CHARESE JORDAN MOORE
Director
Charese Jordan Moore has provided day-to-day leadership for Communities for Excellent Public Schools since April 2010 in its’ D.C.-based headquarters. Immediately prior to joining CEPS, Charese was deputy director at Interfaith Worker Justice, a national network of people of faith that educates, organizes, and mobilizes the religious community in the United States on issues and campaigns that will improve wages, benefits, and conditions for workers, and give voice to workers, especially workers in low-wage jobs. Charese also served as chief-of-staff for Alderman Joe Moore, one of Chicago’s most progressive City Council members. Charese brings over 20 years of experience in community, faith-based and political organizing, as well as strategic planning, organizational development, fundraising and campaign management. She is committed to using her experience and expertise in pursuit of social justice.
WILLIAM JARVIS JOHNSON
Organizing Director
William Jarvis Johnson is the Organizing Director for Communities for Excellent Public Schools and the senior pastor of New Prospect Family Praise and Worship Center in Washington, D.C. He has served for over seventeen years in the Christian Methodist Episcopal Church as senior pastor in Arizona, Alabama, Oklahoma, and California.
Jarvis served as the senior clergy organizer for Clergy and Laity United for Economic Justice (CLUE) in Los Angeles from 2000-2005, and was instrumental in organizing clergy and community leaders to defeat the Wal-Mart super center in Inglewood, California and also securing the largest Community Benefits Agreement (CBA) in U.S. history at Los Angeles International Airport. He has organized clergy in support of health care and hotel workers, security guards, living wages, immigrant rights and other low-income worker issues. He has served on educational reform panels, gang intervention, and race relations committees in Los Angeles and Washington D.C. He also served as the National Director of Interfaith Outreach for Wal-Mart Watch, Director of Organizing for the Maryland Advocates for Children and Youth, and worked on the Jena 6 issue in Louisiana while also doing his part in the restoration efforts in New Orleans, LA after Hurricane Katrina.
BILLY EASTON
Senior Campaign Advisor
Since 2005 Mr. Easton has been the Executive Director of one of the most dynamic statewide education advocacy coalitions in the country, the Alliance for Quality Education (AQE). AQE is a coalition of over 230 parent and community organizations from every region of New York State. Parents and parent organizations play a leadership role in identifying and articulating AQE’s agenda, strategies and priorities. Billy brings 28 years of experience in community and union organizing and a wealth of experience in strategy, media relations, politics and legislative activity to his work at AQE. In addition, Billy provided the leadership necessary to convene and launch Communities for Excellent Public Schools, a national coalition of 35 community organizing groups, and to develop a strong policy focus and strategy. Billy continues to serve CEPS as Senior Policy Advisor.
