Ariel Bierbaum, President
Assistant Professor, University of Maryland, School of Architecture, Planning & Preservation
Dr. Bierbaum's research explores questions about the mutually constitutive relationship between metropolitan inequality, urban politics, planning practice, and public education. Her current projects focus on school-level impacts of federal place-based anti-poverty, mass public school closures and neighborhood change, and the effect of school choice on transportation planning. Previously, Dr. Bierbaum worked in the fields of community development and arts, racial justice, and public policy. Most recently, she served as the Research Specialist/Program Director at the UC-Berkeley Center for Cities and Schools, a policy research and technical assistance center that works with local, regional, state, and federal planners and on connecting public education with local community development efforts, regional growth management strategies, and federal place-based programs. She was also a Visiting Fellow at the Urban Studies Program at the University of Pennsylvania and an adjunct faculty member at the University of San Francisco. Dr. Bierbaum sits on the advisory board of Active Voice Labs and on the board of the 21st Century School Fund. She holds a PhD in City and Regional Planning from UC-Berkeley, a Master in City Planning from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and a Bachelor of Arts in urban studies from the University of Pennsylvania.
Jael Anker-Lagos, Treasurer
Jael Anker-Lagos is a proud District of Columbia Public School parent of three who currently dedicates her time with the Parents and Teachers United for Bruce-Monroe Elementary at Park View in Washington, D.C. Born in Chile, but raised in the States, she is a product of our Nation's public school system. After graduating from the University of Oregon with degrees in Accounting and Economics, Jael spent four years with PriceWaterhouseCoopers in the assurance practice. After further work in accounting in the Pacific Northwest, Jael and her family settled down in Washington D.C., where they plan to stay.
Mildred Musgrove
Secretary, Retired D.C. Public Schools Educator & Administrator
Mildred was Principal of Anacostia Senior High School in Washington, D.C. Prior to her position there, she held several other positions within DCPS, including Chief Academic Officer, Chief of Staff for the Superintendent, Lead Principal (Assistant Superintendent), Principal of West Elementary School, Instructional Supervisor, and Senior High School English teacher.
Mary Filardo
Executive Director, 21st Century School Fund
Mary Filardo is a leading national authority and advocate for improving the equity, efficiency and quality of public school facilities. She founded the 21st Century School Fund in 1994 to improve the policies and practice for planning, design, construction, management and financing for the District of Columbia public schools and then in 2001 started Building Educational Success Together (BEST) to work nationally on these issues. She has written extensively on public school facility issues, and developed software to support long-range facilities master planning. She worked in the private sector in residential construction management and was an active parent advocate during the nineteen years her children were in the DC public schools. She received a BA in philosophy and mathematics from St. John's College, is a Truman Scholar from the District of Columbia, and was awarded a MPP from the University of Maryland.
Jerry Roseman
Philadelphia Healthy Schools Initiative and Coalition
Jerry Roseman, M.Sc.I.H., has worked as a public health, environmental science and OS&H professional for 32 years. He's the Acting Director of Health & Safety for the Philadelphia Federation of Teachers and works on behalf of the American Federation of Teachers as well as other labor unions. He has conducted hundreds of IEQ-related worksite inspections & has collaborated with NIOSH and EPA and has taught courses for the Hahnemann University School of Public Health and other universities.
Sarah Woodhead
DLR Group, Retired
Sarah Woodhead, a principal in the DLR Group international architectural firm, returned to 21CSF in September 2018 after many years hiatus to serve as a member of our board. Sarah worked at 21st Century School Fund during the development of the Oyster Public/Private Partnership. After leaving to head up the DCPS Facilities Office for several years, Sarah spent nearly a decade overseas, designing K-12 schools. She has returned to continue architectural work in Washington. Sarahs children, now grown, each went to DCPS schools from PK through graduation.
