Dr. Stefanie Pannell Phillips, the Chief Executive Officer of the Chamberlin Education Foundation in West Contra Costa and an adjunct professor at the University of Southern California (USC) Rossier School of Education, has just been named Chief Talent Officer at WestEd.  WestEd is a nonpartisan research, development, and service organization that works nationwide with education and other communities to promote excellence, achieve equity, and improve learning for children, youth, and adults.

“I am excited to bring Stefanie’s talents to WestEd, since I have watched her work over her career to support the public good as a school district superintendent and most recently as a leader in education-based philanthropy,” said WestEd CEO Janelle Kubinec. “As WestEd’s first Chief Talent Officer, Stefanie will bring to WestEd a vision for how we advance our commitments to our mission through leading improvement in how we attract, retain, celebrate, and elevate talent.”

As Chief Talent Officer, Phillips will oversee WestEd’s Human Resources, Learning & Development, and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion teams. She will also be responsible for developing and implementing new talent management strategies for the agency and modernizing its approaches to talent development.

In addition to her positions at the Chamberlin Education Foundation and USC, Phillips is a faculty member and mentor with the Urban Superintendents’ Academy, AASA. She has also held leadership positions in school districts, serving as Superintendent of the Santa Ana Unified School District in California, Deputy Superintendent in the Clayton County Public Schools in Georgia and the Chino Valley Unified School District in California. She also served as Assistant Superintendent in the Ontario-Montclair School District in California.

“I am honored to accept the Chief Talent Officer position at WestEd,” said Phillips. “I have long admired the positive impact that WestEd makes in the field and I firmly believe that fostering talent is a key lever for deepening its portfolio. As someone with deep experience in change management and building a strong culture, I look forward to helping to support even greater investment by the agency in its highly skilled, experienced, and deeply dedicated staff.”