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Kendra Howard is the director of Policy & Systems. She leads the Foundation’s efforts to nurture an education policy ecosystem at the city and state level that listens to and is accountable to Detroit youth, educators, and residents.

Kendra started her professional career as a lobbyist for the Wisconsin Counties Association, advocating on behalf of all elected and appointed officials. After four years, she returned to Michigan to work on the Democratic Coordinated Campaign.

After a successful campaign, Kendra began working at the Michigan House of Representatives. For nearly a decade, she was a senior legislative analyst for local government, agriculture economic development, and the corresponding appropriation subcommittees. She was also instrumental in crafting legislation governing the City of Detroit.

Kendra was tapped as Mayor Dave Bing’s co-policy director for his first campaign, then transitioned in his administration as an appointee.

Kendra was a lobbyist for the Southeast Michigan Girl Scout Council and was employed with the workforce development think tank Corporation for a Skilled Workforce where she was instrumental in the development of a 150-organization workforce development alliance to help chronically unemployed and under-employed Detroiters.