Dr. Marla M. Dean

Founder and Chief Learning Officer, Dean’s List Consulting

Dr. Marla M. Dean has over 30 years of teaching, coaching, leadership, nonprofit, and executive experience. Currently, Marla through her consulting firm, Dean’s List Consulting, is providing strategic executive leadership to a $95 million health equity fund at the Greater Washington Community Foundation, the Ascend Network at the Aspen Institute, the National Association for the Education of the Young Child (NAYEC) on their work with the Child Care for Every Family Network (CC4EFN) and Bellwether Education Partners. 

Marla is an expert on the whole child and two generation approaches.  She has a Tedx Talk on the subject of 2Gen Policy and Approaches; a pathway out of poverty.  

Currently, Marla serves as the current chair for Ward 7 Education Council.  She is the national board chair for birdSeed Foundation, an organization dedicated to ensuring black and brown homeownership in cities with rapid displacement and a board member on the District of Columbia Early Learning Collaborative (DCELC) and R Street Institute.  Marla has served on numerous non-profit boards and District government councils, commissions, taskforces and transition committees.

Finally, Marla is a member of the 2020 Class of Leadership Greater Washington and a proud member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.  And she is a wife and mother to Steve and Aaron who graduated from Morehouse College.

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