The Century Foundation (TCF), a leading progressive think tank, today announced the addition of four new hires to its education teams: senior fellow Carolyn Fast (higher ed), fellow Tiara Moultrie (higher ed), policy associate Jonathan Zabala (Pre-K-12), and policy associate Lara Adekeye (Pre-K-12). In addition, McKenzie Maxson has joined TCF as the organization’s new press secretary, based out of Washington, D.C.

The announcement caps a year-plus of significant growth for The Century Foundation—in terms of staff, grants under management, and policy impact. This fall, TCF moved into new, expanded office space in downtown Washington, D.C., which will support the organization’s continuing growth and increasing presence on Capitol Hill, in addition to TCF’s headquarter offices in New York City.

“The TCF team has stepped up immensely in the past two years—working tirelessly to advance equity and justice during some of the most challenging times for our country in recent memory,” said Mark Zuckerman, President of The Century Foundation and a former senior official in Congress and the Obama White House. “Our highly effective roster of experts and advocates is tailor made for this moment of renewed energy behind progressive policy fights. These additions to our staff, as well as our new office in D.C., will strengthen our policy impact.”

Carolyn Fast and Tiara Moultrie join TCF’s higher education team, which works to advance a higher education system that is equitable, affordable, and accountable. In recent years, TCF has been one of the nation’s leading watchdogs of for-profit colleges, protecting both students and taxpayers from for-profit college abuses; and has championed efforts to enact nationwide free community college, in addition to work to simplify financial aid programs and expand student benefits.

At TCF, Fast will work on higher education policy with a focus on institutional accountability and consumer protections. Previously, she was special counsel in the Consumer Frauds and Protection Bureau of the New York Attorney General’s Office. Moultrie will also focus on higher education accountability. Prior to joining TCF, she was a policy associate at the New Jersey Institute for Social Justice, working on higher education reform and economic justice issues, including apprenticeship diversification and closing the wealth gap.

Jonathan Zabala and Lara Adekeye join TCF’s Pre-K-12 team, which is focused on building a thriving and integrated public school system that supports students of all backgrounds to achieve educational excellence and lead fulfilling, civically engaged, and successful lives. In recent years, TCF has helped lead the nationwide movement for school integration, in addition to efforts to expand universal, quality access to pre-kindergarten, make school funding more equitable, and increase support for English learners (ELs).

At TCF, Zabala will work on issues related to educational equity, English learners, and dual language immersion programs. Prior to joining TCF, he was a teacher at McLain High School in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and, most recently, a fellow in the Office of the D.C Deputy Mayor for Education. Adekeye will focus on educational equity and school integration, supporting TCF’s Bridges Collaborative, a first-of-its-kind hub of 57 school districts, charter schools, and housing organizations working together to advance school integration. Prior to TCF, Lara served as a fellow at the Boston City Hall Mayor’s Office of Resilience and Racial Equity and as a congressional intern in the Office of Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley.

McKenzie Maxson will add to TCF’s growing profile in the news media and on Capitol Hill as the organization’s new Press Secretary, based in D.C. She comes to TCF from Higher Learning Advocates, a nonprofit that advocates for student-centered federal higher education policy. There, she led the organization’s communications efforts, including media relations, social media, and digital advocacy work.

Full bios of Fast, Moultrie, Zabala, Adekeye, and Maxson are available here.