After 8 Years of Leadership and Service, National Director of IEL’s Education Policy Fellowship Program Passes Baton to IEL Senior Director of Policy

(Washington DC, August 18, 2022) The Institute for Educational Leadership’s Education Policy Fellowship Program (EPFP™) National Director Dr. Helen Janc Malone will be transitioning from her role after eight years, and will be succeeded by colleague Mary Kingston Roche, Senior Director of Policy at IEL. 

EPFP is a nationally recognized fellowship program that engages a diverse and collaborative community of strategic leaders to promote equitable education policy. 

Entering its 59th year and with over 10,000 alumni, the program is comprised of individuals from across the country holding a variety of positions and experiences in the education sector and beyond at local, state, and national levels.  

“I am honored to have had the opportunity to lead this program and am so proud to see its impact today, almost six decades after it began. The cross-boundary leaders who join EPFP each year continue to build on a network of over 10,000 alumni that innovate in their roles and beyond to advance equitable policies in education,” shares Dr. Helen Janc Malone, the Senior Vice President, Strategy, Research, and Policy, and the outgoing National EPFP Director. “We know that to ensure meaningful change in support of children, youth, and families, we need to invest in ongoing capacity building of education leaders. I’ve had the pleasure of working with Mary at IEL for many years and am so excited to see her step into this leadership role. As a DC EPFP alumna, she has been a big supporter of the program, is an expert in education policy, and a champion for students and their communities.”  

“I am humbled and excited to lead the national EPFP program into its next chapter including its 60th year and beyond,” shares Mary Kingston Roche, IEL’s Senior Director of Policy and incoming National EPFP Director. “This fellowship was invaluable to my growth as a leader, and I am honored to be able to support, strengthen, and grow it in this new role. Our fellows and alumni are an incredible group of people dedicated to advancing equity in education and we at IEL are excited to welcome thousands more such leaders in the coming years to collectively make the changes needed for all students and their families to thrive. Dr. Helen Malone has been a mentor and inspiration to me, and we are indebted to her leadership in making EPFP the premier national education policy fellowship in the country.” 

“Through engaging site-level and national office webinars, leadership and networking sessions, and the capstone Washington Policy Seminar, I’ve seen first-hand how EPFP builds Fellows’ capacities and competencies in support of more equitable public policy,” said Eddie Koen, President of IEL. “IEL is grateful to Helen for all she has done and is confident this next era for the program under Mary’s leadership will continue to deepen connections in this vast network and see continued impact in the field of education and outcomes for all youth.”  

Learn more at epfp.iel.org or email us at epfp@iel.org.  

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