Emma Vadehra was a senior fellow at TCF and the former executive director of Next100, a pop-up think tank for the next generation of policy leaders, powered by The Century Foundation.
She has spent her career focused on building a fairer, more equitable education system, and has a passion for developing and supporting diverse teams in pursuit of progressive policy change.
Most recently, Emma served as chief of staff for the U.S. Department of Education during the Obama administration, serving under both Secretary John B. King Jr. and Secretary Arne Duncan. As chief of staff, she worked closely with the White House and across the department to develop, execute, and oversee the administration’s pre-K-through-college education agenda. She also managed the department’s policy, budget, legislative affairs, and P–12 education offices, and oversaw hiring, development, and retention of a diverse, high-performing political appointee team. From 2009 to 2011, she served as deputy assistant secretary for planning, evaluation, and policy development at the Department of Education, overseeing K–12 education policy development and issues related to the Elementary and Secondary Education Act.
Prior to serving at the department, she served as senior education counsel for former senator Edward M. Kennedy (D-MA), focusing on K–12 education, student loans, and national service policy. She also served as chief of staff at Uncommon Schools, a charter school management organization that builds and manages high-performing urban charter schools serving low-income students.
Emma serves on the boards of Blue Engine City Year New York, and Govern For America, and is a non-resident senior fellow at the Center for American Progress. She has a JD from Yale Law School and a bachelor’s degree from Brown University.
