Chicago Public Schools Taps District Talent to Fill Key Leadership Roles

CHICAGO – With the first day of classes quickly approaching on Monday, August 22, Chicago Public Schools (CPS) announced today that eight of the District’s current leaders are stepping into top administrative roles. All are dedicated CPS professionals who have been promoted from within the District to take on new challenges and responsibilities. More than half are proud CPS alums, and six of the eight have previously served as District principals, giving them a strong foundation for understanding the needs of CPS students and their families. 

“I am proud to have such intelligent, dedicated professionals as my partners in ensuring Chicago Public Schools provides students from every community in our city with the education they deserve,” said CPS CEO Pedro Martinez, also a CPS alum. “Everyone who is taking on these roles wants the absolute best for our school communities, and through their passion and professionalism, our students will see the best that the District has to offer.”

New District-level leaders include:

• Charles Mayfield, Interim Chief Operating Officer, from Chief Procurement Officer
• Dr. Annise Lewis, Chief of Schools, Network 11, from Chief of the Academy for Urban School Leadership (AUSL)
• Dr. Tiffany Brown, Deputy Chief of Schools, from principal of Wendell Smith Elementary School
• Dr. Ethan Netterstrom, Deputy Chief of Schools, Network 7, from Executive Director - School Support in the Office of Network Support
• Patricia Harper Reynolds, Deputy Chief of Schools, Network 9, from principal of Walsh Elementary School
• Dr. Anthony Rodriguez, Deputy Chief of Schools, Network 16, from principal of Schurz High School  
• Judith Camacho-Campbell, Deputy Chief of Staff to the CEO, from Acting Deputy Chief of Staff to the CEO
• Ali N. Muhammad, Deputy Chief for the Office of Student Readiness, Office of College and Career Success, from principal of Corliss High School

The biographies for these leaders are as follows: 

CHARLES MAYFIELD, Interim Chief Operating Officer

As Interim Chief Operating Officer, Mayfield will partner closely with the CEO and other District leaders to ensure that CPS’ priorities and core values are reflected through the resources and services provided to students, staff, and families. 

Prior to this role, Mayfield served as the District’s Chief Procurement Officer, where he was responsible for providing the highest quality and value of goods and services for the District. He oversaw vendor management services to schools and Central Office locations to ensure the District’s procurement practices were aligned with the District’s mission and values, including business diversity. 

A graduate of CPS, Mayfield is an Air Force veteran and earned a bachelor’s degree in marketing and a master of business administration from Southern Illinois University.

DR. ANNISE LEWIS, Chief of Schools, Network 11

An urban educator with 20 years of instructional and organizational leadership experience, Lewis served as a teacher, assistant principal, and district leader in North Carolina before moving to Chicago and beginning her 12-year career with CPS.

During her time with the District, Lewis has served as Assistant Principal at Collins Academy High School, Principal at Deneen School of Excellence, and Director of School Leadership and Chief of Schools for the Academy for Urban School Leadership (AUSL).

Lewis holds a Bachelor's degree in Psychology and Masters in Teaching from Hampton University, a Masters in School Administration from Gardner-Webb University, and a Doctorate in Educational Leadership with a Superintendent’s endorsement from National Louis University.

DR. TIFFANY BROWN, Deputy Chief of Schools

As the District’s deputy chief of Schools, Brown is responsible for developing, coaching, and supporting school leaders as they work to ensure that all students have the opportunities they need to be successful. She comes to this role after 10 years as the principal of Chicago’s Wendell Smith Elementary School. Prior to this role, she served as an assistant principal, math and science coach, teacher leader, and teacher in various schools throughout the District. In addition, Brown has served as a new principal mentor, a resident principal mentor, and Chicago Principal Fellow. 

Brown is a Chicago native and proud CPS graduate. She holds a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from Chicago State University, a master’s degree in educational administration from American College of Education, and a Doctorate in educational leadership from National Louis University.

DR. ETHAN NETTERSTROM, Chief of Schools, Network 7

Dr. Netterstrom’s 15-plus years of educational leadership have included serving as the founding principal of Chicago’s Skinner North School, which received the National Blue Ribbon Award in 2016. After serving for three years as the Executive Director of Curriculum and Instruction and the Director of Advanced Learning in Wisconsin’s Madison Metropolitan School District (MMSD), he returned to CPS in 2020 as the District’s Executive Director for School Supports in the Office of Network Support (ONS), where his team successfully updated the Tiered Support Model that provides support to 40 Collaborative Schools from across geographic networks. 

Netterstrom earned a B.A. in English/History from Northern Illinois University and a M.A. in Secondary Education from Roosevelt University. He also holds an Urban Educational Leadership Doctorate from the University of Illinois at Chicago. 

PATRICIA HARPER REYNOLDS, Deputy Chief of Schools, Network 9

A proud product of CPS schools, Reynolds is an informed instructional leader with a deep knowledge of designing and implementing successful strategies that build capacity and effectively guide schools toward continuous instructional improvement.

Reynolds served most recently as the principal of John A. Walsh Elementary, and prior to that, was the principal at Austin College and Career Academy and assistant principal at Prosser Career Academy. She has also served as an Instructional Support Leader for both the Westside High School Network and Network 7, and was a classroom teacher for almost six years.

Patricia holds a B.A. in Communications from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, a Master of Education from Roosevelt University, and a Master of Educational Leadership from Concordia University, where she is currently working toward a Doctorate degree in Education.

DR. ANTHONY RODRIGUEZ, Deputy Chief of Schools, Network 16

Dr. Anthony Rodriguez recently completed his fifth year as the principal of Schurz High School and is honored to join Network 16 as Deputy Chief. During his tenure as principal, Schurz realized notable gains in college enrollment, early college credit attainment, on-track rates, and positive student behaviors.  

Rodriguez began his career at Benito Juarez Community Academy in 2002. Various CPS roles have included resident principal at Lafayette Elementary School and assistant principal at Schurz. 

Rodriguez earned his doctorate in Urban Education Leadership from UIC in 2015 and his superintendent endorsement in December of 2021.  

JUDITH CAMACHO-CAMPBELL, Deputy Chief of Staff to the CEO

A lifelong Chicagoan and proud product of CPS, Camacho-Campbell has 15 years of experience working in high-need communities as an advocate for parents and students. 

She has served the District for more than 10 years in multiple roles at the school, Network, and central office levels, most recently as interim Deputy Chief of Staff to the CEO.

Previous District positions include Director of Federal Affairs on the Intergovernmental Affairs team, and Director of Strategic Initiatives and Family and Community Engagement Manager for Network 6.

Camacho Campbell holds a Bachelor’s in Political Science from Boston University and a Master’s in Social Work from Loyola University. She is also a 2020 graduate of the University of Chicago’s Civic Leadership Academy and a member of the Chicago Latino Caucus Foundation’s Class of 2022.

ALI N. MUHAMMAD, Deputy Chief for the Office of Student Readiness, Office of College and Career Success

Muhammad is a proud CPS graduate who has served the District’s students for 20 years as an English teacher, assistant principal, School Turnaround Administrator, and principal. He is proud to have served as the Principal of his alma mater, Corliss Early College STEM High School, for the past five years.

During his time as a school leader, Muhammad worked diligently to create systems and structures to improve school climate and culture and provide students with multiple opportunities to experience success. He is looking forward to continuing the work of providing all CPS students with an equitable education that best meets their needs and abilities.  

Muhammad earned his B.A. in English Education from Rust College and holds a Master of Arts in School Leadership from Concordia University. 

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