YAF Director selected for Influence 100!

We are thrilled to recognize YAF Board Member, Darnell Thigpen Williams, for his selection to the Massachusetts' Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) "Influence 100"!

This is a program in which school districts select rising leaders to participate in a two-year fellowship to prepare for the superintendent role through monthly training and ongoing support in key aspects of the superintendency, with a particular focus on equity. Superintendents and a school committee member agree to participate with the Influence 100 fellow(s) in professional development and technical assistance with DESE to enhance their strategic planning for equity.

In 2019, only 4% of Massachusetts school superintendents were people of color, while 40% of the students served by public school districts were people of color. In the fall of 2019 DESE launched Influence 100 to increase the racial and ethnic diversity of superintendents in Massachusetts, create more culturally responsive districts and leaders across the Commonwealth, and promote better outcomes for students. Since the program's inception, the number of superintendents of color has steadily increased to over 8% in 2024.

Darnell is currently the Director of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Well-Being at Belmont Public Schools.