A local education nonprofit working for change in Northern Kentucky is making a few changes internally.
EducateNKY announced Tuesday that its consultant, Cheye Calvo with C Squared Strategies in California, will become the nonprofit’s president and CEO, taking the reins from Tim Hanner, a former Kenton County Schools superintendent who has served as EducateNKY president/CEO since July 2023.
Hanner will retire in July, and Calvo will start his new position effective Aug. 1. He will be relocating his family to NKY from San Jose, California.
Also joining EducateNKY as Vice President of Community Engagement, Development and Advocacy is Covington School Board chairman Tom Haggard who began his role with EducateNKY on April 15.
EducateNKY Board Chair Greg Fischer, chairman of Fischer Homes, told LINK nky that Calvo and Haggard will continue the nonprofit’s mission of education innovation in the region.
“As we welcome Cheye and Tom to their new roles, we are filled with optimism about the future of EducateNKY,” said Fischer. “The leadership commitment and the broad community involvement to set a strategic direction both reflect our dedication to the children and families of Northern Kentucky and promise to continue our pursuit of educational innovation and excellence. With these changes, we are not just planning for the next chapter in our story: we are preparing to redefine what’s possible in education across our region.”
Calvo, a native of Maryland and a former mayor of Berwyn Heights, MD, has worked for numerous government organizations, most notably the National Conference of State Legislatures, where he was a policy expert in federal affairs. He has also partnered with communities nationwide, including Cincinnati, on education innovation as a leader of the nonprofit SEED Foundation.
“Having worked closely with Cheye over the past ten months, I am confident that he has the background, determination and disposition needed to enable powerful outcomes across schools, businesses, nonprofits, agencies, and cities,” Hanner told LINK nky in a statement. “Cheye brings a wealth of relevant experience, but improving outcomes for young people is at his core.”
Haggard most recently served as executive director of the Kentucky Out-of-School Alliance dedicated to quality afterschool and summer learning. He also oversaw afterschool and summer programs in Covington as the associate director of Covington Partners.
“I am thrilled to be joining the team at Educate NKY,” said Haggard. “ “If we are going to improve educational outcomes for all young people, we have to take a holistic, community-based approach and that’s exactly what this organization is committed to accomplishing. I look forward to working with so many dedicated stakeholders.”
EducateNKY is part of the OneNKY Alliance. According to the nonprofit, Educate NKY is dedicated “to ensuring that the Northern Kentucky education landscape is one of the best at meeting the needs of families and learners. We are dedicated to expanding existing and new opportunities and improving outcomes for all children and their families through exploration and adoption of innovative approaches to prenatal-12 education in the region.”