Presidential Search Listening Sessions

Having served as a Partner at Isaacson, Miller from 2005-2007, Dr. Miller rejoined the firm as a Partner in 2016 and led the firm's preK-12 education and education improvement practice.  Her search practice has included nonprofit, foundation, and advocacy leaders as well as college and university presidents and deans.  Dr. Miller joined the firm's Executive Committee in 2017 and assumed the role of President and CEO in 2021.  

Working closely with the Chair, the Executive Committee, and the Management Committee, Dr. Miller guides firm strategy and execution and oversees firmwide operations.  

Dr. Miller brings a wealth of leadership experience in the non-profit sector and government, as well as experience in the for-profit arena and academia.  She was a senior advisor to the U.S. Secretary of Education in the Obama administration after being nominated for Assistant Secretary for Postsecondary Education in the U.S. Department of Education.  Earlier in her career, Dr. Miller served as the Vice President for Operations and Strategic Leadership at the Education Trust, leading the day-to-day management of the national education research and advocacy organization.  Additionally, Dr. Miller served as President and Chief Operating Officer of the McKenzie Group (now part of American Institutes for Research), a comprehensive education consulting firm.  From 1997 through 2000, she served as legislative assistant to U.S. Senator Bob Kerrey, advising the senator on elementary, secondary, and postsecondary education policy issues.  Before her time on the Hill, Dr. Miller was an assistant professor of English literature at Mills College in Oakland, California.  Prior to launching her career in education, she was an editor at Washingtonian magazine.  

Dr. Miller currently serves on a number of nonprofit boards and is a member of Leadership Greater Washington.  

Mr. Brooks III's practice as an executive search consultant is informed by the diversity of his leadership experiences spanning a broad range of mission driven institutions.  He has successfully recruited chief executive, c-suite and senior functional leaders for organizations across sectors including higher education, k-12 education and youth development, academic medicine/health equity, philanthropy, faith-related institutions, and collective impact organizations.  Additionally, Mr. Brooks III serves as co-lead of Isaacson, Miller's social justice advocacy practice.  

Prior to joining Isaacson, Miller, Mr. Brooks III served as President and CEO of Academy of Preachers, Inc., a national ecumenical professional development organization for clergy affiliated with The Lilly Endowment, Inc. Mr. Brooks III previously served as Special Assistant to the CEO of The Martin Luther King Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change, was a Higher Education Fellow for Graduate Diversity Initiatives at the University of Chicago and Assistant Dean of the Martin Luther King Jr. International Chapel at Morehouse College.  Earlier in his career, Mr. Brooks III served as a community organizer and program developer supporting youth leadership and parent-community education advocacy and empowerment initiatives.  

A passionate advocate for effective social-sector leadership, Mr. Brooks III has served on governance and advisory boards for several national and local organizations including Interfaith Community Initiatives, Southern Initiative Algebra Project, Rural School and Community Trust, Forum for Theological Exploration, and Omicron Delta Kappa national leadership honor society.  

Ms. Johnson brings over a decade of higher education administration experience, with much of her experience in admissions and enrollment management.  Prior to joining Isaacson, Miller she served as the Director of Admissions and Recruitment at American University and the Executive Director for Admissions at Trinity Washington University and is currently completing her doctoral degree at The George Washington University in Higher Education Administration.  She has worked on a broad array of searches with a particular focus on equity, diversity, and inclusion / Chief Diversity Officers and enrollment management searches.  

Her passion for access and equity in higher education has led to her founding of The College Inclusion Ladder, LLC, an organization that assists high school and college students with the college admissions process, with a specific focus on assisting underrepresented groups.

Additionally, she serves as a mentor for first-generation college students through the Society for Collegiate Leadership and Achievement helping them navigate college, the graduate admissions process, and their careers.  Ms. Johnson is on the Associate Leadership Board for Phoenix Charter Academy and is also a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. 

Ms. Johnson holds a BA from Northeastern University and a MA from the University of Miami.