Jass Stewart

Jass Stewart is the Chief of Strategy & Innovation and oversees strategy, innovation pilots, advocacy & political engagement, stakeholder engagement, and communications.

Previously, he was the Deputy Chief of Staff at the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE). The department provides oversight to 400 school districts, 75,000 educators, and 1 million K-12 public school students. Jass’ portfolio included business and IT strategy, communication and marketing, talent management, operations management, and funder development.

Before joining DESE, Jass held a broad range of public- and private-sector leadership positions. Most recently, he served three terms as a City Councilor at Large in Brockton, MA. He was the first person of color to serve on the City Council and the first openly gay elected official in the city’s history. He ran and governed on a platform focused on reform, accountability, and innovation.

Other professional highlights include his roles as Vice President of Communication and Technology at Jobs for the Future in Boston, National Director for School Advocacy at Big Picture Learning in Providence, and Senior Director of New Media and Public Engagement at Blackside Productions (producer of the TV documentary series Eyes on the Prize: America’s Civil Rights Years) in Boston.

Jass has traveled to 36 states in the U.S. and over 20 countries.

Jass holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Boston University, a Masters of Education from Boston University an MBA from Fitchburg State University.