Paige Ponder, CEO, One Million Degrees

( November 30, 2012 )

Paige Ponder has been selected as the new Chief Executive Officer of One Million Degrees (OMD), a student-support organization in Chicago that empowers low-income community college students to succeed in school, work and life. She joins OMD after leading Project Exploration, a dynamic youth STEM organization. Prior to Project Exploration, Paige was officer of student support and engagement at Chicago Public Schools, leading the strategy and managing implementation of a diverse set of student supports including out-of-school time offerings, early intervention and drop-out prevention, athletics, community schools, and services for homeless students. Ponder has experience in for-profit education having worked for The Grow Network and McGraw-Hill in product development, professional development, and client services capacities. She also has school-based experience as an assistant principal of Holy Cross School in the South Bronx. Ponder holds a Bachelor's degree from Princeton University and an MBA from Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University.