Jessica Heppen, a nationally recognized expert in education research, policy, and practice, is the president & CEO of AIR. Dr. Heppen been with AIR for 20 years and, in that time, has held several key roles during her tenure.
Kelly Wells is a principal technical assistance consultant at AIR, with almost two decades of direct experience providing training and technical assistance to state and local education and mental health agencies to develop a comprehensive approach to school mental health. Wells currently leads all the training and technical assistance (TTA) ...
Bobbi Newman is a principal researcher and director of AIR’s practice area for standards and assessments. She has more than 15 years of experience in research and evaluation of school reform efforts. Dr. Newman has worked at every level of the education system, from the classroom to the state. As ...
Kwelin Waller is senior program manager with the AIR Equity Initiative. Waller works to combine research and technical assistance with real-world applications, leading the Equity Initiative's work in the interconnected areas of workforce development, community health and well-being. Additionally, she leads the AIR Scholars and Leaders Award grant competition, an initiative that ...
Veronica Tate is a managing director at AIR and serves as a senior leader on the management team that shapes the technical assistance delivery and supports effective collaboration across the comprehensive centers operated by AIR. She provides leadership, project management, and quality assurance supervision to ensure the effectiveness of services, ...
Karen Francis is a vice president and the Chief Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Officer at AIR. Dr. Francis leads AIR’s overall DEI efforts through the implementation of the DEI framework and strategic pillars focused on workforce and work environment; cultural and linguistic competence; identity, brand, and thematic research; and growth ...
Wehmah Jones is a principal researcher at AIR with over 18 years of experience designing, implementing and managing research projects that focus on improving the developmental, educational and health outcomes of youth and adult populations.
Frank Rider is the senior human services financing specialist at AIR. For almost four decades, he has worked in youth and family servicing systems at the state and local levels, including tribal communities. As a skilled technical assistance provider, he is proficient at conducting needs assessments, enhancing capacity with state ...
Amy Young is a principal TA consultant at AIR with over 20 years of experience in public policy, program management, and technical assistance in the workforce development field. She is an accomplished director with extensive experience designing and leading high-profile projects, complex technical assistance initiatives, and large-scale grants and contracts. ...
Jonathan Margolin is a principal researcher in the Human Services program at AIR. His primary responsibilities involve managing evaluations of K–12 education programs and systems related to K-16 STEM education, educational technology implementation, and civics. He has extensive experience with evaluating educational interventions in STEM programs, including educational simulations, apps ...