BIOGRAPHY

Stephanie joined the Bush Foundation in April 2010 and is now the senior manager for Educational Achievement. She came to this position after more than 16 years in Minnesota state government, much of it in the state’s budget office, where she focused on K-12 and higher education and statewide infrastructure, performance and technology issues. As deputy commissioner, she led several cross-agency initiatives, including the merger of three state agencies and divisions culminating in the development of Minnesota Management & Budget, and authorization of the long overdue replacement of the state’s antiquated financial system. These initiatives gave Stephanie an appreciation for both the promise and the pain of large-scale organizational change. That understanding comes in handy as she helps the partners on the educational initiatives realize their goals.

Stephanie received her master’s in public policy, with a concentration in education policy, from Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government and her undergraduate degree from the University of Minnesota. A stint at Abt Associates, Inc. in Cambridge, Massachusetts, taught Stephanie a great deal about using the program evaluation skills she’d acquired in graduate school and also drove home her inclination towards practical application of those skills. Her experience at a Washington, D.C., law firm wrangling approval for frozen pizza packaging was less formative but more fun to talk about.

Stephanie and her husband, Jim, used to cook great meals and enjoy season tickets to theaters about town, but their two great kids have tipped the household’s free time more toward soccer games, Wii tournaments, road trips and cookie baking. Reclaiming culture and fine cuisine is on Steph’s bucket list.