Carrie Walton Penner

Carrie Walton Penner is a K-12 education advocate and chairs the board of directors of the Walton Family Foundation. Her passion for educational equity was ignited during college when she witnessed first-hand the significant quality discrepancy in the U.S. public education system while tutoring high school students in Washington, D.C. She has been active in education research, evaluation, advocacy, and philanthropy for more than 20 years. She is focused on improving access to high-quality schools for every child, particularly those in low-income communities.

With expertise in developing effective governance models for high-impact philanthropy, Carrie has advised many nonprofit organizations on matters such as strategic planning, funder and grantee relationship building, and organizational transitions. In addition to the Walton Family Foundation, she currently serves on the boards of The Aspen Institute, Charter School Growth Fund, EdVoice, and Stanford University Graduate School of Education.

Carrie holds a bachelor’s degree in economics and history from Georgetown University, a master’s degree in administration and policy analysis, and a master’s degree in program evaluation, both from Stanford University Graduate School of Education.