Shani Wilkes

Shani Wilkes has had a diverse range of roles and responsibilities throughout their work experience. Shani currently works at Combined Jewish Philanthropies (CJP), where they hold the position of Associate Vice President, Research and Evaluation. Before joining CJP, they were the Senior Director of Research and Evaluation at the same organization. Prior to CJP, Shani worked at Lexia Learning, where they served as Senior Manager, Customer Research and Evaluation. Shani was responsible for managing customer relationships and research partnerships. Shani also held the role of Senior Research Associate at Lexia Learning.

Before their time at Lexia Learning, Shani worked at the Harvard Graduate School of Education as a Senior Research Analyst for the Harvard Family Research Project. In this role, they played a vital leadership role in promoting effective programs, policies, and strategies in the areas of out-of-school time, family engagement, and digital media and learning.

Shani also worked at the NYC Department of Education as a Senior Research Associate in the Research and Policy Support Group. Shani was involved in a collaboration between NYC DOE and City University of New York (CUNY) aimed at improving college readiness and graduation rates for DOE students. Shani contributed to the development of a shared research agenda and analyzed student and school-level data.

Additionally, Shani has experience as a Senior Research Associate at the Center for Court Innovation, where they evaluated alternative-to-jail sentencing projects and conducted quantitative analyses of program data. Shani also worked as a Research Assistant at Girls Incorporated, where they researched and compiled information on issues girls face.

Early in their career, Shani served as the Outreach Coordinator for Girls Inc. of Greater Atlanta, facilitating outreach programs and coordinating volunteers. Shani advocated for Girls Incorporated at various events and established relationships with school officials.

Overall, Shani Wilkes has a varied and extensive background in research, evaluation, and program management across different sectors.

Shani Wilkes holds a Master of Arts (M.A.) degree in Educational Psychology, which they obtained from New York University between 2006 and 2008. Prior to that, they completed their Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology, with a concentration in Community Psychology, at Georgia State University from 2001 to 2005. In 2002 and 2003, Shani studied abroad at Richmond, The American International University in London; however, the specific field of study during this period is not provided. Additionally, they have obtained a certification in Nonprofit Management and Leadership from the Institute for Nonprofit Practice in May 2022.