Jodie Cantrell

Jodie Cantrell is a senior public affairs and communications leader with 18 years of experience in public affairs and communications, including 15 years in the charter schools and education space. She currently serves as Chief Public Affairs Officer at the Illinois Network of Charter Schools, where she leads communications, external affairs, executive messaging, media strategy, public policy, and issues management for the statewide membership and advocacy organization representing charter public schools across Illinois. Previously, she held leadership roles at KIPP Colorado, where she built the organization's first public affairs team, and at the KIPP Foundation, helping other cities and states develop similar advocacy and engagement models. Earlier in her career, she worked at After School Matters and public affairs firms in Chicago, gaining exposure to government, nonprofits, and urban education issues. She holds a degree in journalism with a minor in business from Indiana University Bloomington, where she was the first in her family to attend and graduate college.