2026-2027 List of Officers

Laurie Goodman, PhD – Co-Chair 2026-2027
Email: dr.laurie.goodman@gmail.com 

Dr. Laurie Goodman is a longtime educator and leader whose career spans more than thirty years across K–12 public education, charter school leadership, and higher education. She recently retired from public education after serving as Superintendent of Yosemite Valley Charter School and Monarch River Academy in California’s Central Valley, near Fresno. Previously, she served as Superintendent of the Winship-Robbins Elementary School District in Northern California, near Yuba City, and held school leadership roles as both a middle school and elementary school principal.

Today, Dr. Goodman continues to support the field as adjunct faculty at UMass Global, formerly Brandman University, and as a Lead Mentor for the Ventura County Office of Education’s Administrative Induction Program, where she works with charter leaders throughout California. She also remains actively engaged in professional and community service as a WASC chair, an officer in her local ADK chapter, and a volunteer when needed.

Dr. Goodman earned her doctorate in educational leadership through CSU Fresno and UC Davis. Her many recognitions include 2017 Congressional Woman of the Year, Kingsburg School District Administrator of the Year, Kings County Teacher of the Year, American Literacy Finalist Administrator of the Year through FCOE, and the Random Acts of Kindness Award.

Abbie Cohen, PhD – Co-Chair 2026-2027
Email: abbiecohen@g.ucla.edu

 Dr. Abbie Cohen holds her PhD from the University of California's School of Education and Information studies where she studied how the privatization of public education influences PK-12 students, their families, and broader communities. 

She currently teaches at Tufts University in the Sociology Department and previously was the Visiting Assistant Professor of Education at Colby College. Dr. Cohen uses a race/class/gender lens to explore how out-of-school time non-profits and philanthropy can spur both privatization and democratic resistance. As a critical, community-based and participatory ethnographer, Abbie partners with schools, organizations, and practitioners to illuminate grassroots experiences, while collaboratively designing more authentic and equitable ways of conducting educational research. 

Abbie was an American Association University Women (AAUW) American Fellowship winner and is the 2026 Emerging Scholar from AERA's out-of-school time SIG. She hopes to push conversations of philanthropy, out-of-school time learning, and public education in academic and practitioner discourses to positively impact public school students and the broader public school ecosystem.   

Chase McNamee, EdD – Co-Program Chair 2026-2027
Email: chase.mcnamee@gmail.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chasemcnamee/

Dr. Chase McNamee (he/him) is a scholar-practitioner whose work sits at the intersection of institutional advancement, higher education, philanthropy, and belonging. He has held a range of practitioner and leadership roles across higher education advancement, including alumni relations, donor relations and stewardship, fundraising, development strategy, and gift processing and management. He currently serves full-time as Director of Campaign Operations in Advancement at the University of Denver.

Dr. McNamee is also a co-founder of Advancing Belonging Consultants, where the team uses evidence-informed practice and research to support advancement professionals in strengthening belonging, justice, and liberation within their organizations, communities, and teams.

He earned his doctorate in Higher and Postsecondary Education from Teachers College, Columbia University. Dr. McNamee serves as a Research Fellow for The Tzedakah Lab at Teachers College and as Associate Editor of Philanthropy & Education. His research focuses on evidence-informed practice and policy, as well as identity-based philanthropy in institutional advancement and higher education.

Obed Magny, EdD – Co-Program Chair 2026-2027
Email: obed.magny@gmail.com

As the Founder and CEO of Magny Leadership, Dr. Magny helps individuals, teams, and organizations unlock their full potential and create meaningful, lasting change. Rooted in a strong foundation of law enforcement leadership, his work has expanded across industries to support organizations seeking to strengthen culture, morale, emotional intelligence, retention, and leadership capacity.

Through Magny Leadership, Dr. Magny brings a practical and people-centered approach to leadership development. His work emphasizes the importance of building trust, increasing engagement, and equipping leaders with the tools needed to inspire high-performing teams. Whether working with public safety professionals, educational institutions, nonprofits, or other organizational settings, Dr. Magny’s expertise speaks to a shared need across sectors: developing leaders who can navigate complexity, support people well, and drive transformative change.

Ida Oberman, PhD – Secretary/Treasurer 2026-2027
Email: dridaoberman@gmail.com

Dr. Ida Oberman is a Senior Research Fellow at Alanus University of Arts and Social Sciences in Alfter, Germany, and founder and Executive Director Emerita of Community School for Creative Education, the nation’s first intercultural urban public Waldorf school and a full-service K–8 community school in Oakland, California.

Dutch-born and German-educated, Dr. Oberman earned her Abitur from the Waldorf School Tübingen, her BA from Swarthmore College, and her PhD from Stanford University. Her career has bridged research, philanthropy, teacher preparation, and school innovation. She previously served as an Education Program Officer at the Hewlett Foundation and founded and directed the Waldorf Education Professional Development Certificate Program at Mills College School of Education from 2015 to 2022.

A founding voice in the field, Dr. Oberman co-founded the AERA Philanthropy and Education SIG in 2001. Her scholarship and leadership continue to shape conversations about education, philanthropy, community schools, and creative approaches to public education.

Yolanda Vazquez, EdD – Web Master 2026-2027
Email: dr.yolanda.vazquez@gmail.com

Dr. V. is a district-level educational leader, scholar-practitioner, and proud first-generation doctoral graduate whose work is rooted in equity, MTSS, special education, social-emotional learning, and student-centered systems change. With nearly a decade of leadership experience in charter school communities, she has designed and supported inclusive systems that help schools respond more effectively to the academic, behavioral, social-emotional, and access needs of students.

Her leadership brings together strategy, care, and a deep understanding of complex student support systems. Across her work in MTSS, special education, SEL, and Tier 3 intervention, Dr. V. is committed to building sustainable practices that support students, families, educators, and school communities.

As Webmaster for the Philanthropy and Education SIG, Dr. V. supports the SIG’s digital presence by amplifying scholarship, resources, member contributions, and engagement across the broader Philanthropy and Education community.