Keegan Prue, Managing Director of Strategy and Communications
Keegan Prue is the Managing Director of Strategy and Communications at the Institute. In this capacity, he oversees the Institute’s efforts to build and maintain relationships with key strategic partners including leaders across the SUNY system and at SUNY campuses, other national charter authorizers, education advocacy and support organizations, philanthropies, researchers, and school leaders and boards of trustees. His goal is to enact effective systems that support the health of the more than 230 charter schools the Institute authorizes, to build connections that promote the sharing of effective practices and partnerships across the education sector, and to highlight the rigorous systems SUNY has in place to support the planning and operation of successful schools He also oversees all preparation and planning for meetings of the SUNY Board of Trustees Charter Schools Committee.
In previous roles at the Institute, Keegan led the new charter application process and directed the compliance team. He began his career as a 3rd grade teacher in East Harlem before serving as an Assistant Principal and Manager of Strategic Planning at a high-performing charter network in New York City. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy from Hobart and William Smith Colleges and a Master’s in Education from the Harvard Graduate School of Education.
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Mike Lesczinski, Director of Strategy and Communications
Mike Lesczinski serves as the Institute’s Director of Strategy and Communications. In this role, he is responsible for communications strategy, planning, and messaging, and serves as the primary point of contact with the media and government officials. He also assists the Managing Director of Strategy and Communications with the Institute’s efforts to build and maintain relationships with key strategic partners including leaders across the SUNY system and at SUNY campuses, other national charter authorizers, education advocacy and support organizations, philanthropies, researchers, and school leaders and boards of trustees.
Prior to joining the Institute, Mr. Lesczinski served as the Chief Communications and Government Affairs Officer at Excelsior College. A member of the College’s executive staff, Mr. Lesczinski offered strategic counsel to the president, acted as Excelsior’s primary spokesperson and speechwriter, and managed both internal and crisis communications. He was also responsible for advancing the institution’s government relations agenda and actively involved with both college-wide operations and policy-making activities. Mr. Lesczinski earned his Bachelor of Arts from the University of Rochester and Master of Public Administration from the SUNY Albany.