Memphis, where they owned projects like: revamping all-team engagements and retreats, effectively raising the Great Place to Work survey results from 82% agreeing TFA Memphis is a great place to work in FY17 to 100% agreeing in FY19; organizing a new office design and move-in; owning a partnership with a local communications consultant; designing and executing a centralized cultural on-boarding plan for new hires; and planning key events like Teach For Bangladesh’s regional visit and TFA’s national Brave Education Summit for its LGBTQIA+ network. Outside of that work, Ian helped raise the alumni engagement efforts to the second highest in the network during their time at TFA Nashville, acted as founding Director of College Counseling at Carver Collegiate in New Orleans, and taught for City University of New York’s CUNY Start program.

Since leaving Teach For America Memphis in 2019, Ian has supported organizations with pandemic response communications, led values based leadership development opportunities, remodeled Live Oak Construction’s vision and mission statements, and worked at a wine bar.

Ian is motivated by creating a work culture where everyone feels joyful and open to bring their full selves to the table, where humor and fun thrive, and where folks feel known and loved through accountability and support. Ian belongs to the LGBTQIA+ community and is passionate about our empowerment and advocacy; one of Ian’s proudest accomplishments (pun intended) was starting two first-in-the-district Gay Straight Alliances in Georgia (as a student) and Tennessee (as a teacher). Ian also enjoys cooking, horror films, food and wine, drag queens and drag scenes, and writing everything from their first novel to poetry to screenplays.