Announcement caps a period of growth that also includes Ravi Gupta joining as Research Fellow and new senior program, policy, and communications hires
(Providence, R.I.) – Democrats for Education Reform (DFER) today announced that Nicole Pollock, Chief of Staff and Strategy, has been named the organization’s President.
“DFER is in a moment of real momentum, and I’m honored to help lead it into its next chapter. I’ve spent my career in public service turning big visions into measurable results,” said Pollock. “That’s the work ahead of us: building a movement that matches the scale of the problem, partnering with advocates, candidates, and lawmakers who are ready to deliver bold reforms, and making sure the Democratic Party is a home for parents and students who want to see real change.”
Pollock joined DFER’s executive leadership team in 2023, partnering closely with the CEO and board to scale the organization’s national impact. Before DFER, Pollock served as Chief of Staff in Providence from 2016 to 2023, where she led the city’s COVID-19 response, managed complex negotiations, and shaped the city’s strategic direction across operations, capital planning, and policy. Prior to her work in city government, she served as a lobbyist and advocate at the state and federal levels, driving transformative policy change in multiple fields.
“Nicole’s appointment as President of DFER reflects what we’re building as an organization: a movement led by people with both vision and a track record of high-level execution,” said Jorge Elorza, CEO of Democrats for Education Reform. “Nicole has experience building teams, shaping policy, and delivering outcomes in complex, high-stakes environments. I’m confident she will help take DFER’s impact to the next level.”
Ravi Gupta Joins as Research Fellow
Pollock’s elevation caps a period of organizational growth that also includes the addition of Ravi Gupta as Research Fellow. Gupta, founder and CEO of The Branch, founder of the RePublic Schools and Reimagine Prep charter networks, and a veteran of President Obama’s first campaign and administration, will lend his K–12 policy expertise, strengthen the organization’s research capabilities, and help broaden its thought leadership.
Gupta joins former U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan in DFER’s Fellows program, which amplifies the organization’s impact by lending experience, networks, and platforms to the cause of expanding educational opportunity for every child.
“American education is in measurable decline, and the party most responsible for governing our cities, the one that claims to speak for our most vulnerable, has responded with a decade of evasion and timidity,” said Gupta. “Nowhere is that more visible than in the blue-leaning states that should be setting the standard. I’m joining DFER because that failure is not inevitable, and because someone has to be willing to say so plainly and fight for something better.”
“Ravi brings exactly the kind of perspective we need to advance bold, pragmatic reforms. He’s built high-performing schools in communities that needed them, fought misinformation at a moment when that work has never mattered more, and he’s never been afraid to say hard things plainly,” said Elorza. “That’s exactly the energy we want in the Fellows program. Together, he and Arne further extend our reach in ways that will continue to push our party to think bigger about delivering for students and families.”
New Hires
DFER is also pleased to welcome Melanee Farrah as Director of National Programs, Matthew Braun as Senior Manager of Innovation and Choice, and Jon Stacey as Graphic Design and Digital Communications Manager. Melanee brings cross-sector experience and relationships that will help scale our state-by-state engagement with governors; Matthew brings deep subject-matter expertise that will strengthen DFER’s policy work across its portfolio; and Jon brings the creative and digital chops to sharpen how we communicate that work to the world.
Expanding the Team
Reflecting continued growth, DFER has several senior searches underway and welcomes referrals from partners and allies:
Senior Director of Partnerships and Advocacy — supporting the National Programs Team to advance DFER’s growing body of work with governors across the country and making the affirmative case for opting into the Federal Scholarship Tax Credit.
Chief of Staff — a cross-functional role partnering with staff across the organization.