Catherine Walcott

Overview

Catherine Walcott, Chief Growth and Strategy Officer at WestEd, oversees business development, communications, and policy and outreach. With a keen eye for innovation and a solid track record in leading growth, Walcott is instrumental in crafting major proposals, fortifying funder relationships, and cultivating new partnerships that expand WestEd’s reach and impact. She also ensures that WestEd’s knowledge, insights, and expertise are spotlighted in the field through effective communications strategies such as presentations, events, publications, digital media, and outreach to policymakers.   

Under Walcott’s strategic leadership in business development, WestEd has experienced a remarkable period of growth, doubling in size. She was instrumental in developing WestEd’s framework for scaling evidence-based services as well as in expanding work to other state and federal agencies. Her vision and dedication underscore her unwavering commitment to enhancing the educational journey for learners across all stages of life.  

Walcott previously directed WestEd’s Fast Response Applied Research & Development Unit, which provided evidence-based information and unbiased analyses about current education issues and trends to policymakers and practitioners served by the Regional Educational Laboratory West (REL West) and across the nation. In that role, she oversaw dozens of studies and publications and numerous events to bridge research, practice, and policy on a host of topics in the Western region. Prior to joining WestEd, Walcott was a senior policy advisor for elementary and secondary education at the U.S. Department of Education, where she teamed with leaders to develop legislative proposals and policy guidelines related to school reform, particularly standards and assessment issues.   

Education

• MPP, Harvard Kennedy School 
• BA in psychology, Stanford University