Chicago Public Schools Fill Key Leadership Roles

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CHICAGO - The Board of Education Thursday approved several key promotions aimed at strengthening leadership within Chicago Public Schools (CPS). The newly-appointed administrators bring extensive experience in educational leadership and have consistently demonstrated the skills needed to support CPS students, families, staff, and the broader community.

These appointments are part of a strategic effort to position proven leaders in roles that directly impact District-wide operations and student outcomes. Each individual selected has shown a strong commitment to educational equity and possesses a clear vision for advancing the success of all school communities.

"CPS is fortunate to have such dedicated and knowledgeable professionals stepping into these critical leadership roles," said Interim CPS CEO/ Superintendent Dr. Macquline King. "Their expertise and commitment to student achievement will help ensure that our schools are well supported and our students are positioned for long-term success."

Julie Burnett - Chief of Staff to the CEO

Julie Burnett is an experienced education executive and strategist with more than 25 years of experience across classrooms, higher education, philanthropy, and city government. As interim chief of staff to the CEO of CPS, she has played a central role in addressing Districtwide challenges through transparent, collaborative leadership, helping ensure a strong and student-centered start to the school year.

Burnett began her career at Chicago Public Schools as a teacher and advanced to leadership roles as an assistant principal. She later served in District leadership as director of curriculum and director of literacy, where she helped shape instructional strategy and academic priorities. Before taking on her current role, she held several citywide leadership positions, including as senior director of birth to age sixteen policy for the City of Chicago and senior director of partnerships and innovation at the Chicago Public Education Fund.

Burnett, who has served as the interim chief of staff since July 2025, is committed to continuing her work in the permanent role, with a focus on expanding access to high quality educational opportunities for the more than 315,000 CPS students.

Burnett holds a Master of Education in Educational Leadership and Administration from National Louis University, a Master's in Teaching Students with Learning Disabilities, and a Master of Education in Education Policy and Leadership from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. She also earned a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Ronan Shableski - Chief of Safety and Security

Ronan Shableski, a lifelong resident of the Chicagoland area, has served CPS for nearly 20 years, beginning his career as a watchman. In that role, he greeted students, staff, and visitors each morning, helping ensure they started their day in a safe and welcoming environment.

Since then, Shableski has held a range of leadership positions across the District, including safety center lead, network safety manager, director, and deputy chief. In each role, he has brought a deep commitment to student well-being and a forward-thinking approach to school safety.

As chief of safety and security, Ronan Shableski will continue the work he began as deputy chief to implement the District's new Whole School Safety Policy. This transformative policy aims to ensure that all schools are physically secure, emotionally supportive, and built on a foundation of relational trust.

Shableski has earned a Bachelor's degree in Law Enforcement and Justice Administration from Western Illinois University and a Master's degree in Information Systems Management from DeVry Keller Graduate School.

Dr. Alfonso Carmona - Acting Chief Education Officer (CEdO)

A 21-year veteran of CPS, Dr. Carmona is a respected and strategic educational leader with a proven ability to drive meaningful and lasting change across the District. Dr. Carmona has served in many educational roles, including teacher, principal, chief of schools, and, most recently, Chief Portfolio Officer, and has championed efforts to advance equity, academic excellence, and community engagement. His areas of expertise include curriculum design, budget management, bilingual education, and targeted universalism.

As the District's chief portfolio officer, Dr. Carmona engineered a redesigned accountability framework for CPS schools, establishing clear, equitable performance measures. He also oversaw the streamlining of admissions processes for students from pre-kindergarten through high school, expanding equitable access to high-quality school options across the city. Additionally, he played a key role in developing Together We Rise, the District's five-year strategic plan, and contributed significantly to labor negotiations, discipline policy reform, and stakeholder engagement initiatives.

Dr. Carmona earned his Doctorate in Education from Western Illinois University. He also holds two Master's degrees in Educational Administration and Curriculum & Instruction, and has a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from the University of Cartagena in Colombia.

Conrad Timbers-Ausar - Acting Chief Portfolio Officer

For nearly two decades, Conrad Timbers-Ausar has led with
a focus on driving student achievement and school improvement in historically underserved communities across Chicago. He has served as the founding principal of four high schools, including Englewood STEM, a pioneering early college high school on Chicago's South Side.

In his most recent role as Deputy Chief Portfolio Officer in the Office of Portfolio Management, Ausar helped guide District-wide strategies to expand access to high-quality school options and strengthen the District's academic portfolio.

Ausar holds two Master's degrees in Educational Administration and Curriculum and Instruction and earned a Bachelor's degree in History from DePaul University. In the 2016-2017 school year, he was selected to participate in the Chicago Principals Fellowship, a rigorous executive leadership program offered through a partnership between the Center for Nonprofit Management at the Kellogg School of Management and the School of Education and Social Policy at Northwestern University.

Walter Stock - Acting Chief Financial Officer (CFO)

Walter Stock brings more than 30 years of experience in corporate and public finance to CPS. He joined the District in 2014. As the current treasurer and deputy chief financial officer, he has overseen key financial operations, including cash flow management, financial forecasting, debt issuance and management, investment strategy, and risk mitigation.

In his new role as acting chief financial officer, Stock will continue to lead the District's financial strategy with a focus on ensuring all obligations are met in a timely manner. He remains committed to securing the long-term fiscal stability needed to support sustained academic growth and opportunity for all CPS students.

Before joining the District, Walter Stock spent nearly 15 years in financial and managerial roles at companies such as Mesirow and PNC. He earned a Bachelor of Economics from the University of Illinois.

Emila Zoko - Acting Chief Budget Officer

Emila Zoko, a proud first generation American, joined CPS in 2007 and has since built a distinguished career focused on maximizing the impact of grant-funded resources to improve student outcomes. Throughout her tenure, she has held a variety of leadership roles across the District, consistently working to align funding strategies with the academic needs of CPS students and schools.

Zoko most recently served as deputy chief in the Office of Budget and Grants Management, where she played a key role in overseeing the allocation and strategic use of federal, state, and local funds. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the University of Notre Dame and a Master of Public Policy from the University of Chicago.