Learning Policy Institute, President and Chief Executive Officer

The Learning Policy Institute (LPI) has selected Elena Silva, PhD as the next President and Chief Executive Officer. 

A nationally recognized education policy leader, Silva brings more than 25 years of experience in research, policy, and organizational leadership, with a deep commitment to advancing educational equity. Most recently, she served as the Senior Director of Education at New America in Washington, DC. Under her leadership, New America’s birth through 12th-grade education program grew into a nationally recognized hub for research and policy innovation, driving systemic change in areas such as teacher preparation, school finance equity, and support for English learners and students with disabilities. Prior to this, Silva held leadership roles at the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching and the American Association of University Women, where she shaped national research agendas and led policy initiatives focused on teaching and learning. Previously, she also served on the U.S. Task Force for Hispanic Education and the Gordon Commission on the Future of Assessment.

Silva holds both a Ph.D. and M.A. in Education from the University of California, Berkeley, and a B.A. in Sociology and Anthropology from the University of Massachusetts-Amherst.

Katie Rockman and Ericka Miller led this search with Jaime Morgen, Leslie Lemus, and Maria Connor.