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Jamal has served as the principal of Crossroads at Hunting Park since 2019 and of Philadelphia Learning Academy North since 2022. During the 2023 – 2024 Fall to Winter STAR assessment, the average student at Crossroads at Hunting Park outgrew 75% of their academic peers nationally in mathematics and 79% of their academic peers nationally in reading.

Jamal has been an educator since 2000. Before becoming a principal, Jamal served as a 6th – 8th grade Math and Science teacher, high school English teacher, middle-year teacher leader, School-Based Teacher Leader, PhillyPLUS resident, and an adjunct professor for the Early Childhood Education Department at Harcum College. He was also the principal of Edward T. Steel from 2015 to 2019.

Outside of school, Jamal currently serves as a Volunteer Fire Fighter for the Lansdowne Fire Department, a board member for Caring People Alliance and Committed Community Mentors, a member of the board of directors for ENSPIRE Foundation, and a member of the Delta Sigma Sigma Alumni Chapter of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity Incorporated. He received the Lang Lang International Music Foundation Keys of Inspiration Grant for $185,000.

In 2023, Jamal received a Citation from the Council of the City of Philadelphia. Jamal is a native of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and a graduate of Bartram Motivation High School.

Derrick has served as the principal of Shoemaker High School since Spring 2022. Under his leadership, Shoemaker’s 7-8 Math MAP growth is in the top 75th percentile of the network, while Shoemaker’s Algebra 1 achievement has seen over 35% increase in proficiency on quarterly assessments year over year. In ELA, Shoemaker saw a 5% proficiency increase on the PSSA from 2021-2022 to 2022-2023. All of these gains can be partially attributed to his team’s focus on student retention and attendance, the latter of which has seen over a 10% increase from 2022-2023 to 2023-2024. Derrick has spent his entire career in education starting in 2013. Before becoming a principal, Derrick served as a middle and high school math teacher (8th-10th grade, Algebra 1), corps member advisory, summer program director, and an assistant principal of instruction. Derrick was born in Philadelphia and grew up in Lansdale, PA.

Melissa Bragg has served as the principal of John Hancock Demonstration School for two years. Under her leadership, staff attendance increased 6%. Hancock’s students scoring at or Above Benchmark in reading and math on the STAR assessment increased by 8%. While at Hancock Melissa, in conjunction with her leadership team, has implemented instructional coaching for all teachers and staff. She has also facilitated a single school culture for both school’s campuses and collaborated with stakeholders to introduce the K-8 mascot, the Hancock Husky. In January of 2024, John Hancock Demonstration School was featured as the Philadelphia Tribune’s School of the Week.

Melissa has been a School District of Philadelphia educator for 18 years. She has had the privilege to teach at LP. Hill Elementary School, GW. Childs Elementary School, and Hill-Freedman World Academy. After deciding to pursue educational leadership, Melissa was accepted into the Philly PLUS program in 2016. Prior to serving as principal at Hancock, Melissa was an Assistant Principal at Baldi Middle School in Northeast Philadelphia for five years.

Melissa is a native Philadelphian and a proud Philadelphia High School for Girls alumna.

Dr. Bailey has served as the principal of The Arts Academy at Benjamin Rush High School since July 2021. Dr. Latoyia Bailey continuously celebrates the achievements of the staff, students, and families. Rush is nationally recognized as the only 2022 Blue Ribbon School of Excellence awarded in the City of Philadelphia. Rush students maintained a graduation rate of 100% fin 2023, and has exceeded the growth standard with 2.44% growth index in PVAAS, which places them in the category of “well above” the growth standard. 95.1% of students are considered On-Track and 62.8% of them are enrolled in at least one Advanced Placement class. This is a steady increase over the past three years, with an additional increase of three AP classes and eight honors classes.

Before Rush, Latoyia learned leadership skills at The Academy at Palumbo High School, which afforded her the courage to become an Assistant Principal at South Philadelphia High School. Her roles as the English Department Chair, Roster Chair, Instructional Reform Facilitator, School-Based Teacher Leader, and Building Committee Member all taught her one of her greatest mantras: One must lead from behind for real leadership to shine. In 2009, she became the South Philadelphia Regional Finalist for the Dr. Ruth Wright Hayre Teacher Award, and in 2010 she became the Winner for Distinguished Teaching and she was awarded the Christian R. and Mary F. Lindback Foundation Award.

Doc B or Momma Bailey as she is lovingly called by her students, is an author, educator, public figure, and motivational speaker who uses her platform to work with children, families, and other educators extend beyond Philadelphia into both the national and international areas such as South Africa and India. Hailing from Paterson, New Jersey Latoyia started as a per diem substitute in 1996 and attended Passaic County Technical High School.

Now a Regional Schools Officer for Mastery Charter Schools, Rickia previously served as the principal of Mastery Molina Elementary School in Camden, New Jersey, from 2015 through 2022. In her first year as principal at Mastery Molina, the school doubled proficiency rates in Math and English Language Arts on the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC) exam. Each year since, Mastery Molina increased its number of students scoring proficient on the PARCC English Language Arts exam. In 2018 – 2019 Mastery Molina made the Top 10 District and Renaissance School list in ELA Proficiency and the Top 10 District and Renaissance School list in Math Proficiency in Camden. Also in 2018 – 2019 44% of Master Molina English Language Learners met their target score on the Access 2.0.

Prior to becoming principal at Mastery Molina, Rickia was principal at Simon Gratz Mastery Charter School in Philadelphia (2013 – 2015), during which the school increased student attendance rates and Keystone Literacy exam scores.

Rickia has been an educator since 2002.  Rickia is a recipient of the Philadelphia 76ers Game Changer Award (2018-2019) for leaders who mentor the next generation of innovators and she is a member of the Mastery Charter Schools – Health and Safety Plan Board. Rickia has also served as Assistant Principal of Instruction, 8th Grade Team Lead, Geometry teacher, and 8th Grade Math teacher. Rickia grew up in Philadelphia and attended Strawberry Mansion High School.

Lisa is currently serving as principal of Feltonville School of Arts and Sciences. She served as principal of Philadelphia High School for Girls (Girl’s High). Prior to this role, Lisa served as Director of the New Principals’ Academy at the School District of Philadelphia, transitioning novice leaders into their new roles as School District of Philadelphia principals through two years of ongoing coaching and professional development.

Previously, Lisa was the principal of Alternative Middle Years (AMY) at James Martin from 2013 – 2016. Under her leadership, AMY at James Martin moved from the 12th to the 3rd ranked middle school overall in one year according to the School District of Philadelphia’s School Progress Report. Additional highlights from her leadership at AMY at James Martin include increasing the school’s “Overall” score by 19%, increasing the “Progress” score by 35%, and receiving the 2015-16 “Peer Leader” award (out of 14 schools). Prior to becoming principal at AMY at James Martin, Lisa was principal at Sheridan West Academy (2011 – 2013) where she led the school to a 9% increase in both Math and English Language Arts PSSA achievement scores.

Lisa has been an educator since 1996. Prior to becoming a principal, Lisa served as Assistant Principal, Philadelphia Federation of Teachers (PFT) representative, student-teacher mentor, leadership/safety/distributed leadership team member, and middle school literacy teacher. Lisa grew up in South Philadelphia and attended Saint Maria Goretti High School.

James (Jim)  has served as the principal of  Lansdale Catholic High School since 2023. Previously, he was the principal of  Nazareth Academy from 2018 to 2023. Prior to his role at Nazareth Academy, Jim was Assistant Superintendent for Secondary Schools at the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, principal of Archbishop Ryan High School, and principal of Pope John Paul II High School. In addition, Jim has held the role of as assistant principal and teacher of various elementary through high school grades.

Jim has been an educator since 1996 and is the proud father of five daughters. Jim grew up in Philadelphia and attended Father Judge High School.

Dalila Wilson-Scott serves as Executive Vice President and Chief Diversity Officer of Comcast Corporation and President of the Comcast NBCUniversal Foundation.  In this role, Dalila oversees all Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion initiatives and philanthropic strategy for the corporation, including the company’s $100 million commitment to advance social justice and equality.

Dalila also leads Comcast’s community impact initiatives, working across the organization to provide strategic leadership throughout all aspects of its corporate social responsibility programs, including employee engagement and volunteerism.  In addition, Dalila oversees efforts to utilize Comcast’s world-class media platforms to bring greater attention to the work of our philanthropic partners. In 2020, Comcast provided nearly $500 million in total support to 4,500 nonprofit partners sharing Comcast’s commitment to creating a more connected and equitable world.

Dalila joined Comcast in 2016 after more than 16 years at JPMorgan Chase & Co., where she served as Head of Global Philanthropy and President of the JPMorgan Chase Foundation.  She led the firm’s philanthropic and economic opportunity initiatives, including the firm’s $100 million commitment to Detroit’s recovery, while helping to set the company’s overall corporate responsibility strategy.  Prior to joining the Office of Corporate Responsibility, she served in the firm’s Corporate Merger Office as an integral member of the team managing the integration of JPMorgan Chase and Bank One.

In addition to serving on the boards of Welcome America, Inc. and Box.org, Dalila is a member of the Executive Leadership Council.  She previously served as a member of the Committee for Economic Development, and the Advisory Council of My Brother’s Keeper Alliance.  Dalila has been named one of the “Most Powerful Women in Cable” by Cablefax Magazine, receiving the 2019 inaugural “Wave Maker” Award; one of the “Most Powerful Women in Business” by Black Enterprise; and an “Innovative Rising Star: Building Communities” by Forbes magazine.  Dalila speaks regularly on philanthropy and equity issues, most recently at the Aspen Ideas Festival, Social Innovation Summit, MIT Solve, USC Center on Philanthropy and Public Policy and the Women’s Philanthropy Institute’s Annual Symposium. She earned an MBA in Finance and Management from New York University’s Leonard N. Stern School of Business and a B.A. in Economics from New York University’s College of Arts and Science.