The Wallace Foundation Names Dan Weisberg Chief Program and Policy Officer
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
10 a.m. July 8, 2026
Contact:
Robin Harris
rharris@wallacefoundation.org
(212) 251-9782
Lauren Pescatore
lpescatore@thehatchergroup.com
(240) 328-5968
New York, New York, July 8, 2026 – The Wallace Foundation today announced that Dan Weisberg has joined the foundation as chief program and policy officer, a newly created leadership role that brings together the foundation's arts, education leadership, youth development, and research units to strengthen integration and impact across programmatic, research, and policy work in support of Wallace's mission.
“I’m excited to welcome Dan to the team,” said Jean Desravines, president of The Wallace Foundation. “Throughout his career, Dan has worked at the intersection of strategy, implementation, organizational leadership, and systems change. His extensive experience leading in both the public education and nonprofit sectors will be instrumental in moving the foundation into a new era of greater collective impact.”
As chief program and policy officer, Weisberg will provide executive leadership to strengthen the integration of the foundation's grantmaking and partnerships across program, research, and policy. As a member of the senior leadership team, he will partner with Desravines and colleagues across the foundation to translate strategic priorities into aligned, high-impact initiatives spanning the foundation’s three focus areas. He will also help ensure the foundation's work is positioned to create lasting impact for the communities it serves.
“I’ve dedicated my career to helping expand access and opportunities, particularly for young people,” said Weisberg. “I’m grateful for the opportunity to join The Wallace Foundation, where this commitment has long been embedded in its mission, and I’m thrilled to join the team at a time when the foundation is positioning itself to do even more to bring positive change to more people’s lives.”
Prior to joining Wallace, Weisberg served as first deputy chancellor of New York City Public Schools, the largest school system in the United States, where he oversaw strategy and execution of the chancellor’s vision for schools serving more than 900,000 students. There, he led signature initiatives including NYC Reads, which contributed to the city's largest one-year gain in reading proficiency; NYC Solves, in which high-quality math curricula were implemented across the city’s middle schools; and FutureReadyNYC, which offered comprehensive career pathways to thousands of students and helped increase attendance, grade point averages, and college credits earned.
Previously, Weisberg was chief executive officer of TNTP, formerly The New Teacher Project, a national nonprofit dedicated to expanding educational opportunity through systems change. Under his leadership, the organization significantly expanded its reach, increasing both revenue and the number of students served by approximately 60 percent while strengthening its national influence on education policy and practice.
Weisberg holds a Bachelor of Arts from Columbia University and a Juris Doctor from New York University School of Law.
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About The Wallace Foundation
Wallace is an independent, nonpartisan research foundation with a mission to help all communities build a more vibrant and just future by fostering advances in the arts, education leadership, and youth development. We collaborate with grantees and research partners to design and test innovative approaches to address pressing problems in the fields we serve. The evidence-based insights we share—searchable online and free of charge—support policymakers and practitioners in their efforts to improve outcomes, enhance community vitality, and help all people reach their full potential.
