John Bailey Named Director of Digital Learning Now!; Senior Advisor at Whiteboard Advisors

WASHINGTON, June 6 – John Bailey, a former White House policy advisor, has been appointed the Executive Director of Digital Learning Now! at the Foundation for Excellence in Education. He will also remain a Senior Advisor at Whiteboard Advisors specializing in strategic consulting and investor advisory services. Bailey previously served as domestic policy advisor at the White House and as Deputy Policy Director at the U.S. Department of Commerce.  In addition, he worked on advocacy issues at the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and was the second Director of Technology at the U.S. Department of Education.

“Whiteboard has enjoyed working with the Foundation for Excellence in Education over the past year, and I’m thrilled to accept this new role to help advance digital learning,” said Bailey.  “Our Whiteboard team will continue to do important work in support of education investors and innovators, and those efforts are very much aligned with the priorities of Digital Learning Now.”

Former Florida governor Jeb Bush started the Foundation for Excellence in Education in 2007 to ignite a state-by-state education reform effort to transform 21^st century education.  The Digital Learning Now! campaign will work to ensure that all students have access to personalized digital content taught by high-quality teachers.

 “John is a critical component of the Whiteboard strategy, will continue to serve as an important part of the team,” said Ben Wallerstein, who co-founded Whiteboard Advisors and currently serves as Managing Director for the DutkoGrayling education group.  “I’m especially proud of John’s work in developing the Education Insider product, which he will continue to publish with Andy Rotherham.”

###

Whiteboard Advisors is a unique consulting practice providing strategic research, project management support, and counsel to education innovators and investors.  With over 30 years of collective experience, our team works with and within donor organizations, nonprofits, and government agencies focused on supporting innovation and improving outcomes. Whiteboard Advisors is the non-lobbying arm of DutkoGrayling - a bipartisan government affairs strategy and management firm with over 100 subject matter experts in DC and throughout the US. www.whiteboardadvisors.com

Tallahassee, FL – The Foundation for Excellence in Education is proud to announce the addition of two new staff members – Allison Aubuchon as Deputy Director of Communications for the Foundation and John Bailey as Executive Director of Digital Learning Now!, the Foundation’s national campaign to promote quality, customized public education through technological innovations.

“We are excited to welcome these new members to our team,” said Patricia Levesque, Executive Director of the Foundation for Excellence in Education.  “Both Allison and John have demonstrated excellence in their respective fields.  I am confident that through their new roles they will contribute greatly to our mission of igniting a movement of reform, state by state, to transform education for the 21st century.  We are very lucky to have their skill and expertise.” 

 

“I have enjoyed working with the Foundation for Excellence in Education over the past year,” said John Bailey. “I’m thrilled to accept this new role to advance digital learning.”

 

Allison Aubuchon joins the Foundation from the Florida Senate Majority Office, where as Press Secretary, she promoted legislative priorities of the Senate Republicans and provided communication services to members and their staff.  Prior to her work in the Legislature, she served as Public Relations Manager for Capital City Bank, where she helped uphold brand guidelines and strategic messaging.  Allison also worked as Public Relations Account Manager and Corporate Communications Manager for Kidd Group, a marketing firm in Tallahassee, FL.  

 

Prior to joining the Foundation, John Bailey served as Director of Whiteboard Advisors, where he will remain a Senior Advisor specializing in strategic consulting and investor advisory services.  Before Whiteboard, John was a domestic policy advisor at the White House.  His extensive professional experience includes serving as a top technology and telecommunications advisor to the Secretary of Commerce, working at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, acting as the nation’s second Director of Educational Technology and serving as Pennsylvania’s first Director of Educational Technology. 

****

For media inquiries, contact Jaryn Emhof at Jaryn@ExcelinEd.org or 850-391-4090.

 

####