BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Jessica L. Roberts (Board Chair/Treasurer) - Senior Managing Director, Finance, Planning, & Administration, Instruction Partners

Jim Balfanz (Vice Chair) - President, City Year, Inc.

Ana C. Soler (Secretary) - Senior Program Officer, Gates Family Foundation

Mary Seawell - Senior Vice President, Gates Family Foundation & Founding Board Chair

Dr. Robert Balfanz - Senior Research Scientist at Center for Social Organization of Schools, Johns Hopkins University; Co­Director, Everyone Graduates Center & Talent Development Secondary

Jerry C. Torrez - President/CEO, Action Youth

Corey Scholes -  Director of Education, Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation

Angel Villalobos - Change Consultant, Change Matrix, LLC

John Albright - Vice President & Executive Director, City Year Denver

Nate Kerr - Vice President, Business Development & Innovation, City Year Denver

BOARD LEADERSHIP

Jessica L. ROberts - Chair, Board of Directors

Jessica L. Roberts is the Senior Managing Director, Finance, Planning, & Administration at Instruction Partners, a national education non-profit  that works shoulder to shoulder with educators to support great teaching and accelerate student learning.  Jessica graduated from Texas A&M University in 2004 with a BBA in Finance.  In 2005 Jessica decided corporate finance life was not for her and became a certified teacher in order to pursue her passion for educational equity while deeply investing in her community and the lives of kids. Jessica taught 7th and 8th grade math for the Houston and Spring Branch Independent School Districts in Houston, TX for five years while also helping to establish a community nonprofit, FamilyPoint Resources.  While teaching, Jessica continued her education at the University of Houston, graduating with her MBA in 2010.  After graduation, Jessica went on to become the Director of Business Operations and ultimately the Vice President of Finance and Administration for the University of Houston Alumni Association.   Continually pursuing her passion for education, Jessica left the University of Houston and took a new role as the Controller of YES Prep Public Schools, a large open enrollment charter school organization, in Houston, TX.  At YES Prep Jessica found her niche in business operations for education, eventually becoming the Managing Director of Finance and Accounting and serving in the Interim CFO role.  Jessica left YES Prep in 2016 to serve as the founding Executive Director of the Luminary Learning Network, the first Innovation Zone within Denver Public Schools, which she led until joining Instruction Partners in 2019.

Jim Balfanz - VICE-CHAIR, BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Jim Balfanz has served as President of City Year since 2010, steering its continued evolution as a performance-driven organization. Balfanz led City Year’s strategic shift towards leveraging national service to focus on improving student achievement in America’s high-need urban schools and co-authored a 2012 City Year report, “Closing the Implementation Gap.” In partnership with Johns Hopkins Talent Development and Communities In Schools, Balfanz has also played a leadership role in the development of Diplomas Now, which was awarded a $36 million Investing in Innovation award by the Department of Education.

Prior to his role as President, Balfanz served as City Year’s Chief Operating Officer for 5 years and guided the organization through a sustained period of growth that enabled it to scale from 15 to 21 U.S. locations and launch its second international affiliate in London. Balfanz began his work with City Year as a corps member at a Head Start Program in Boston in 1993, after which he joined City Year’s staff. He has since assumed various roles in City Year’s National Headquarters, including Deputy Director of National Affairs, and Director of New Site Development, followed by being named the Founding Executive Director of City Year Greater Philadelphia in 1997.

Balfanz received his undergraduate degree from Northeastern University, is a graduate of the Wharton School of Business Executive Management Program and was a Fellow in the fourth class of the Pahara-Aspen Education Fellowship. In addition to his service at Compass, he currently serves on the Board of The Neurodiversity Alliance. In 2016, he was appointed to the Aspen Institute National Commission on Social, Emotional, and Academic Development as a Distinguished Educator.

Ana C. Soler - Secretary, Board of Directors

Ana joined Gates Family Foundation in June 2017. Her primary focus is to engage with communities in Colorado’s rural and urban areas to increase equity and achievement for low-income students. Ana brings more than 25 years of experience in the nonprofit and government arenas, including work with Denver Partners, Urban Peak, and the Denver District Attorney’s Office Juvenile Diversion program. She has held director-level roles at The Civic Canopy and the Denver District Attorney’s Office-Victim Services Network, and brings experience working with complex projects in education, health and community building in a variety of cultures and contexts. She is bilingual in Spanish and English.

GOVERNING BOARD DOCUMENTS

Board Meeting Information

Meetings are held virtually on the last Tuesday of each month from 4-6pm.

Board Meeting Agenda, Minutes, and Materials

2026

2025

2024

2023

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2020

2019

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2016

2015

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