Dr. Burgos is a career educator whose journey spans the public, nonprofit, and private education sectors. She currently leads the Wilmington Learning Collaborative, a cross-district partnership designed to accelerate school outcomes through increased autonomy and decision-making at the school level. She has spent over 20 years in the sector, previously serving as a principal, teacher, and nonprofit leader. Her areas of focus have included change management, leadership development, and cross-sector partnership. Dr. Burgos is an alum of the Harvard Graduate School of Education’s Ed.L.D. program and completed her residency at the Center for Educational Leadership (CEL) in Seattle, with a focus on the alignment of mission, strategy, and impact.
Carly has 20 years of leadership experience in schools and national education nonprofits in NYC, Philadelphia and Delaware. In her role as Director of Educator Pathways, she focuses on developing initiatives that support aspiring and current educators across schools within the WLC. Prior to joining the WLC, she served as the Senior Director of Program Delivery for City Year Philadelphia where she led the program team responsible for overseeing management and implementation of AmeriCorps service in schools across the School District of Philadelphia. Carly has held numerous program leadership roles within the education nonprofit sector, including iMentor NYC, a national college success mentoring program and Teach For America. Her previous work with Maritime Academy Charter School in Philadelphia, Harlem Village Academies in NYC and now the Wilmington Learning Collaborative in Delaware has shaped her understanding of the structured supports necessary for school success. Carly holds a Master of Public Administration from New York University’s Wagner School of Public Service and a Bachelor’s degree from the nation’s first HBCU, Cheyney University of Pennsylvania.
Devon brings a broad background in private and public sector finance, with leadership experience across federal, state, and local government. Most recently, he served as Assistant CFO at the U.S. House of Representatives, where he led enterprise-wide financial planning and performance management. Before that, he led Maryland’s Governor’s Office of Crime Prevention as CFO, overseeing a $300M+ budget and driving strategic improvements across fiscal, grants, and operational areas. Throughout his career, Devon has been focused on building high-performing teams, aligning finance with mission goals, and using data to drive better decisions. He has worked on ERP implementations, managed billion-dollar programs, and helped organizations navigate change, all while keeping a close eye on compliance, transparency, and long-term sustainability. Outside of work, Devon is a proud and long-standing Philly sports fan (Go Birds!), an aspiring entrepreneur, and someone who’s always up for new experiences, whether that’s trying a new recipe in the kitchen, exploring a different part of the world, or learning something new in business. He strongly believes in continuous personal growth, bringing energy, curiosity, and a bit of humor into everything he does. Devon holds a Master of Taxation from Temple University’s Fox School of Business and Management and a Bachelor’s degree from The Graves School of Business and Management at Morgan State University.
Dr. Kecia Nesmith, Director of Professional Learning for the Wilmington Learning Collaborative, brings over 25 years of K–12 experience leading teaching, learning, and school improvement efforts across urban, suburban, and rural districts. She has served as principal, supervisor of teaching and learning, teacher leader and classroom teacher, building programs where both teachers and students thrive. Dr. Nesmith has expanded rigorous programs, scaled MTSS across multiple systems, and overseen award-winning world languages, music, reading, and cyber programs. She develops culturally responsive and sustaining professional learning, strengthens instruction, and fosters collective teacher efficacy while cultivating strong partnerships with families and communities. She holds a Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership from the University of Delaware, a Masters in School Leadership from Wilmington University, a Masters in Teaching English as a Second Language and a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education with a Minor in Spanish from West Chester University. A longtime Delaware resident, she is a devoted wife and mother of two who enjoys salsa dancing, singing, volunteering with her sorority, and spending time with her extended family.
Our council members contribute collective wisdom for driving impactful decisions at the WLC.
Helen Anderson
WLC Chair, Mayoral Appointee
AJe’ J. English
WLC Vice Chair, Red Clay School District
Dr. Deirdra Joyner
Christina School District Superintendent
Dr. Dorrell Green
Red Clay School District Superintendent
Dr. Lisa Lawson
Brandywine School District Superintendent
Mia Elliott
Christina School District Parent Representative
Shannon Troncoso
Christina School District Board Representative
Rahid Flonnory
Student Representative
School Principals
The school principals shaping educational excellence are the heartbeat of our WLC schools.
Tracey Roberts
Harlan Elementary School
Andrea Collins-White
Stubbs Early Education Center
Dr. Tongela Ginyard
The Bayard School
Sara Toussaint-Moody
Maurice Pritchett Sr. Academy
Tessa Wallace
Pulaski Early Education Center
Deborah Ashton
Shortlidge Academy
Kimberly G. Price
Warner Elementary School
Dr. Rasheen Booker
Joseph E. Johnson Elementary School
Christopher Romano
William C. Lewis Dual Language Elementary School
Educator Leader Team
The Educational Leadership Team (ELT) is composed of teachers and staff members from our partner schools and acts as the decision-making body for those schools. The ELT is currently navigating its first major decision concerning the approach to one of its outcomes. This decision marks a significant step in the team’s journey as they exercise full autonomy and authority over shaping the educational landscape.
Some examples of ELT Innovation Projects currently underway include creating sensory rooms for our schools, implementing professional development programs, collaborating with other schools nationwide to learn about best practices, and many others.
Partners
At the WLC, our mission is made possible through the invaluable support of our diverse partners, including community organizations, educational institutions, and government agencies. Their collaboration is crucial to driving meaningful change in our schools and creating a lasting impact for our students.
