Marie Groark

Marie leads the Foundation’s grantmaking that supports reconnecting Opportunity Youth to employment and Post 9/11 Veterans and their families transitioning from military service to civilian life.

Prior to joining the Foundation, Marie was the founding executive director of Get Schooled, a non-profit organization that inspires young Americans to get engaged in their education and connects with them using the tools, motivation and recognition they need to succeed. Get Schooled has engaged with more than five million young people since its launch in fall 2010, and has had a meaningful impact on critical indicators like school attendance and FAFSA completion rates.

Marie also served as a senior program officer with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, leading its efforts to improve educational outcomes through advocacy and communication work. In that position, she worked closely with media, government and non-profit partners to shine the spotlight on America’s dropout crisis. She also spent five years as a management consultant specializing in strategy development with PwC Consulting, advising public and private sector clients. She began her career as a social studies teacher at John F. Kennedy High School in the Bronx.

Marie holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from New York University, a Master’s in Teaching from Teacher’s College at Columbia University and a Master’s of Public Policy from Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government. In addition, she serves on the board of the Student Press Law Center. She previously served on the board of directors of the Education Writer’s Association, a national organization dedicated to improving the quality of education journalism, and is active in her local Boy Scout Troop.