Nakisha Hobbs, M.Ed.

Nakisha Hobbs, a Chicago native, and fourth-generation educator, began her journey in community organizing and education as an undergraduate student at the University of Illinois at Chicago. Nakisha continued her passion for addressing inequities in education by co-founding It Takes A Village Family of Schools in 2004 and Village Leadership Academy (VLA) in 2007. Recognized as a leader in education, Nakisha was tapped in July of 2018 to lead the State of Illinois’ Office of Early Childhood for the Illinois Department of Human Services. Her areas of expertise include Strategic Planning, Educational Leadership, Legislation, Family & Community Engagement, Public Speaking, Budget Administration, Grant Writing, and Advocacy work.