Debra Kurshan is Propel’s Chief Operating Officer. In her role she oversees all operations, data and evaluation, technology, and finance functions for the organization. Debra previously served as a Vice President in EY-Parthenon’s Education Practice where she consulted with school districts and foundations related to strategy, district finance and organizational redesign.

Prior to joining EY-Parthenon, Kurshan served as the Chief Turnaround Officer at the Connecticut State Department of Education. She also worked at the New York City Department of Education where she led the Office of Portfolio Planning and helped start the iZone, New York City’s Office of Innovation. Kurshan served as a White House Fellow in the Obama Administration where she worked at NASA on strategy and STEM education projects.

Kurshan started her career as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Ghana and went on to work on international educational technology projects. Kurshan holds an MBA from Columbia Business School and graduated Phi Beta Kappa with a BA in Urban Studies from the University of Pennsylvania.