City Fund Founder Neerav Kingsland To Step Down From National K-12 Education Nonprofit; Marlon Marshall Named New CEO

City Fund Founder Neerav Kingsland to Step Down From National K-12 Education Nonprofit; Marlon Marshall Named New CEO

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The City Fund, a national K-12 education nonprofit, has revealed that Marlon Marshall, an experienced political leader and current partner at City Fund, will assume the role of CEO starting next month. This announcement comes as founder Neerav Kingsland steps down from his position as Managing Partner.

City Fund aims to assist cities in establishing a system of high-quality schools that cater to the diverse needs of all students, particularly as schools face challenges in recovering from the detrimental effects of the pandemic and learning loss. The organization expressed its confidence in Marshall’s ability to lead the next phase of their work.

Prior to joining City Fund, Marshall served as a founding partner at the progressive political strategy firm 270 Strategies. He also held positions in the Obama White House Office of Public Engagement as special assistant to the president and principal deputy director. Additionally, he served as the deputy national field director for the Obama re-election campaign and states director for Hillary for America.

Marshall’s appointment as CEO received unanimous endorsement from City Fund’s partner team and board, which includes influential figures such as John Arnold, the Founder and Co-Chair of Arnold Ventures, Romy Drucker, the Director of K-12 Education Programs at the Walton Family Foundation, Reed Hastings, the Chairman/CEO of Netflix, and Elisa Villanueva Beard, the CEO of Teach For America.

In recognition of Marshall’s personal connection to urban public school systems as the son of a public school teacher who has dedicated over 35 years to serving students in St. Louis, City Fund commends him for his firsthand experience with the challenges and opportunities within these systems. They describe him as a strong advocate for creating more exceptional schools for underprivileged children and their families.

Marshall will officially assume the position of CEO in November, while Kingsland will transition into a senior advisor role until the end of the year, before eventually joining the organization’s board in 2023.

Neerav Kingsland, the founder of City Fund in 2018, has spent over 15 years working to enhance educational opportunities nationwide. City Fund plays a crucial role in public school system reform by providing funding support to local leaders, educators, and advocates. Under Kingsland’s guidance, City Fund has contributed to the establishment of 132 schools in 15 cities.

In a February 2020 essay reflecting on the organization’s first year and anticipating key education priorities in the cities supported by City Fund, Kingsland emphasized the successes achieved by empowering educators to run nonprofit schools, granting parents the freedom to choose the best education for their child, and implementing equitable citywide policies such as transparent enrollment systems. He highlighted the role of pragmatic city leaders in finding solutions in their communities, amidst the increasing polarization at the national level.

Kingsland’s departure from City Fund is to join the leadership team at Anthropic, an Artificial Intelligence (AI) safety and research company.

Please find below the full announcement from City Fund:

To our partners and friends of City Fund,

After dedicating more than 15 years to improving educational opportunities for students, Neerav Kingsland will be transitioning from his role as Managing Partner of the City Fund to a seat on the Board. Furthermore, Neerav will be pursuing the next step in his professional career outside of the field of education.

We are incredibly grateful to Neerav for his visionary leadership and unwavering commitment, which have been instrumental in the growth and impact of the City Fund. His work has touched the lives of hundreds of thousands of students, and its effects will be felt for generations to come.

We are thrilled to announce that Marlon Marshall will be assuming the role of CEO at City Fund. Marlon became part of our organization two years ago, following a 20-year career in national politics where he tirelessly fought for policies that would enhance the well-being of the families we serve. As the son of a public school teacher who has devoted over 35 years to serving students in St. Louis, Marlon possesses firsthand experience of the challenges and opportunities within urban public school systems. He is a passionate advocate for the creation of more exceptional schools for the children and families who need them the most.

We greatly value the support and collaboration we have received from you and your organizations. Together, we are entering the next phase of our efforts to improve educational outcomes for all children.

The Board of Directors of The City Fund

Related: City Fund Founder Reflects on Lessons Learned in First Year and Identifies Priorities for the Future Work.

Note: The City Fund provides financial assistance to . Romy Drucker, a member of The City Fund Board, is also a co-founder of and serves on its board of directors. She had no involvement in the creation or editing of this article.

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