Ann Marie Fairweather

Ann Marie Fairweather

Chief People Officer

Annmarie Fairweather is the Chief People Officer of Learning Ally, responsible for leading all aspects of our People, Talent, and Culture practices.

Annmarie is an accomplished Human Resources leader with 30 years of experience having worked in a variety of industries with leaders and their teams to improve business outcomes, particularly during times of growth and rapid transformation by focusing on developing, aligning, and leading a global people strategy. She has served as a thought partner helping to translate business and people strategies into enterprise-wide goals and strategic plans through organizational and performance management, employee engagement, and change management.

She is passionate about learning and envisions leadership and team development as the ultimate competitive advantage. Her broad experience with small and mid-size companies as well as Fortune 500 organizations in developing and coaching leaders with demonstrated results and successful outcomes helped cultivate organizational cultures that embodied learning, innovation, and change to positively impact individuals, teams, and organizations.

While Annmarie is inspired to dedicate her time and talent in support Learning Ally’s mission she currently provides support to several non- profit organizations in her free time. They include participating as a member of the Castell Project Leadership Development Committee a group committed to helping women grow as leaders, providing training for the Hospitality Healthcare Network, a professional membership association in North America with the specific mission to provide training, networking, and advocacy specifically for healthcare hospitality houses, and supporting Shatterproof, a national nonprofit organization dedicated to reversing the addiction crisis in the United States, in educating communities to support those who are impacted by the disease of addiction.

Who We Are

We all have personal stories and motivations that connect us to the Learning Ally mission. Our strength comes from embracing our differences, enjoying and respecting each other, and sharing a passion and commitment to providing equity in education so each student is able to achieve their academic and life goals.

Leadership

Patrick Brennan
“I've always had a personal interest in creating equity and access for all learners, no matter where, or to whom they were born. At Learning Ally, we’re doing that.”
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Patrick Brennan

Vice President of Government Relations

Renee Davenport
“As a former classroom teacher, I am all too familiar with the challenges they face. I came to Learning Ally to join in partnership with Districts and to support building literacy leadership so that teachers have all the resources they need and deserve to support their students in success. ”
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Renee Davenport

Vice President and General Manager
of Education Sales

Andrew Friedman
“I see myself in the faces and the struggles of the students we serve. My best day at Learning Ally was being asked by an 8 year old student if she could just give me a hug, because Learning Ally had changed her life. I am proud to be part of an organization that deserves hugs!”
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Andrew Friedman

President and CEO

Cynthia Hamburger
“Because I have dyslexia in my family, I know what it means to struggle to read. I like knowing that we’re making that struggle a little less for our students.”
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Cynthia Hamburger

Senior Advisor

Jeff Ho
“I’ve worked at companies focused solely on profit, but at Learning Ally, when we say that we’re focused on helping students and educators first and foremost, we really mean it. I really appreciate that we’re making a difference.”
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Jeff Ho

Chief Machine Learning & Innovation Officer

Chris Lohse
“Partnering with Districts and States in educational equity has enormous potential for building a literate society and a generation that is healthier, happier and better equipped to tackle the world’s challenges. I’m thrilled to be a part of the Learning Ally mission”
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Chris Lohse

Chief of Staff

Molly Ness
“I'm excited to collaborate with like-minded passionate literacy advocates around effective instruction for all children. I'm thrilled for the chance to impact the professional lives of teachers and the literacy development of students.”
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Molly Ness, Ph.D.

Vice President of Academic Content

Terrie Noland
“A curiosity cap sits atop my head daily. I not only get curious. I stay curious and run headlong into a daily commitment to learn and grow. This curiosity has driven me to smash the literacy divide by sparking a flame of understanding and enthusiasm in others.”
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Terrie Noland, Ph.D., CALP

Vice President of Educator Initiatives

Lee Peters
“As a child of educators and a former adjunct university professor myself, I've witnessed far too many students with an acute lack of the literacy skills necessary for success in college and career. We're helping them change their trajectories.”
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Lee Peters

Chief Operating Officer

Missy Sherburne
“My former students, the educators I’ve worked with, my son and the millions of students who struggle to learn to read, inspire me to do this work. There’s a science to this work of literacy and we need to equip every educator to become literacy leaders, whether they teach Pre-K or Chemistry.”
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Missy Sherburne

Chief of Growth and Strategic Partnerships

Andrew Singleton
“My dream is for other diverse populations to stand on my shoulders to achieve more. That’s only possible if I make a concerted effort to remove all obstacles and help pave the foundation through an organization that embraces DE&I.”
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Andrew Singleton

National Director, Engagement and Inclusion

Elissa Tomasetti
“As the daughter of two NYC educators, I saw firsthand the profound impact teachers can have when they engage their students in learning. Our work at Learning Ally is my part in supporting educators in transformational change and smashing the literacy divide.”
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Elissa Tomasetti

Vice President of Marketing

Dawn Ulley
 "As an educator, I have seen firsthand the impact a teacher can have on a student's development. My continued work is to support educators in teaching and reaching students, to eliminate their struggle as readers and see them thrive as lifelong learners."
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Dawn Ulley

Vice President of Implementation Services

Steve Valvano
“I believe that the ability to read and grow in one's education is directly linked to one's degree of freedom in life...and what’s more important than that?”
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Steve Valvano

Vice President of Great People,
Human Resources

Heather Wiederstein
“My work here at Learning Ally feels a lot like "coming home.” Having started my career in the classroom, I've learned how to make the lives of students and teachers a little better. It also allows me to be a part of others' classroom practice through the solutions, software, and instruction we deliver.”
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Heather Wiederstein

Senior Advisor

Tim Wilson
“I have the opportunity to create life-changing impact through providing the tools that increase a student's ability to learn. Helping students reach their full potential is absolutely the best use of my time and knowledge.”
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Tim Wilson

Chief Financial Officer