Najmah Ahmad Email & Phone Number

The mission of the Chisholm Group, LLC is to transform generational trajectories by connecting education and economic pathways in cities across America, bringing these sectors together to create stronger pathways to the future.The Chisholm Group, LLC provides in depth strategic supports to clients, specifically contracting with local, state and federal agencies as well as non-profits and corporations. Potential services:1. Needs assessment & landscape analysis- I work with your organization to understand what your goals are, what barriers persist and what has gone well that you would like to scale.2. Action planning- I help your team develop a clear plan of action to reach your short, mid and long term goals. 3. Stakeholder engagement- I cultivate key relationships, support network expansion and create innovative partnership strategies. 4. Implementation & Sustainability- I facilitate implementation planning and activities to ensure sustainability, including policy platform development related to legislative advocacy.

Washington, Dc, Us

FourPoint Education Partners - formerly Cross & Joftus - is an education consulting firm dedicated to helping leaders successfully support students in today's learning context. Rooted in the belief that context, coherence, equity and access, and relationships are critical to true reform, we support leaders in schools, districts, and communities to build coherent strategies, expand leadership capacity, enable high-quality teaching and learning, and foster continuous improvement. FourPoint’s partners and associates are seasoned and successful practitioners, serving as teachers, curriculum experts, budget experts, school leaders, superintendents, state board chairs, top federal policymakers and nonprofit executives. Together, we share a passion for the success of all students – and supporting leaders in creating systems, policies and practices that lead to the outcomes they seek.

Washington, Dc, Us

• Oversee the direct provision of services and supports for 18 state teams working to implement the national career Readiness Task Force recommendations and meet the student outcome goals; which includes to increase access to high quality, high demand career education pathways, and to develop credentials of value attainment plans with labor market data and industry input. • Coordinate and provide strategic direction for a diverse range of stakeholders – including direct reports, industry and advocacy organizations, philanthropic supporters, state education chiefs and federal lawmakers. • Manage $20 million JP Morgan Chase state implementation grants: monitor and assess the progress of states against their goals and ensure that the needs of chiefs and state agency staffs are met in a timely manner.• Serve as the lead spokesperson on the Council’s career readiness efforts, as well as serve as the primary point of contact with program funders and national partners.• Work with the CCSSO staff, subcontractors and national partners to maintain a ready understanding of the needs of states, strategize and problem-solve, as needed, to ensure that Career Readiness Initiative supports, and services are as effective as possible in preparing more students for meaningful post-secondary options.• Establish and maintain productive relationships with key organizations and individual experts who can help generate answers for some of the most pressing challenges faced by all states.• Serve as a thought partner with senior CCSSO leadership to constantly assess the effectiveness of the program and recommend improvements.• Manage over $35 million in program budgets and help to identify appropriate goals, objectives, and activities to pursue with funders to further expand the initiative and ensure the financial sustainability of the program.

Washington, District Of Columbia, Us

• Managed the creation, implementation and expansion of all Career Preparedness Programming including the Career Bridge Program, the Career Ready Internship Program, the Tenacity Employability Skills curriculum and High School Career Fairs across all DCPS high schools for over 15,000 students.• Increased the number of students participating in paid internships by 85%.• Supervised all staff, systems and logistics necessary to maintain efficient implementation of career readiness programs• Managed all youth employment research and analysis to address gaps in current youth employment programming and initiatives. Develops strategies using employment data to address these gaps; creating new programs and/or initiatives.• Developed overall program strategy and clear, specific, and ambitious performance measures for multiple projects and operational priorities; and translates targets into individual work goals and deliverables for other team members.• Facilitated the operation of all Industry Advisory Boards and supports Industry Advisory Board recruitment and maintenance as necessary.• Built relationships with over 200 industry partners to facilitate work-based learning, employment and apprenticeship opportunities for youth.• Assigned, directed, and evaluated the work of direct reports; guided and supported the professional development and training of direct reports; and helped implement teams' HR needs, such as hiring, performance evaluation, and team structure.• Built relationships and liaises with various internal departments to drive collaboration and project success; and interacts with and responds effectively to urgent requests from multiple internal and external DCPS stakeholders.• Maintained awareness of innovations, developments in policy, and research; and advises DCPS senior management team on proposed legislation, policies, procedures, and directives affecting the specific department and projects assigned.

Washington, District Of Columbia, Us

• Oversaw the continued development and implementation of the DCPS Tenacity - Employability Skills Curriculum and all associated resources and materials. Curriculum selected to be offered as District wide elective beginning in the 2017-2018 school year.• Identified gaps in current youth employment programs and initiatives by analyzing student and employment data. Developed strategies to address these gaps; developing new programs and/or initiatives such as the newly implemented volunteer Career Coaching initiative; which provides support for alternative post-secondary pathways for non-college bound High School seniors.• Provided technical assistance and monitoring to Perkins Grant funded Career & Technical Education programs across 15 schools impacting nearly 3,400 students.• Managed teacher accountability and ensures employability skills are being taught to students at a high level. Trained over 25 teachers and staff to facilitate curriculum for nearly 1,000 students.• Developed clear and specific strategies for engaging over 175 community partners and business leaders to support employability skills training and work-based learning programs and initiatives.• Created clear and specific strategies to provide high quality paid employment opportunities, including paid internships, part-time and full-time jobs, to all DCPS high school students enrolled in CTE Programming.• Led, coordinated, and monitored efficient logistical systems and processes for all District wide youth employment programs and initiatives.• Fostered and maintained a culture of equity and excellence in all DCPS CTE youth employment programs and initiatives, and works strategically with school level staff to instill this culture of excellence in our students• Developed and monitored program evaluation processes and communicated summary reports indicating areas for improvement and key findings

Washington, District Of Columbia, Us

• Coordinated DCPS Career Ready Internship Initiative. Planning logistics and leading preparations for the placement of 350 DCPS students in Career Ready Internships.• Refined and helps to further develop the existing DCPS Tenacity Employability skills curriculum lesson plans and resource kits, in collaboration with Central Office and school staff.• Created content and design for the District internship platform at www.dcpsinternships.org• Worked with schools to ensure that employability skills lessons are being taught to students at a high level and that all internship eligible students are adequately prepared for employment. Observed employability skills training sessions to provide feedback to staff.• Developed an effective and user-friendly online process for gathering information on internship host organizations and determines how to best utilize this system for intern/site pairings.• Developed an internship supervisor training manual and facilitates new supervisor trainings and determines a process for intern evaluations.• Worked with schools and intern host organizations to effectively place students in internships that willbenefit students, as well as partner organizations.• Created programmatic logic model, an internship evaluation process and program executive summary indicating areas for improvement and key findings.

Washington, D.C, Us

• Planned, developed, monitored and evaluated curriculum outreach programs in 4 regions of Washington, DC, Northern VA, Baltimore and Chicago.• Led conversations with external groups (governmental, school based, non- profit and corporate) to gather information and evaluate options for effective ways to serve youth.• Completed high quality communication’s materials, reports and research analysis of data.• Developed and facilitated life skills workshops with in-school and disconnected youth from ages 14- 24 o Created and implemented evaluation and assessment processes.• Supported grant administration process with national funders o Led organization wide review and update of current curriculum.• Led external Program Management opportunities for partner organizations under fee-for-service model.

New York, Ny, Us

• Worked across multiple programs to manage all aspects of the student life activities, experiential learning events and resources at NYU Washington, DC• Supervised the residential life staff including the Residential Life Coordinator and Residential Life Administrators• Led educational policy decisions effecting student life and success • Supported performance review, performance data and reports for staff and overall Student Life program • Developed the new student orientation events• Planned and organized student programming: on campus events, excursions in the city, and trips to surrounding areas• Developed, with NYU Student Health Center, training for NYU Washington DC staff how to in recognize a student in crisis• Managed and participated in the on-duty/on-call rotational telephone resource with residential and student life staff and be available to respond in times of crisis• Coordinated the judicial policy development and process for non-academic student violations

New York, Ny, Us

• Supervised a team of Residential Life staff• Led and supported the implementation of multiple education programs for the new NYU Washington, DC residential facility• Advised students and collaborating with NYU Washington, DC staff to create a community to enrich the students' University experience• Developed and implemented residential programs and initiatives• Assisted with overall student growth & development• Supported International students during their transition to Washington, DC• Oversaw student judicial matters • Participated in 24/ 7 on- call schedule and analyzed issues surrounding crisis management

Washington, Dc, Us

• Utilized knowledge of Higher Education policies to best serve under-represented student populations• Created and facilitated complete staff training process• Help plan, create and implement new student orientation events, co-curricular activities / workshops.• Supervised Area Director• Provided leadership and vision for the entire Department; overseeing residence halls housing approximately 350 residents• Coordinated staff hiring search• Developed new programs and initiatives for the entire Department• Participated in student judicial matters• Participated in 24/7 on-call schedule

Washington, Dc, Us

• Supervised a staff of 10 resident coordinators• Provided direction and support for the Department of Campus Housing. Facilitated operations for two residence halls with approximately 150 residents• Coordinated emergency response and crisis management for resident students. Participate in 24/7 on-call schedule• Participated in hiring process of resident coordinators• Promoted residential student development and co-advise resident hall council

Washington, Dc, Us

Work to create a positive and enriching environment forresidential students. Assist residents with various academic, emotional and health issues.Create programming around the Trinity Model of Educational, Spiritual, Community Service,Citizenship, Diversity, Social and Health & Wellness development. Worked on a committee toreorganize the current University judicial process into a more streamlined structure. Workon a team to work to provide innovative services to students. Work to ensure students aresafe and rules and policies are being followed by all residential students. Serve as arole-model to residents and assist in their social and personal development.

Cincinnati, Ohio, Us

Worked with Cincinnati Public School youth in areas of Academic Planning, Financial Aid Advising, College Resource Centers - in school and community settings, College Advising, College Campus Tours, College Exam Preparation, Scholarship Searches and Preparation.

Master'S, College Student Affairs

Bs, Sociology