Tonnisha Ellis
Tonnisha Ellis is an Education Consultant with the Louisiana Department of Education, where she leads statewide strategies that expand work-based learning, career pathways, internships, cooperative education, and registered apprenticeships. A purpose-driven workforce strategist and policy leader based in Baton Rouge, she specializes in aligning K–12 education with business and industry needs to strengthen regional economies and expand opportunity. Her work centers on building scalable, student-centered systems that prepare young people and adult learners to thrive in Louisiana’s evolving labor market.
Throughout her career, Ellis has partnered with CEOs, superintendents, legislators, and community leaders to remove barriers to employment and drive policy innovation. In prior leadership roles at the Baton Rouge Area Chamber and the Louisiana Board of Regents, she advanced education and workforce policy initiatives, launched regional collaborations, and helped spearhead legislation supporting skills-based hiring and tax incentives for high school internships. She also served as Board President of IDEA Public Schools, guiding the organization through a complex dissolution process with a focus on compliance, fiscal accountability, and transparent stakeholder engagement. Known for her strategic, collaborative, and outcomes-driven leadership style, she consistently bridges vision with execution to deliver measurable impact.
Ellis is currently pursuing a Doctor of Education in Adult Education and Workforce Development at Northwestern University and holds a master’s degree from Southern University and Agricultural and Mechanical College at Baton Rouge. Beyond her professional work, she serves in leadership roles with community organizations including the Junior League and the YMCA, mentoring and investing in the next generation of leaders. Guided by a clear mission—to empower people, strengthen communities, and position organizations for long-term success—Ellis continues to champion education-to-employment strategies that keep Louisiana talent thriving at home.
• Social and Behavioral Research
• Skills-Based Hiring Training
• Northwestern University
• Southern University and Agricultural and Mechanical College at Baton Rouge
• JUNIOR LEAGUE OF BATON ROUGE INC
• YMCA Dow
What do you attribute your success to?
I am a woman of faith. I understand that I am nothing without God. My journey has helped me define my why and my desire to leave this earth better than I found it, using education advocacy and workforce advocacy and policy as that vehicle to do so. The desire for wanting to have a career, to be a mom, and to balance it all is how I found my true passion.
What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
Number one, always respond but you cannot react. Number two, take nothing personal. Number three, never sacrifice your integrity and character, because you have to be able to go to sleep at night with the decisions that you make. And then more recently, wisdom by Mel Robbins. I think my absolute favorite is a quote by Winston Churchill: You will never reach your destination if you throw stones at every dog that barks.
What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
This work is heavy. Define your why, and stay focused on it.
What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
Shifting mindsets is the biggest challenge that I face in this industry.
What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
Being authentic and leading with a servant's heart are most important to me. I always try to be willing to lend a helping hand when I'm able to. And I'm a woman of faith - I understand that I am nothing without God.