Expansion of Golden Apple Senior Leadership Team

We are delighted to announce the promotion of Kesa Thurman-Stovall to the senior leadership team as the Vice President of Mentoring & Teacher Development.  

Kesa's new role will help us strengthen our impact on teachers and students across Illinois. Kesa will be accountable for the mentoring of new teachers in Golden Apple programs – inclusive of, but not limited to, the management of mentoring of Golden Apple’s two teacher preparation programs: the Golden Apple Scholars Program and the Golden Apple Accelerators program. The Golden Apple Scholars program supports undergraduates and those in their first years of teaching while the Golden Apple Accelerators program is our new licensure and residency program for career changers who seek to enter teaching in southern, central, and western Illinois. 

As a former school principal herself, she not only knows outstanding educational instruction, but she knows how to lead. Since joining our team in October 2017, Kesa has nearly tripled the mentoring team to serve a growing base of Golden Apple Scholars while leading the team to further advance the quality and rigor of the support they provide.  

Kesa joined The Golden Apple Foundation as a 1992 Golden Apple Scholar. She is a Crystal Apple Recipient, and has served as an educational consultant for Golden Apple as a Scholar Institute Director and Mentor to Teaching Scholars. She brings over 10 years of teaching experience to Golden Apple, with roles as a K-8 instructor in Chicago Public Schools, Lead Teacher and Lead Plus Teacher. 

In addition to her teaching experience, Kesa also served as a New Leaders Resident Principal and was a high-impact Principal. Kesa is an Illinois State Board of Education Certified Evaluator and has her Professional Educators License along with her Illinois Type 75 Administrator Certification. She graduated with her M.A. in Educational Leadership from Governors State University and has her B.A. in Elementary Education from National Louis University.

Please join us in congratulating Kesa on her promotion and her expanded role at The Golden Apple Foundation.