The staff of InspireNOLA Charter Schools is excited to welcome Latoye Brown as the new Chief of Strategy and Advancement.
“Our InspireNOLA leadership team is extremely happy to hire a leader who has the strategy and academic expertise of Ms. Brown,” said InspireNOLA CEO Jamar McKneely. “We are ecstatic to have her join of our team to enhance our organization.”
In this role, Brown will drive long-term vision and strategic planning for the organization, as well as ensuring compliance and high performance of both internal and external components within the network. As a member of the senior leadership team, she oversees the InspireNOLA External Relations, Communications, Human Capital, Student Enrollment & Recruitment, and Talent teams, as well as serving as the Keeper of Records for the network.
“I have really been inspired by the work that InspireNOLA does,” she said. “It’s more than opening schools; we’re going to provide life-changing experiences for children. This work aligns with my motivations, and I believe I have something I can contribute.”
A New Orleans native and Ben Franklin Class of 1996 alumna, Brown received her bachelor’s degree in business administration with a concentration in marketing from Xavier University of Louisiana, a master’s in business administration, a master’s in education, and an ABD PhD from the University of New Orleans, and an alternative teaching certificate in English Language Arts from Southern University at New Orleans.
Brown’s early career path had her working as a marketing service manager for Ford Motor Company in Memphis before the market took a downturn and she decided to return to New Orleans, where she “fell into the role of being a teacher,” she said.
“I was hired as a front office secretary while I went back to school for my MBA, but the third day on the job, I was pulled into a classroom and never left,” she said of how she became a middle school teacher for five years.
“I then went into the role of an instructional coach and worked my way up the ranks to assistant principal and then to principal and then to CEO,” she said. “I decided I wanted to get back closer to my passion, which is leading leaders on a regular basis, so I came to InspireNOLA to serve as Chief of Strategy and Advancement.”
Brown said it was her love of students that kept her in education.
“I fell in love with the children, and they really made me want to stay in the profession,” she said, adding she still uses her business skills daily. “It’s still relevant in all we do from how we send a message, what is our brand, how do we market ourselves.”
She said she decided to take on an administrative role so that she could have a broader influence.
“As a teacher, it is all about impact in the classroom. You can do great things and impact 100 kids or so on a daily basis,” she said. “But when I look around and see the great need, it wasn’t enough. When working with leaders who, in turn, work with teachers and students, you can really expand that impact.”
“My life felt more enriched because of my education and access to experiences that made me want to do better and expand my horizons, and I want to do the same thing for other kids,” she continued. “In this position, and with our team, we can work to make sure we have all the resources, people, and ideals aligned to support the goings on in our classrooms and to support our students.”
Brown said she’s excited to get into the schools and meet the students of InspireNOLA.
“The Westbank is a whole new world,” she joked. “I’m learning about the various neighborhoods and cultures on both sides of the river and seeing schools I’ve heard about all my life but never visited. Learning about them is exciting as I am figuring out how I can support the great work taking place inside these schools.”
Brown said she’s excited to be a part of InspireNOLA and appreciates the warm welcome she’s received.
“I just want to be helpful of the overall mission of InspireNOLA,” she said. “I want to help our kids overcome what they’ve experienced these last few months with the pandemic and support them in whatever ways I can. I just want to be part of that.”