Danielle Mezera Email & Phone Number

Nashville, Tn, Us

Insightful Education Solutions (Insightful) views every engagement as a partnership. We work together with organizations to establish measurable goals and an aligned vision for achieving desired outcomes. With deep experience in public, private and nonprofit sectors at the national, state, and local levels, Insightful can navigate the complexities of both policy and practice to combine bold strategic visioning with achievable action steps and clear indicators of success. We are Insightful.Where We Focus:1. Education to Workforce Alignment2. Policy Effectiveness 3. Program Assessment 4. Organizational Effectiveness Clients Include:o Bill & Melinda Gates Foundationo Walton Family Foundationo Fairbanks Foundationo College Boardo Delivery Associateso Chiefs For Changeo All4Edo NAFo Indiana Department of Educationo Arkansas Department of Educationo Rhode Island Department of Educationo Hawaii Department of Education o Delaware Technical Community College Systemo Greater Phoenix Chamber of Commerce Foundation

As a senior fellow, my appointment focuses on innovative postsecondary and career readiness policies and approaches relevant to state-level elected and appointed policymakers.

Greater Nashville Area, Tn

DCM Consulting specializes in K-12 and postsecondary education and the intersection of these to inform strong vertically aligned curricula, programming, and credentialing that reflect the economic and labor demands at the local, regional, and state levels. DCM Consulting focuses on a client's desired goals and works collaboratively to craft an aligned vision and achievable strategic plan, leading to informed policy development and robust program implementation. Services also include facilitating organizational and program gap analyses, data analyses, and impact studies. Clients (Current and Past) IncludeNational Organizations:o JFFo Advance CTEo CCSSOo ExcelinEdo Education Strategy Group (ESG)o National Career Academy Coalition (NCAC)State/Local Departments of Education:o Delaware Department of Educationo Hawaii Department of Educationo Omaha (NE) Public Schoolso South Dakota Board of Technical Educationo Puerto Rico Department of EducationFoundations:o Walton Family Foundationo Rodel Foundation of Delawareo Castle Foundation of Hawaiio Greater Phoenix Chamber of Commerce Foundation

Department Of Education

Led state commitment on: • Career and Technical Education • Secondary-Postsecondary Transition Strategies and Supports - ACT/SAT exams and prep - Remediation and intervention• Early Postsecondary Courses and Exams for Credit• K-12 Student/School Counseling• STEM Education Strategies and Supports• Capstone Industry-Valued Certifications• K-12 Work-Based Learning• K-12 Service Learning• Virtual Schools/Blended Learning/Online Learning• Educator/Director PD and Training • Agency Liaison with TN Board of Regents, UT System, TN Higher Education Commission, TN Department of Economic and Community Development, and TN Department of Labor and Workforce Development• Commissioner's representative on (1) Governor’s Education and Workforce Subcabinet, (2) State Labor and Workforce Development Board, (3) TN Student Assistance Corporation, (4) Tennessee Higher Education Commission, (4) SAILS Board (statewide postsecondary student remediation board) • Led state agency for national Pathways to Prosperity Network: Pathways Tennessee - a statewide initiative committed to the development of regional secondary-postsecondary-industry pathways aligned with economic and labor opportunities• Principal overseer of $7 million federal Institute of Education Sciences - State Longitudinal Data Systems grant focused on student college and career readiness and teacher preparatory programs• Awarded and led J.P. Morgan-New Skills For Youth (NSFY) grant (phases I and II) focused on building strong education to industry pathways for youth (roughly $3 million in total)• State administrator of Carl Perkins Act federal funding and monitoring• Managed division of 50+ staff members

Office Of The Mayor

• Chief policy advisor, strategist, developer and implementer of PreK-16 education initiatives and platforms on behalf of Mayor Bill Purcell and Mayor Karl Dean• Chief liaison with the Metro Nashville Public Schools and School Board, Metropolitan Nashville Council, Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce, Office of the Governor, Tennessee Dept. of Education, Tennessee General Assembly, Metro Nashville Government Agencies, and local/regional nonprofit organizations on education and children/youth policies.• On behalf of the Mayor:Developed and launched statewide charter school incubatorRecruited Teach For America and TNTP to Metro Nashville Public SchoolsFacilitated development and implementation of countywide child/youth strategic planFacilitated birth-grade 3 strategic plan, utilizing public and nonprofit agencies in order to align disparate resourcesDeveloped and launched: - countywide afterschool program (NAZA) - postsecondary resource centers - school district-community music program (Music Makes Us)

Various

Leadership positions held while with Vanderbilt University included:Director, Community Outreach Partnership Center, Vanderbilt Institute for Public Policy StudiesChief of Staff, Faculty SenateChief of Staff and Director of Policy & Planning, Division of Public AffairsSpecial Assistant to the Vice Chancellor, Division of Administration

Doctor Of Philosophy (Ph.D.), Education

Master’S Degree, Higher Education/Higher Education Administration

Bachelor’S Degree, Elementary Education And Teaching