Introducing 2010 Inspire Fellow: Crystal Moore

Name: Crystal Moore
Hometown: Collinsville, MS
Organization: DC Public Schools
Former Employer: Accenture

What inspired you to make the switch into the nonprofit sector?

I’ve always had the desire to transform low-income communities. I majored in business administration and finance during college, thinking that the necessary changes would come from economic efforts alone. However, through my involvement with College Summit as a College Counselor, and Accenture’s skills-based volunteering initiative with KIPP Charter School in DC; I became acutely aware of the dire need for leadership that brings the real-world insights of management and entrepreneurship to bear on social problems in the education sector. I saw how the academic achievement gap manifested itself in the lives of so many of our country’s minority students living in low income areas: kids entering the 5th grade at a 2nd grade reading level, or matriculating to the 8th grade without a solid grasp of multiplication tables.

These experiences made me acutely aware that not every student is presented with the same level of opportunity, and that the achievement gap is not a reflection of student capabilities, but of an education system that’s failing them. Marrying a passion for urban education reform with analytical and problem-solving skills honed in the private sector, my goal is to remove some of the operational barriers that create these circumstances.

What is your current position, and a typical day like?

As a Business Analyst for the Office of Secondary Schools Transformation at DC Public Schools, I am charged with implementing a performance management system to improve the districts effectiveness through a rigorous use of data to regularly assess district and school performance. Currently, I am creating a performance management dashboard that will ensure that all our work is aligned with the district’s goals for central office and school performance.

A typical day generally consists of meetings with team members to gather and analyze data to establish metrics that guide our operations, collaborating with departmental leaders to select critical metrics, implementing professional development for staff for the transition to the performance management environment, and determining how to scale-up the performance management work in a way that will be sustainable for the organization.

What is your professional background and areas of expertise?

Prior to my fellowship at DCPS, I spent three years in corporate finance at Accenture. There, I provided financial oversight, value-added analysis and advice to client teams to maximize the profitability of consulting contracts for federal clients. My experiences there were invaluable; I developed sound financial management practices by managing the financials for multiple consulting and outsourcing engagements. After three years with the company; I felt I had developed my skills in a way that would allow me to effectively contribute to the education sector, and I wanted to align these skills with my passion for social responsibility.

What are you involved in outside of work?

Over the past three years, I have been an active volunteer with several organizations in the D.C. and Northern Virginia area including; the Northern Virginia Chapter of the Junior League, and College Summit. In addition, I currently sit on the Board of Directors for Reach Incorporated, an education nonprofit in D.C., and Chair the Young Alumni Board for Xavier University of Louisiana. When I have a few minutes to spare; I take cooking classes at Sur La Table in Arlington, and attend outdoor concerts.

Tell us about your past leadership experiences and how they are helping you in your current role.

Over the course of my career, my leadership experiences have been varied and rich. I have had the opportunity to lead teams in both informal and formal settings. During college, I was elected Student Government Association President. The experience of leading four thousand students through the city’s recovery following Hurricane Katrina, and addressing their problems by collaborating with the school’s administration shaped me into a more optimistic, more mature individual with the confidence to lead in times of crisis with clarity and rationale.

Both at DCPS and at Accenture, I’ve had the opportunity to lead teams without having reporting-line authority over them. These experiences have left me with the understanding that effective leaders share three key components: (1) they know how to provide direction by defining feasible strategies and vision; (2) they have the ability to motivate by affirming their people’s responsibilities and accomplishments and by applying incentives; and (3) they are able to organize and support their teams through efficient work processes and appropriate training.

What blogs or websites do you read on a daily basis?
I FAITHFULLY read the Huffington Post every morning. Other daily reads include: the White House Blog, Essence, and Things 90s Kids Realize.

Where do you see yourself in 5, 10, 20 years?
In the short-term, I want to leverage my corporate finance background and skills honed in graduate school to pursue a management position in a results-oriented urban school district. Within 10 years, I want to start a charter management organization that will establish and manage the first high-performing charter schools in my home state of Mississippi.

If your friends and enemies had to describe you in three words, what would they be?
Entrepreneurial, Passionate and Charismatic

Introducing 2010 Inspire Fellow: Crystal Moore

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