Dr. Jann Coles is a leadership development consultant and emotional intelligence coach for education, business and non-profit organizations and facilitates Respect for All workshops for school personnel on all levels. She is an adjunct associate professor at Hunter College and Teachers College, Columbia University. She previously taught at Fordham University Graduate School of Education and Baruch College in New York City, where she developed courses in leadership, change and diversity.

As a former Superintendent for the New York City Department of Education Office of Adult and Continuing Education (OACE), Dr. Coles transformed the Office, which served 40,000 students, from “unacceptable” to “proficient” status. Dr. Coles designed a leadership program for the Forrest City, AR School District and provided leadership training for the Regional Directors of AUSL, a Chicago-based school turnaround organization. She co-founded and served as Chief Program Officer for the National Principals Leadership Institute and co-created and directed the School Innovation and Change Awards program.

Prior to joining OACE, Dr. Coles was the National Director of Principal Support and Coaching for New Leaders for New Schools, a national aspiring principal program.
Preceding New Leaders, Dr. Coles led a failing urban secondary school (grades 6-12) from the worst in New York State to achieving exemplary status and facilitated the design teams for many new and restructured schools. She also conceived and conducted leadership training programs in various school districts and business organizations across the country and abroad. As a manager of corporate education at Colgate-Palmolive Company, she co-founded Partners for Leadership, a school/business principal development program, and created Citywide Shadow Day, a program that introduced middle school students to the world of work.

Dr. Coles earned her Ph.D. in Educational Leadership and a Master’s Degree in Adult Education and Human Development from Fordham University. She received a Fine Arts Degree from New York University. She is a winner of the School and Business Alliance Corporate Partnership Award, the Conference Board Business and Education Council Best of Class Award, Middle Schools Association Annual Award, the Black Achievers in Industry Award, and received Special Commendation by Barbara Bush for Outstanding Service to Learning Disabled Children.