Denise Forte is the President and CEO at The Education Trust, a national advocacy organization
often described as “the most important truth teller” in American public education.
As one of the country’s leading voices on education equity, Denise is on the forefront of
engaging policymakers and diverse coalitions of advocates to advance progressive state and federal
education legislation on behalf of students of color and students from low-income backgrounds.
Her lifetime of service includes 20 years in senior congressional staff roles on Capitol Hill, and a
stint in the executive branch, serving in the Obama administration as Principal Deputy Assistant
Secretary and Acting Assistant Secretary in the Office of Planning, Evaluation and Policy Development in
the Department of Education.

Denise has a B.S. in Computer Science from Duke University, and a M.A. in Women’s Studies
from the George Washington University. She lives with her family in Washington, D.C.