Darienne Driver Hudson (born 1978) is an

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

education official and nonprofit executive. She joined United Way for Southeastern Michigan as president and CEO in July 2018. Before joining United Way, Driver Hudson spent the previous four years as superintendent of

Milwaukee Public Schools Milwaukee Public Schools (MPS) is the largest school district in Wisconsin. As of the 2015–16 school year, MPS served 75,568 students in 154 schools and had 9,636 full-time equivalent (FTE) staff positions. The Milwaukee Public Schools system i ...

, one of the largest school districts in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

and the largest school district in

Wisconsin Wisconsin () is a state in the upper Midwestern United States. Wisconsin is the 25th-largest state by total area and the 20th-most populous. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake M ...

. Driver Hudson was appointed superintendent in October 2014, becoming the youngest person to serve as Superintendent of the Milwaukee school district, and the only woman to do so on a permanent basis. In 2017, Driver Hudson was elected to sit on the

Harvard Board of Overseers The Harvard Board of Overseers (more formally The Honorable and Reverend the Board of Overseers) is one of Harvard University's two governing boards. Although its function is more consultative and less hands-on than the President and Fellows of Harv ...

Early life and education

Driver Hudson attended

Spelman College Spelman College is a private, historically black, women's liberal arts college in Atlanta, Georgia. It is part of the Atlanta University Center academic consortium in Atlanta. Founded in 1881 as the Atlanta Baptist Female Seminary, Spelman re ...

, where she received an undergraduate degree in child development. She later received master's degrees in education from

Harvard University Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of higher le ...

and in curriculum development from the

University of Michigan , mottoeng = "Arts, Knowledge, Truth" , former_names = Catholepistemiad, or University of Michigania (1817–1821) , budget = $10.3 billion (2021) , endowment = $17 billion (2021)As o ...

. She also received a doctorate from Harvard in Urban Superintendency.

Career

Driver Hudson began her career as an elementary school teacher at

Detroit Public Schools Detroit Public Schools Community District (DPSCD) is a school district that covers all of the city of Detroit, Michigan, United States and high school students in the insular city of Highland Park. The district, which replaced the original Detr ...

. She later served as Coordinator of Strategic Management and Accountability and Special Assistant to the Superintendent in

Clayton County Public Schools The Clayton County Public School District (CCPS) is a fully Cognia accredited public school district headquartered in Jonesboro, Georgia, U.S. It administers schools inside of Clayton County, Georgia. Serving more than 52,000 students, Clayton ...

. Driver Hudson then served as Deputy Chief of Empowerment Schools for the

School District of Philadelphia The School District of Philadelphia (SDP) is the school district that includes all school district-operated public schools in Philadelphia. Established in 1818, it is the 8th largest school district in the nation, by enrollment, serving over 200 ...

. Driver Hudson became the first Chief Innovation Officer for Milwaukee Public Schools in June 2012. In that role, she worked to narrow the achievement gap in the district. As superintendent of Milwaukee Public Schools, Driver Hudson focused on improving the academic outcomes of students. She initiated a regional development plan to expand high-performing programs and increase enrollment opportunities, expand advanced placement opportunities, expand college and career readiness programs, and the create a new department to improve the educational achievement of

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and

Latino Latino or Latinos most often refers to: * Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America * Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States * The people or cultures of Latin America; ** Latin A ...

male students. Driver Hudson has served on the board of directors for the

United Way United Way is an international network of over 1,800 local nonprofit fundraising affiliates. United Way was the largest nonprofit organization in the United States by donations from the public, prior to 2016. United Way organizations raise funds ...

of Greater Milwaukee and

Waukesha County Waukesha County () is a county in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of the 2020 United States Census, the population was 406,978, making it the third-most populous county in Wisconsin. Its county seat and largest city is Waukesha. Waukesha Co ...

, where she also served as chair of the Volunteer Engagement Committee; City Year Milwaukee; Bradley Tech Commission; The Public Policy Forum; Aspin Superintendent Network; and,

Junior Achievement JA (Junior Achievement) Worldwide is a global non-profit youth organization founded in 1919 by Horace A. Moses, Theodore Vail, and Winthrop M. Crane. JA works with local businesses, schools, and organizations to deliver experiential learning ...

. Driver Hudson was a member of the Executive Council for Milwaukee Succeeds and serves as Chair for the Council of the Great City Schools.

Awards and recognition

During her tenure as superintendent, Milwaukee Public Schools earned a Silver Well Workplace award from the Wellness Council of America and a Distinguished Budget Presentation award from the

Government Finance Officers Association The Government Finance Officers Association (or GFOA) is a professional association of approximately 19,000 state, provincial, and local government finance officers in the United States and Canada. GFOA is headquartered in downtown Chicago. Name ...

. In January 2015, Driver Hudson was a "40 Under 40 award recipient" from ''Milwaukee Business Journal''. In 2017, Driver Hudson was named Most Valuable Person by the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Milwaukee.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Driver, Darienne 1978 births Living people School superintendents in Wisconsin Harvard Graduate School of Education alumni Spelman College alumni University of Michigan School of Education alumni American women chief executives American nonprofit chief executives