Testimony of Dr. Michelle J. Walker-Davis, Executive Director DC Public Charter School Board

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Testimony of Dr. Michelle J. Walker-Davis, Executive Director DC Public Charter School Board

Hearing on DC PCSB Board Nominations

December 22, 2025

Good afternoon, Chairman Mendelson and members of the Committee of the Whole. I am Dr. Michelle Walker-Davis, Executive Director of the DC Public Charter School Board.

Thank you to Mayor Bowser for renominating one and nominating three highly qualified individuals to serve on our Board, and thank you to this Committee for holding today's hearing and for the opportunity to testify in strong support of Carisa Stanley Beatty, Maura Marino, Michelle Yan, and Antonio Williams. The DC Public Charter School Board's work demands deep expertise in governance, financial stewardship, academic accountability, and public service. Collectively-and individually-these nominees bring the experience and commitment necessary to carry out the Board's responsibilities on behalf of students, families, and the District.

Carisa Stanley Beatty

Mrs. Stanley Beatty currently serves on our Board, holding the position of Treasurer, and we are pleased that Mayor Bowser has nominated her to serve another term. With more than 20 years of experience in banking and finance across both the private sector and DC government, she brings critical financial expertise to the Board's oversight role. As a parent of a DC public charter school student, she also brings a firsthand understanding of the charter sector and its impact on families.

During her tenure, Ms. Stanley Beatty has played a central role in strengthening the Board's financial oversight across all 66 charter LEAs. She has worked closely with our Chief Operating Officer and the School Finance team to improve transparency, support early identification of risk, and enable timely intervention when concerns arise. She is an active and thoughtful participant in school reviews, renewals, and charter amendments, consistently grounding her decision making in data and accountability. Her continued service would ensure continuity, rigor, and strong fiscal governance.

Maura Marino

Ms. Marino brings extensive experience directly aligned with the Board's responsibilities for school quality, long-term sustainability, and accountability. As a partner at City Fund, and previously as a founder and leader of Education Forward DC, she has spent years working to improve educational outcomes across the District.

Her background reflects deep expertise in organizational governance, financial stewardship, and performance evaluation-core competencies for an authorizing board. Ms. Marino understands the charter sector from multiple vantage points and is intimately familiar with both its successes and its challenges. Her experience will strengthen the Board's ability to make rigorous, fair, and forward-looking decisions about school authorization and renewal in service of students and families.

Michelle Yan

Ms. Yan brings a strong systems-level perspective grounded in education operations, strategy, and performance management. She currently serves as Chief Strategy and Operating Officer at CitySchools Collaborative and has previously held senior leadership roles at both the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Education and the Office of the State Superintendent of Education. Her experience in budgeting, data-driven decision-making, and cross-agency coordination directly supports the Board's role in ensuring academic quality, organizational effectiveness, and coherence across the District's education ecosystem. Ms. Yan's ability to bridge strategy and execution will be a valuableasset as the Board continues to strengthen accountability while supporting quality schools.

Antonio (Tony) Williams

Mr. Williams brings significant experience in board governance, financial oversight, and public accountability. In his current role as Vice President of Government Affairs and Local Advocacy at Comcast NBCUniversal, Mr. Williams works closely with local governments and large organizations to navigate complex regulatory and financial environments. Mr. Williams has demonstrated a longstanding commitment to equity in education, including leadership on initiatives that expanded broadband access and digital literacy for students and families. He also brings direct experience serving on and leading boards, including as Chair of the Washington Leadership Academy Public Charter School Board, Chair of Democracy Prep PCS, and as Chair of the DC Public Library Board of Trustees. Earlier in his career, he served at the Department of Veterans Affairs and in the United States Senate. His governance experience and public service background make him well suited to the responsibilities of a charter authorizing board.

Closing

As the District's sole charter school authorizer, DC PCSB is responsible for ensuring a strong, equitable, and vibrant charter sector-work that depends on the commitment of highly qualified DC residents who generously volunteer their time to serve on our Board. Each of the nominees before you today brings a unique range of expertise that will strengthen the Board's capacity to ensure effective governance, academic excellence, and fiscal responsibility across the charter sector. I thank this committee for its consideration in holding today's hearing, and I urge you to confirm these nominees. Thank you for your time and consideration. I am happy to answer any questions.