Teammate Spotlight: CEI Expands Our Leadership in Industry and Postsecondary Partnership, Communications Planning, and School Improvement

November 14, 2022

We are thrilled to have welcomed Shelley Banker, Claire Cecere, Tristan Connett, and Katie Kraft to our team in the last few months. These new hires help accelerate progress toward our 2023 goals and respond to increasing partner requests for expertise and support in postsecondary partnership, career-connected learning, communications and narrative change, and school improvement planning. We are excited for you to know and work with each of them, who you can read more about below. 

Shelley Banker, Director, Colorado Trustee Network (CTN) – postsecondary policy and partnerships; equity and access acceleration

As Director of CTN, Shelley Banker will focus on fostering partnerships with postsecondary representatives and accelerating access and equity in higher education spaces. Banker brings a decade of leadership promoting educational equity and access in Colorado’s postsecondary systems, including through the implementation and expansion of the Colorado Opportunity Scholarship Initiative (COSI), the development of the Colorado Department of Higher Education’s (CDHE) Educational Equity Office and Equity Champions Coalition, and most recently serving as Interim Executive Director of the Community College of Denver Foundation. Banker’s belief in postsecondary innovation and equity, understanding of Colorado’s postsecondary policy and partner ecosystem, and passion for creating statewide networks that accelerate transformation in programming, policy, and advocacy make her uniquely suited to lead CTN’s work forward. Shelley received her Master of Social Work from the University of Denver’s Graduate School of Social Work, focusing on community and social change, emphasizing stable housing, education, and workforce development for communities that are traditionally underserved. She also has a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the University of Colorado (CU) Denver and is a proud alum of Leadership Denver Class of 2022. 

Claire Cecere, Associate, Communication and Outreach district communications planning, storytelling, and project management 

As Communication and Outreach Associate, Claire Cecere supports partner districts’ communications audit and plan development work as well as CEI’s dissemination and engagement, storytelling, and other organizational communications efforts. Prior to joining CEI, Cecere worked at CU Boulder’s Center for Community Based Learning and Research, CU Boulder’s Research Hub, and The CU Bold publication. Cecere has a Bachelor of Science in Strategic Communication and Journalism from CU Boulder. 

Tristan Connett, Manager, Implementation and Partnership – school and district coaching and improvement planning, stakeholder engagement, career-connected and social emotional learning 

As Manager of Implementation and Partnership, Tristan Connett provides coaching, implementation, and facilitation supports to CEI’s partner schools and districts, with emphasis on graduate profile and strategic plan development, school improvement planning, and community engagement. She started her career over a decade ago working in several community-based organizations in Denver. Connett then became a director of a school-based community center and co-developed an extended learning opportunity program that later became a national model. Connett became hooked into the education space and spent the next six years as a middle school administrator both as Dean of Culture & Students and Assistant Principal. In these roles, Connett was a leader in staff development around social emotional learning and trauma informed care; led and coached building leaders and staff on restorative practices; and collaboratively worked in the visioning, planning, and implementation of a new school (turnaround), which later exhibited high growth scores and increased community and student satisfaction. Before joining CEI, she was a project manager and interim Chief of Staff for the Career and College Success Department for Denver Public Schools. She is deeply committed to reshaping K12 education in a more equitable way. 

Katie Kraft, Manager, Career Connected Learning (CCL) – K12, postsecondary, and career-connected learning practices, systems, and partnership

As Manager of Career-Connected Learning, Katie Kraft works to foster partnerships and work being done across K12 and postsecondary institutions. This work assists districts in designing, implementing, and expanding career-connected learning opportunities and pathways to graduation, postsecondary education, and meaningful careers for students across the state. Kraft joined the CEI team with 15 years of experience working in secondary and postsecondary education with an intense focus on expanding opportunities and access for traditionally underserved populations. Kraft’s passion for this work began while employed with Chicago Public Schools as a School Counselor in a school with high degrees of trauma and poverty. After moving to Denver, she worked for the Denver Opportunity Youth Initiative, a Collective Impact Initiative funded through the Aspen Institute, designing and implementing a career and workforce navigation model for disconnected or under-connected young adults. Before joining CEI, Kraft worked at Denver Public Schools developing career exploration, internship, and work-based learning opportunities for special populations. 

FEATURED POSTS
Recovery Summer Coalition Funds 11 Programs for Colorado Children and Families

$350,000 in funding will support summer programs that focus on equity, engagement, and wellness following pandemic disruptions The Recovery Summer Coalition (the...

St Vrain Places Priority on Staff Social Emotional Wellness

By Susan Paulsen, CEI Strategic Communications Manager Efforts to meet student needs begin with meeting staff needs St. Vrain Valley...

Sensemaking Stimulus Funds with Colorado School Districts – What We’re Asking and What We’re Hearing

By Rebecca Holmes, CEI President and CEO Like many of you, my team and I at CEI are paying close...

Up-Close with Harrison School District Leaders

By Susan Paulsen, CEI Strategic Communications Manager Q & A with Superintendent Wendy Birhanzel and Assistant Superintendent and Chief Financial...

Students Lead the Way

By Rebecca Holmes, CEI President and CEO When was the last time you really “stood in the shoes” of a...

What Might be Possible in 2021?

By Rebecca Holmes, CEI President and CEO The disruptions of 2020, long in some communities and shorter in others, pushed...

Q & A with Colorado Leader, Educator Dr. Cile Chavez

The newly-announced Dr. Cile Chavez Fellowship has been created to inspire diverse, under-represented education leaders to join the Rural Superintendent...

A Warm Welcome to George Welsh!

CEI is looking forward to the arrival of George Welsh in 2021. A 24-year veteran superintendent, George will bring his...

Colorado Classroom Project Expands Access to Literacy Instruction

By Rebecca Holmes, CEI President and CEO I wanted to break our regular cycle of end-of-month newsletters to share some...

What’s Needed… and What’s Next

By Rebecca Holmes, CEI President and CEO This has been a tough, turbulent, and challenging month for communities in Colorado....

Purposeful Partnership in the Time of COVID

By Landon Mascareñaz, CEI Vice President of Community Partnership Right now across Colorado, tens of thousands of families have embarked...

Understanding the Impact of COVID-19

By Rebecca Holmes, CEI President and CEO This is a challenging time for schools and districts across Colorado. The impact...

Social-Emotional Development: Creating Relationship-Rich School Ecosystems

By Rebecca Holmes, CEI President and CEO It’s been a very exciting start to the new year here at CEI....

Caring for Colorado Foundation and Colorado Education Initiative Announce “Youth Connections”

Statewide Effort Supports Mental Health and Well-Being in Middle and High Schools Caring for Colorado Foundation (CFC) and Colorado Education...

Setting a Foundation for Intentional and Equitable Student Learning

By Rebecca Holmes, CEI President and CEO Last year, CEI worked with just over 50 Colorado school districts. The diversity...

Supporting Whole Communities Through a Redesign and Reimagining Process

By Rebecca Holmes, CEI President and CEO Happy Holidays!  This has been a big year for us here at the...

CEI and Colorado Succeeds Combine Efforts to Launch Homegrown Talent Initiative

Imagine families, schools, businesses, and higher education coming together to support high school students in finding their passions, engaging with...

SHARE