WASHINGTON (July 1, 2024) – The Data Quality Campaign (DQC) is pleased to announce the appointment of Morgan Polikoff as chair and Tomeka Hart Wigginton as chair emerita of DQC’s Board of Directors. Polikoff has served on DQC’s Board of Directors since July 2019 and has led DQC’s Board Development Committee for the last four years. Hart Wigginton has served as chair of DQC’s Board since 2020 and as a Board member since 2016.
“Morgan deeply understands the role that data can and should play in people’s lives, especially as they navigate through education and career. His commitment to using research to uncover the impact that policies have on people’s lives is renowned and directly complements DQC’s mission,” said Tomeka Hart Wiggington, chair emerita of DQC’s Board of Directors. “Morgan has been committed to sharing that knowledge and using it to guide DQC since he first joined the Board—and we know he will remain committed to DQC’s future in his role as Board Chair.”
“Tomeka has spent the last eight years guiding the direction of the Data Quality Campaign, using her decades of experience to ensure DQC’s future as an organization that envisions a world where data is used to drive systemic change, economic mobility, and student success,” said Jennifer Bell-Ellwanger, DQC’s President and CEO. “We are so grateful to have had the support and guidance of someone with Tomeka’s breadth of experience and count ourselves even luckier that she’ll continue on as our inaugural Chair Emerita.”
DQC welcomes Polikoff and Hart Wigginton to their new roles on the Board and looks forward to their insights and leadership.
Morgan Polikoff, Professor of Education, University of Southern California
Polikoff is a professor of education at the University of Southern California Rossier School of Education and co-faculty director of the USC EdPolicy Hub. His research focuses on the design, implementation, and effects of curriculum, standards, assessment, and accountability policies, as well as the impact of COVID-19 on American families’ educational experiences and attitudes. A distinguished researcher and winner of the Outstanding Public Communication of Research Award and the Early Career Award from the American Educational Research Association, Dr. Polikoff is also the author of 2021’s Beyond Standards: The Fragmentation of Education Governance and the Promise of Curriculum Reform.
He received his doctorate from the University of Pennsylvania’s Graduate School of Education in 2010 with a focus on education policy and his bachelor’s in mathematics and secondary education from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 2006.
Tomeka Hart Wigginton, Founder and Principal, The HarWigg Group
For almost 30 years, Tomeka Hart Wigginton has worked to improve education outcomes and increase social and economic mobility at the local, state, and national levels. Specializing in building and managing strategic partnerships and coalitions, she founded The HarWigg Group in 2023, a consulting firm serving nonprofit, public sector, and philanthropy leaders and organizations.
Tomeka has served in multiple roles including managing director and special advisor to Blue Meridian Partners, managing investments and relationships in place-based partnerships focused on social and economic mobility. She served as senior program officer at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, leading grantmaking to civil rights and equity organizations focused on education policy and advocacy. Additionally, she has served as vice president for regional and national education organizations, and as the president and CEO of the Memphis Urban League.
Hart Wigginton served two terms on the elected school board in Memphis, including a term as Board President. She currently serves as Board chair of the Data Quality Campaign, as a member of the Memphis Education Fund and the Schott Foundation Boards, and on the University of Tennessee College of Education Dean’s Advisory Board. She is a Public Voices Fellowship on Racial Justice in Early Childhood fellow, an Aspen Institute Rodel-Fellowship in Public Leadership fellow, and a Pahara-Aspen Institute Education Fellow.
Tomeka Hart Wigginton holds a Certificate in Education Finance from Georgetown University, a JD from the University of Memphis, an MBA from Kennesaw State University, and a BS degree in Education from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville.
Polikoff’s and Hart Wigginton’s appointments come as the tenures of longtime members Dr. Cassandra Herring, President and CEO of the Branch Alliance for Educator Diversity, and Stephen Pruitt, President of the Southern Regional Education Board, come to an end. DQC is appreciative of the leadership and expertise Cassandra and Stephen contributed to the organization’s advocacy efforts and looks forward to following their continued success.
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Contact: Blair Mann, bmann@dataqualitycampaign.org, 610-724-5914
About the Data Quality Campaign
The Data Quality Campaign is a nonprofit policy and advocacy organization leading the effort to ensure that data works for everyone navigating their education and workforce journeys. For more information, go to www.dataqualitycampaign.org and follow us on LinkedIn.
