Launch Michigan announces Venessa Keesler as its new president & CEO

Launch Michigan, a bipartisan nonprofit organization dedicated to reimagining Michigan’s public education system through policy and advocacy, today announced the hiring of Venessa Keesler as its president and chief executive officer.

Prior to leading Launch Michigan, Keesler was a senior project director and subject matter expert for AEM Corporation, a national education firm that supports the U.S. Department of Education and numerous states on education reform priorities. She was also deputy superintendent for the Division of Educator, Student and School Support at the Michigan Department of Education, where she supervised assessment, accountability, the educator pipeline, standards, curriculum and instruction, federal title programs, educational technology and charter schools.

“Launch Michigan is focused on creating positive changes that will benefit Michigan’s students, teachers, economy and workforce,” said Jeff Donofrio, president and CEO of Business Leaders for Michigan and Launch Michigan board chair. “Venessa’s leadership will undoubtedly enhance our collective efforts to provide a world-class education for every student in Michigan.”

Keesler provided leadership and oversight for the creation, development, and implementation of Michigan’s strategic research approach, including the current Michigan Education Research Initiative. She began her career in education as a seventh-grade social studies teacher in Brockton, Massachusetts.

“I am thankful to have a former teacher with a deep understanding of education policy in this role,” said Michigan Education Association President Chandra Madafferi, an Oakland County teacher and Launch Michigan’s vice chair. “Venessa’s passion for Michigan will help build on Launch Michigan’s progress and move our mission forward. With all of us working together, I am more optimistic than ever about the future of public education here in Michigan.”

In April, Launch Michigan transitioned from a coalition of top state business, education, labor, and philanthropic leaders to a formal 501(c)(3) organization. Launch Michigan’s framework lays the groundwork to holistically transform K-12 education in Michigan and creates a pathway to post-secondary education and training. It includes strategies to improve Michigan’s education system and achieve world-class outcomes through balanced resources, governance and accountability.

“We’re in this together,” said Keesler. “Everyone has a role to play in improving our public education system, and we owe it to Michigan’s next generation to address challenges with urgency. Launch Michigan has the right group of people at the table to improve education in our state, and it is my privilege to work alongside these different stakeholders.”

Keesler holds a bachelor’s degree in sociology from Harvard University and a doctorate in measurement and quantitative methods from Michigan State University. She lives in East Lansing with her two children and hails from Corunna, Michigan.