José Muñoz is the ninth president of Education Commission of the States. He brings nearly 30 years of cross-sector experience leading initiatives that elevate policy adoption to create meaningful change in communities across the United States.
Prior to the Education Commission, Muñoz was with Institute for Educational Leadership (IEL) as the director of its Coalition for Community Schools initiative since 2017. Before IEL, he was the ABC Community School Partnership executive director, which is a unique cross-sector joint partnership agreement between Albuquerque Public Schools, the City of Albuquerque, Bernalillo County, the Albuquerque Hispano Chamber of Commerce, the United Way of Central New Mexico, and the University of New Mexico. During his time at the ABC Community School Partnership, he served the children in Albuquerque and across New Mexico. José strategically scaled up the community schools strategy from four to 26 schools in five years, securing over three million dollars through successful policy advocacy and developing key partnerships for community schools with state and local governments, school districts, teachers’ unions, and local businesses. In 2014, José won the first Community Schools Initiative Leadership Award.
Before ABC Community School Partnership, he served three states, four counties, and nine cities through the Boys & Girls Clubs. José developed high-quality, out-of-school time activities and led gang prevention, intervention, and re-entry programs, earning a national legacy award. He developed full-service Clubs that met the needs of every child and family. He is a founding member of the Southern Nevada Community Gang Task Force and is responsible for establishing a youth-run business. José expanded his service in Bernalillo County, New Mexico as the Coordinator of a national model site for the Juvenile Detention Alternative Initiative supported by the Annie E. Casey Foundation.
José is married to the lovely Leslie Muñoz, and they have a blended family of two sons and three daughters. In their free time, the Muñozes like to serve their community through their church and by leading community groups.
National Education Leaders Network Members
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Andrea Cahn
Senior Vice President, Unified Champion Schools -
Dr. Betty Edwards
Co-Chair -
Molly McCloskey
NELN Facilitator -
Dr. Steve Amaro
Member -
Dr. Sheldon Berman
NELN Co-Chair -
Dr. Tami Jo Cook
Member -
William Duncan
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Austin Fellman
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Dr. Joshua Garcia
Member -
Dr. Frances Gipson
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Dr. Terry Jackson
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Lindsay Jones, J.D.
Member -
José Muñoz
Member -
Erin O’Sullivan
Member -
Jennifer Paolantonio
Member -
Karen Pittman
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S. Kwesi Rollins
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Daryl Smith
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Brenda Welburn
Member -
Dr. Lu Settles Young
Member