Executive Leadership Team

Beth Thompson

Chief Executive Officer

Chief Executive Officer

Beth Thompson is the founding CEO of KIPP Northern California where she is responsible for the organization’s performance, growth, and sustainability. KIPP Northern California currently works with nearly 7,000 students and their families in 21 schools across seven cities and has supported over 4,000 alumni on their journeys to fulfilling lives.

Before becoming KIPP Northern California’s CEO in 2006, Beth created and implemented a strategic growth plan for KIPP schools on the West Coast, including securing charters, start-up funding, facilities, and community support. She has also worked on the founding team of NewSchools Venture Fund, and more recently, as an Executive Coach building capacity in KIPP CEOs across the country. She holds a B.A. in political science, an M.A. in education, and an MBA with a certificate in nonprofit management—all from Stanford University. She is a proud resident of Oakland, parent of two elementary school children, board member of Cambiar Education, and co-founder of Greenhouse E3.

Hilary Harmssen

Chief External Impact Officer

Hilary Harmssen brings over 20 years of experience in the nonprofit sector in the areas of educational equity, community development, affordable housing, and economic development. Prior to joining KIPP, she worked at the California Charter Schools Association for 10 years, serving as a relentless advocate for charter public schools and leading the organization's advocacy, policy, and political work across the Bay Area and Northern California. A Bay Area native, Hilary holds a BA in American Studies from Cornell University and a Master of Public Policy from the University of Southern California. In her free time, Hilary loves to go on adventures with her husband and three kids.

Brandy Woodard

Chief People Officer

Brandy is currently an executive at a social-purpose edtech company, Sown To Grow, where she leads strategy and innovation. She also has experience as a School Leader Manager at KIPP Northern California and oversees our Principal-In-Residence program.

In her spare time, she serves as a leadership coach to educators across the country. Brandy brings extensive experience as a mission-driven, equity-focused educator, leader, and coach. She also brings a strong track record of transformational talent development, driving results in complex systems down to the student level, and an ability to pair systems thinking with winning strategies and high-quality execution.

Jenny Tan

Superintendent

Jenny Tan graduated from the University of California at Berkeley with an undergraduate degree in Cognitive Science. Tan earned a Master's degree and a School Leadership License from Harvard University's Graduate School of Education. As the elementary principal of the Andre Agassi College Preparatory Academy, she helped the school achieve the highest distinctions: "Exemplary" and "High Achieving" as determined by the Nevada Department of Education. She later became the first Chief Academic Officer for KIPP Colorado, where she supported their elementary, middle, and high schools to become top-performing schools in Denver Public Schools. Tan then joined the KIPP Foundation allowing her to work with senior academic leaders across the KIPP network. She was most recently the Associate Dean of the Relay California Leadership Programs before joining our KIPP Northern California team.

Cory Vastola

Chief Financial and Operating Officer

Cory joined KIPP Public Schools Northern California in 2013 as an Education Pioneers Analyst Fellow. Prior to KIPP, he worked in economic consulting in New York City. A native of Seal Beach, California, Cory holds a B.A. in Economics from Brown University. Education is his passion, but in his spare time, Cory enjoys spending time with his family and playing tennis.

Dr. Savina Woodyard

Chief Equity and Strategy Officer