Dr. Anastasia Lindo Anderson is chief executive officer of EMERGE, a Houston-based nonprofit that helps high-achieving students from low-income communities apply to, attend, and graduate from the nation's top colleges and universities. She has been a leader in public education for over 25 years, having begun her career as a middle school English teacher with Teach For America in 1993. She later served as an elementary and middle school principal and as a School Improvement Officer (Assistant Superintendent) in Houston Independent School District (HISD).
Before joining EMERGE in April 2022, she was the Superintendent of Schools for Promise Community School District (PCSD) at BakerRipley, Houston’s largest community development nonprofit. Prior to her leadership, PCSD was on the verge of being closed by the state. As Superintendent, she transformed the school system, creating a high-performance, student-centered culture focused on crafting today’s innovative community school model. Under her leadership, the district increased academic performance and enrollment and earned a 10-year renewal from state regulators.
She has received a History Makers Award from Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner, a Champions of Education award from Teach for America Houston and has been named Educator of the Year by the Houston Chapter of the National Black MBA Association. She have extensive coaching experience as a leadership coach in the Houston A+ Challenge New Visions in Leadership Academy and as a principal mentor in HISD’s Aspiring Principals’ Institute. She recently become a senior fellow with the American Leadership Forum (Class LIV) and was also a member of the 2016 Center for Houston’s Future Business/Civic Leadership Forum Class. Additionally, she volunteers as a member of the board for the Woods Project, which creates wilderness education and exploration experiences that develop critical behaviors needed for disadvantaged students to achieve success in school and life.