Nathan R. Monell, CAE

Nathan R. Monell, CAE, joined National PTA as executive director in May 2015. Throughout his entire career, Nathan has pushed to help improve the lives of individuals who are often marginalized by multiple life factors. At America’s oldest and largest volunteer child advocacy association, he is working side-by-side with parents, teachers and policymakers at every level to help ensure the educational success of our nation’s children. Founded in 1897, PTA has been a leading voice in policy decisions that have forever changed the lives of America’s children, including the passage of child labor laws, ensuring hot and nutritious lunches in schools, improvements to the unfair and punitive treatment of children in the justice system, and increased education opportunities for all children. With more than 24,000 local units, PTA flourishes in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico and the Department of Defense Schools in Europe. For 26 years, Nathan has provided strategic leadership to organizations in the areas of: youth and adult mental health services, educational and employment outcomes, health and substance abuse prevention service, and housing and social services for families. Most recently he served as the president and CEO of the National Council for Community and Education Partnerships, the Department of Education-designated technical assistance and training provider for the $300 million GEAR UP college access and readiness program. Nathan is a Certified Association Executive with the American Society of Association Executive (ASAE). He earned a Certificate in Nonprofit Management from Georgetown University, a Master of Arts in communication studies (organizational communications/behavior) from the University of Michigan, and a Bachelor of Arts in speech from Cornerstone University. Nathan has received more than 40 awards, the most recent being the 2012 Kentucky College Access Advocate of the Year by the Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education. He consults with and trains nonprofit executives, boards of directors and others in the advancement of the nonprofit profession and management. He is a proud PTA dad of his two adopted children, Zalo, 14 and Kira, 12.