Vice President, State Policy & Implementation Support

Alissa joined the staff of Achieve in 2005 as a policy analyst and then served as the American Diploma Project (ADP) Network Manager in 2008. From 2009 through June 2011 Alissa was the Associate Director of State Leadership & Policy Development, and the Director from 2011 through 2012.

Alissa is responsible for helping develop and execute a strategy to work with states to adopt, implement and sustain college- and career-ready policies. She is also leading the planning and execution of PARCC’s strategic transition and implementation support.

Before joining Achieve, Alissa spent three years teaching elementary school in Washington, DC through Teach for America. She co-authored Beyond the Classroom Door: Essentials for the 21st Century Teacher with Susan Saltrick, published in 2005. Prior to joining Teach for America, Alissa spent a year as a Public Policy Fellow at the international center of Hillel: The Foundation for Jewish Campus Life.

Originally from the Boston area, Alissa received a bachelor's degree in political science from Washington University in St. Louis. She holds a master's degree in Leadership, Policy and Politics from Columbia University, Teachers College. Alissa, her husband, and two children live in Montgomery County, Maryland.