Our Team

In her role as director of Strong Start to Finish, Maxine elevates effective practices and processes for reforming developmental education in university systems. She has dedicated her career to advancing system-changing, equity-focused initiatives that promote access, persistence and completion for minoritized students in higher education. Prior to joining Education Commission of the States, Maxine directed youth-based programs in urban areas, worked with community college faculty to improve their course outcomes and conducted research on the factors that contribute to success and progress for Black and Latinx students in community college developmental math courses.

As Associate Director of Strong Start to Finish, Victoria works with team members, funders, and postsecondary leaders to advance proven developmental education reforms. She has over 16 years of experience in higher education policy, practice, and research through various roles in government, postsecondary institutions, and policy research organizations. She earned her PhD in Higher and Postsecondary Education from New York University. Victoria is dedicated to improving educational and economic opportunities for students who have been historically and systematically excluded from unjust systems. 

As a project manager, Alina is responsible for daily operations and providing project support for the Strong Start to Finish initiative. She brings experience relating to finance, public policy and administration, as well as the implementation of Colorado law and regulation. Alina is dedicated to the mission of Strong Start to Finish and believes that through informed leadership and sustained commitment, we can better serve our communities and contribute to an educational system that provides equal opportunities for all. In her free time, she enjoys traveling, making memories with her family and spending time outdoors.

Antony Maikuri contributes as a monitoring, learning, and evaluation specialist. In his role, he focuses on designing and implementing measurement and evaluation tools, learning topics, research questions, and frameworks on reforming developmental education policies and practices. Antony has over seven years of experience in evaluation, research coordination, and data dissemination for diverse audiences. Prior to joining the Education Commission of the States, Antony worked as a research evaluation fellow at McKnight Foundations’ Collaborative Crop Research Program and as an educational researcher at the University of Minnesota, Global Programs and Strategy Alliance. Antony is dedicated to high-quality research informed by evidence from data to spur pragmatic and innovative ideas to solve problems facing the education sector. When Antony is not at the office, he can be found volunteering in community boards and local sports organizations. 

As a Network Strategist, for the Solutions Network for Strong Start to Finish, Molly counsels the national network of partner organizations that provide technical assistance to systems and institutions. She has over 15 years of nonprofit leadership, strategy development and project management experience, and earned her doctorate in higher education from the University of Denver. Molly believes in the power of integrative education policy to positively impact equitable outcomes for students and communities at scale. 

As principal, Sharmila provides leadership on the development and execution of Education Commission of the States’ strategic policy initiatives and fosters internal and external relationships. Sharmila brings more than 15 years of education policy experience to her role, including 10 years at the State Higher Education Executive Officers Association engaging with state and federal policymakers, funders and national associations in pursuit of policy to smooth transitions between education sectors. Sharmila holds a bachelor’s degree in biology from Cornell University and a master’s and doctorate in human genetics from the University of Michigan.

In his role, Will supports the Senior Financial Analyst with month-end and day-to-day tasks. Prior to joining ECS, Will graduated from Transylvania University in 2021. After graduation, he worked for a labeling company in Denver as a bookkeeper in their human resources department. Will loves supporting the Cubs, Heat and Titans. He also enjoys playing basketball, baseball and hitting the slopes

As chief financial officer, Matt leads the finance, human resources and information technology operations for Education Commission of the States. Matt has 20 years of experience in the nonprofit sector, primarily in operations and leadership roles. When Matt is not at work, he can be found volunteering for nonprofit boards or enjoying the great Colorado mountains.