Bryan Stokes II, Education Portfolio Director, brings a wealth of knowledge from 15 years in the early childhood field, most recently serving as the Chief of Early Childhood Education for Chicago Public Schools, the nation’s third largest school district. In this role, he leads the district’s early childhood initiatives, including Universal Pre-K, a multi-year commitment to establishing high-quality, full-day preschool for every four year old in every Chicago community. Previously he has led early learning programs at Illinois Action for Children and managed implementation of Illinois’ Preschool Development grant in the state’s Governor’s Office of Early Childhood Development.
Mr. Stokes additionally serves on the Illinois Early Learning Council and on the Board of Directors of the Illinois Network of Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies. He holds a master’s degree in English literature from Penn State. Originally from Detroit, Michigan, he currently resides in Chicago, Illinois.