Alexa Cortes Culwell, Chief Executive Officer
As chief executive officer, Alexa is responsible for the Stupski Foundation’s overall performance and effectiveness toward its goal of transforming our public education system so that all students are prepared for college, career and meaningful lives, particularly students of poverty and color.

Alexa’s career has centered on building high performing nonprofit organizations that are better equipped to deliver greater social impact. Prior to joining Stupski in 2006, she served as CEO of the Charles and Helen Schwab Foundation, directing its program development and growth over more than a decade. During her tenure, the foundation's operating program in learning disabilities grew to serve a national audience of millions, becoming the most trusted resource in the country for families struggling with this issue. She also directed initiative-based grant making programs in homelessness, poverty prevention and substance abuse, winning national recognition for the foundation's outstanding contributions, particularly in building the capacity of local nonprofits.

Alexa began her career in communications, helping nonprofit organizations tell their stories. This sparked an interest in how to effectively manage nonprofit organizations, which lead her to the American Heart Association, where she developed community leadership and education and fundraising programs.

As a civic volunteer for the past 18 years, Alexa has been an active in guiding the growth and development of New Door Ventures, a pioneering social enterprise in San Francisco that provides jobs, support services and community to at-risk youth. 

Nelson González, Chief Strategy Officer
Nelson joined the foundation in 2008 after serving as a consultant to the organization and helping to guide the development of a new strategic direction and programmatic orientation. His responsibilities include strategy implementation and review, program design and execution, knowledge management and evaluation, and partnerships.

Formerly, Nelson was the founder and managing director of the Advent Strategy Group, a global management consulting firm helping institutions in all sectors align strategy and organization toward greater social impact. For more than 13 years — at Advent Strategy Group, Booz Allen & Hamilton, World Vision and the British Royal Household, he led engagements in philanthropy, education, international development, public and foreign policy, media, the arts and public health for corporate, multilateral, governmental, foundation and nonprofit clients in 12 countries on five continents.

He also served as director of the Royal Institution World Science Assembly, where he led a global initiative on pandemic preparedness that engaged global pharmaceutical firms, the United Nations, several national ministries of health, and major science and foreign policy journals on issues of vaccine development, disease surveillance, public health infrastructure and emergency preparedness.

Nelson received a B.A. in political science from Amherst College and did his doctoral work at the London School of Economics and Political Science. He was tutored in theology and philosophy at Oxford University, and has been a Fellow at the Catholic University of Louvain, Belgium; Columbia University in New York; and New York University. A native Colombian, he is fluent in both Spanish and French.

Gerrita Postlewait, Chief K12 Officer
Gerrita has served as a district superintendent for many years, most recently completing a decade’s tenure as superintendent in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. She served as president of the South Carolina Superintendents Association, was named the state’s Superintendent of the Year and the South Carolina School Boards’ Outstanding Superintendent of the Year.

She has been actively involved at the state and national levels in school reform and has received many recognitions, including distinction as a Fellow of the National Effective Schools Institute; designation as West Virginia's Leader of Learning; recipient of an Honorary Doctorate Degree for distinguished public service; recipient of the exemplary service award from the Association of Teacher Educators; and selection to the governing board of the American Association of School Administrators. She currently serves as a member of the South Carolina State Board of Education and the ETV Endowment Board.

René Durazzo, Chief Communications and Policy Officer
René joined the foundation in March 2009 to create and execute cutting-edge branding, communications and public policy strategies that meaningfully and measurably advance the foundation’s mission of improving life options for children of color and poverty through high quality education. He is also a member of the foundation’s executive team.

Prior to joining the Stupski Foundation, René spent over 18 years in the health arena leading domestic and global programs at the internationally recognized San Francisco AIDS Foundation and at its affiliate, the Pangaea Global AIDS Foundation. His expertise includes development and management of large scale public education campaigns; strategic communications programs; local, state and federal public policy and advocacy strategies; and oversight of community-based human service programs. René’s professional accomplishments range from leading highly effective advocacy campaigns to secure significant increases in HIV/AIDS federal funding to mobilizing on-the-ground HIV/AIDS treatment and care delivery programs in South Africa. His professional background also includes ten years in television journalism. Most recently, René was the vice-president for strategy and business development at The Sheridan Group, a Washington D.C-based advocacy and communications consultancy that partners with nonprofit organizations to influence public policy on an array of social change issues at the national level.

René received his Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the University of California at Berkeley and his Master of Arts in Journalism from the University of Missouri-Columbia.

Thomas Thomas, Chief Finance Officer
Thomas joined the Stupski Foundation in December 2009 to seamlessly integrate finance/accounting, HR and IT operations to support successful program implementation. As CFO, he serves as an integral part of the executive leadership team.

Prior to joining the foundation, Thomas had a distinguished 12-year career in finance at Genentech, the South San Francisco-based firm which is considered the founder of the biotechnology industry. There, he held numerous positions including Treasury Manager, Assistant Treasurer and, most recently, Corporate Treasurer. During his tenure at Genentech, Thomas' responsibilities included risk management, financial strategy, business continuity, real estate and global procurement. Before joining Genentech, Thomas was manager of financial strategy for Del Monte Foods in San Francisco and a financial analyst with GE Capital in Stamford, CT.

Thomas received his bachelor’s degree and an MBA from the University of Cincinnati. He also holds a CFA (Chartered Financial Analyst) from the CFA institute.

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