Aurora Institute to Conduct National Search for New CEO

Dear Colleagues,

After serving at the Aurora Institute since 2005, Susan Patrick has announced after careful thought and consideration that she is stepping down to pursue other opportunities directly supporting education innovation.

Chief Operating Officer, Loretta Goodwin, has been named Interim CEO. Aurora Institute will be conducting a national search to find a new leader. We will be seeking an individual with extensive experience bringing innovation to education who will continue the organization’s focus on creating the best learning environments for students. The goal is to have a new CEO in place prior to the annual Aurora Institute Symposium in October.

We thank Susan for her contributions over the past 18 years and we wish her well.

With her board and team at the Aurora Institute, Patrick created a vision and path forward for the future of learning, working alongside practitioners, and state and federal policy leaders, to modernize education and shift to innovative, learner-driven education systems. Patrick led a team that raised more than $28.8M in philanthropic grant funding from 2005 to 2023 to carry out groundbreaking research, policy changes and convenings supporting breakthrough innovations in redesigning teaching and learning. She has written, published and co-authored more than 100 reports, books, and articles providing thousands of resources and recommendations which deepened the field’s understanding of what is possible in modernizing education.

As the Aurora Institute conducts the search it will continue to focus on its primary mission – to drive the transformation of education systems and accelerate the advancement of breakthrough policies and practices to ensure high-quality learning for all. Aurora Institute greatly appreciates the patience and support of its dedicated staff and many constituencies during this transition period.

Sincerely,

Virgel Hammonds
Chair, Aurora Institute Board of Directors