Literacy Lights the Way Luncheon

Penny (Lee) Schwinn is a seasoned executive with two decades of experience in education, public policy, and
systems leadership. From 2019 to 2023, she served as Tennessee’s Education Commissioner, where she led major
statewide reforms — including an overhaul of the state’s school funding formula, a comprehensive literacy initiative, the country’s largest high-dosage tutoring program, and the nation’s first federally-recognized teacher apprenticeship. The results of her tenure are reflected on the 2024 NAEP, in which Tennessee ranked #1 for 8th grade math improvement, jumped 10+ spots in all four core categories — the only state to do so — and ranked in the top 25 nationally in math and reading for the first time in state history. A University of Oklahoma study ranked Tennessee #1 among SEC states and 17th nationally, up from 30th when she took office. Following her tenure, Penny serves as an Operating Partner at the Vistria Group and Senior Advisor with Emerson Collective and WBA. A nationally recognized voice on education, she also advises leaders across public, private, and philanthropic sectors on how to drive measurable student outcomes at scale — bringing a rare combination of government leadership, operational experience, and outcomes-driven results to complex challenges. She holds
degrees from UC Berkeley, Johns Hopkins, and CGU.