National Math + Science Initiative Deepens Team

 
New Roles, Structure Will Rapidly Enhance Impact on Student Achievement
 
 DALLAS, TX (August 17, 2016) — The National Math and Science Initiative (NMSI) is pleased to appoint Tracy Epp as its new executive vice president and chief operating officer, an addition that accompanies a larger team restructure that will allow the national nonprofit to leverage unprecedented recent growth and meet ambitious goals to boost student achievement across the country. Epp will report to NMSI CEO, Matthew Randazzo.
 
“Tracy’s expertise in teaching and learning as well as the planning, implementation and scaling of academic programs makes her uniquely qualified for this work,” said Randazzo. “She has a deep understanding of NMSI’s programs and operations that positions her well to guide us—and the school communities we support—toward the greatest outcomes possible.”
 
Epp has extensive experience leading and working with school systems to improve and expand student access to high-quality education. Formerly, Epp was as a principal at Education First Consulting and served as chief academic officer at Achievement First in Brooklyn, New York. She was also integral to IDEA Public Schools’ development, serving as a founding board member, the founding principal of IDEA College Preparatory flagship high school in Donna, Texas and the chief academic officer during IDEA’s early expansion. As a first-generation college student, she understands firsthand the importance of education in overcoming socio-economic obstacles. Epp holds a doctorate in education from the University of Texas at Austin (Ed.D) and degrees from University of Texas-Pan American and Case Western Reserve University. She joins the NMSI team on August 1, having served in a consulting role for the last 10 months.
 
“I have long admired NMSI’s emphasis on partnering directly with school communities and supporting teachers to bolster student success, particularly for underserved students,” said Epp, who will be based in Richmond, Virginia. “I look forward to contributing to the exciting growth of an organization leading the way in boosting college and career readiness for all.”
 
Epp will lead NMSI’s academic, finance, IT and human resources teams with an overall focus on program strategy and organizational strength. NMSI’s president Gregg Fleisher will focus on business development and growth and strategy for all NMSI programs. Randazzo will continue to cultivate new partnerships and drive the organization’s expanding policy work—both critical to NMSI and its partners, given the significant federal and state government-level relationships NMSI has forged in recent years.
 
 Since 2015, NMSI has seen a remarkable infusion of public and private dollars, including a nearly $20 million Scale-up grant from the U.S. Department of Education's Investing in Innovation (i3) 2015 grant competition to expand its proven College Readiness Program to urban and rural districts across the country. NMSI has spent the last year focusing heavily on the development of a multiyear strategic business plan to achieve an ambitious new set of goals to increase student achievement nationwide.