Leaders

Miles H. Wilson

President/CEO
MilesWilson@EducationWorks.org

Miles Wilson serves as President and CEO of EducationWorks since September 2015. Immediately preceding his post at EducationWorks, Miles served as the Director of Talent & Collaboration and convener of the Great Schools Compact for the Philadelphia School Partnership, a nonprofit organization working to create and expand great schools in Philadelphia. He managed the facilitation and advancement of the Great Schools Compact, to ensure that policies, strategies and resources align to a common goal of providing a high-performing school option for every child. Great Schools Compact was created through a joint commitment of Philadelphia’s education leaders and school providers – including Mayor Michael Nutter, PA’s state Secretary of Education, the School Reform Commission, Superintendent William Hite and charter school leadership. In collaboration with Compact members, he led the development, launch and growth of PhillyPLUS, a nationally recognized selective principal residency program. Since 2013, the program has trained over 100 leaders for district, charter and private schools and was recognized by the U.S. Conference of Mayors as a best practice to increase school leader effectiveness and diversity.

Prior to PSP, Miles served as Regional Director for the Mid-Atlantic for the Nonprofit Finance Fund (NFF). A leading community development financial institution (CDFI) with over $80 million in assets, NFF has provided over $287 million in loans and access to additional financing via grants, tax credits and capital in support of over $1.4 billion in projects for thousands of organizations nationwide. NFF also provides finance consulting and advocacy for a diverse range of nonprofits and funders. As regional director, Miles was responsible for strategically building relationships with partners in philanthropic, corporate, nonprofit, and government sectors.

Previously, Miles served as Executive Vice President of People’s Emergency Center and Regional Vice President at Community Education Partners, an education organization that operates grade 6-12 schools that provide academic and behavioral support programing for students to improve academic outcomes and reduce dropout rates.

Currently, Miles serves as a founding Board member of the Fellowship (Black Males in Education Convening) and advisory committees for Bryn Mawr College’s Nonprofit Executive Leadership Institute and Jounce. Miles also serves on the board of the Children’s Scholarship Fund and Inner Explorer.  He has also recently joined the Greater Chamber of Commerce for Philadelphia’s Roadmap for Growth Action Team.  Miles is a fellow of The Pahara-Aspen Fellowship (Summer 2018 cohort) which seeks to strengthen and sustain diverse, high potential leaders who are reimagining public education. He is a graduate of Lincoln University and holds a Master’s in Education Leadership from Arcadia University.

Julia Hillengas

Executive Director, PowerCorpsPHL
JuliaHillengas@EducationWorks.org

Since co-founding PowerCorpsPHL in 2013, Julia has developed partnerships and pathways to success with and for young people most affected by our systemic failures. She continues to refine the PowerCorpsPHL model, expand its impact, and work as a bridge-builder between young people and economic opportunities.

Prior to PowerCorpsPHL, Julia served as the Deputy Service Officer for Mayor Nutter’s Office of Civic Engagement & Volunteer Service. She also previously served as a SERVE Philadelphia AmeriCorps VISTA and then as a staff member within the Mayor’s Office of Education, where she coordinated and grew an initiative to engage parents and families as partners in their children’s education. Born and raised in Philly, Julia has worked for over 15 years as an educator, coach, and community organizer.

Julia holds a Master’s Degree in Education from Temple University, was named a White House Champion of Change in 2015, an Echoing Green Finalist in 2016, and was part of the inaugural, global cohort of the University of Pennsylvania’s Center for Social Impact Strategy’s Executive Program.

Kristina D. Palmer

Chief Advancement Officer
KPalmer@EducationWorks.org

Returning back to her hometown of Philadelphia, Kristina Palmer will serve as the Chief Advancement Officer at EducationWorks, leading fundraising and marketing efforts for the nonprofit.

With more than 20 years of experience, Kristina is an experienced fundraiser and nonprofit leader and has worked to secure and manage multi-million dollar gifts. Throughout her career, she has worked closely with boards and staff to develop and implement fundraising strategies for individual, corporate, and membership donor campaigns, as well as various community outreach opportunities. She has held senior roles with the Reginald F. Lewis Museum of Maryland African American History and Culture, the National Park Foundation, the Apollo Theater, and the African American Museum in Philadelphia.

Kristina is dedicated to building relationships and providing meaningful giving opportunities to donors and key stakeholders to support impactful, community-based initiatives. Kristina is a graduate of the University of Maryland College Park, MD and is a Certified Fund Raising Executive.

Jamil Rivers

Chief Financial Officer
JRivers@EducationWorks.org

Jamil Rivers is an innovative financial management professional with over fifteen years of experience in leading finance teams in a variety of business sectors.

Prior to her position as Chief Financial Officer, Jamil served at the helm of leadership in roles such as Finance Director and Divisional Controller. She is a proven change agent and leader and has provided financial advisory, financial analysis and accounting management to financial restructurings, distressed organizations and acquisitions.  With a strong knowledge of budget, finance, analytics, grants management and compliance, Jamil has been responsible for multi-fund budgets as high as $800 million. Jamil’s current focus is to provide students and educators with the revenue support and financial information that are essential for learning and achievement for a high quality and equitable education, and equally important, providing leaders with the reporting tools necessary for critical decision making and strategic planning. Jamil received a Master of Business Administration from Arcadia University and a Master of Science in Accounting and Finance from University of Southampton.
 
 
 

Tiffaney Waters

Chief Operating Officer
TWaters@EducationWorks.org

Tiffaney Waters is a dynamic and thoughtful leader. With more than 18 years’ experience in the Behavioral Health and Education sectors, Tiffaney has dedicated her career to ensuring the betterment of underserved children and families in the city of Philadelphia.

As Chief Operating Officer, Tiffaney draws on her years of experience in federal grant management, compliance monitoring, strategic partnerships, and data analysis and assessment to enhance the programs in EW’s engage and reengage verticals. Tiffaney’s expertise in program development and implementation allowed for a banner year in EW’s out-of-school time division meeting over 90% performance deliverables, a financial surplus, and partnerships with The Franklin Institute and NJSAAC.

Tiffaney received her Bachelor of Arts in Biology from Temple University and her Master of Education in Multicultural Education and Curriculum Design from Eastern University.