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 over 6,500 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, 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.

David Ling

Chief People Officer

David is the Chief People Officer for KIPP Bay Area Public Schools. In this role David oversees the Talent and Human Resources departments along with KIPP Through College. He also leads the recruitment, development and retention efforts for KIPP Bay Area Public Schools’ Regional Support Office staff. Prior to becoming Chief People Officer, David served as KIPP Bay Area Public Schools Managing Director of Talent, Managing Director of Student Services, and the Director of KIPP Through College, as well as the school leader at KIPP Bridge Charter School in Oakland, California from 2003 –2009. Before joining KIPP, David taught 7th and 8th grade Social Studies in Baltimore, Maryland as a Teach For America corps member. A Bay Area native, he is a graduate of UC Berkeley (B.A.) and Johns Hopkins University (M.A.T.), as a well as the 2002 KIPP School Leadership Program. David lives in the East Bay with his wife and two sons.

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 not only helped the school achieve the highest distinctions possible such as "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.

Jorge Miranda

Chief of Schools

He was most recently the Vice President of High Schools with the KIPP Foundation where he led KIPP’s national high school strategy, including school design, leadership implementation, academic health support, assessment strategy and curriculum development. Over the last 12 years with the KIPP Foundation, he has had the pleasure of working with many KIPP NorCal high schools and leaders and is excited to join the team. Jorge came to KIPP following his time as principal at Match Public High School in Boston from 2006 to 2011, during which Match was recognized several times as one of the top charter high schools in the country by Newsweek, U.S. News and World Report, and New Leaders for New Schools. Jorge was the first in his family to graduate from college, graduating from Dartmouth College with a major in government and minor in education. He lives in Alameda with his partner Molly and their children who inspire and motivate him and Molly to be their very best each and every day.

Cory Vastola

Chief Financial and Operating Officer

Cory joined the KIPP Bay Area Public Schools Finance Team 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 playing the viola in the Bay Area Rainbow Symphony.

Dr. Savina Woodyard

Chief Equity and Strategy Officer