Forward Arkansas adds two to board
Forward Arkansas recently added Victoria DeFrancesco Soto and Jared Henderson to its board.
Both additions bring extensive experience in education and public service to the roles, which will benefit the nonprofit as it pursues its mission of accelerating the innovative, equitable transformation of the state’s pre-K-12 education system.
“Throughout their careers, Victoria and Jared have gained unique insight into the challenges and opportunities within our education sector,” said Ben Kutylo, Forward’s executive director. “Their guidance will be instrumental as we continue to develop and implement comprehensive strategies to improve outcomes for all Arkansas students.”
Victoria DeFrancesco Soto is the dean of the Clinton School of Public Service at the University of Arkansas, making her the first Latina dean of a presidential institution. She is the former assistant dean at the LBJ School of Public Affairs.
She is a political analyst for NBC News and Telemundo and a fellow of the National Academy of Public Administrators. An award-winning professor, she has taught at Northwestern University, Rutgers and The University of Texas at Austin, designing and implementing curricula that combine instruction and community-based learning.
She graduated from the University of Arizona and received an M.A. and Ph.D. in political science from Duke University.
Long involved with Forward, Jared Henderson oversaw the development of the nonprofit’s initial strategic plan and served as implementation working group co-chair. He is the CEO of Assist Services, a student transportation company serving youth who are homeless, in the foster system or have special needs.
He is a former executive director and senior vice president for Teach for America (TFA) and engagement manager and business analyst for McKinsey & Company. He started his career at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center as an operations manager and research associate. He ran for Arkansas governor in 2018.
He holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Arkansas and an MBA and MPA from Harvard University, where he was a Dean’s Fellow.