Dr. Wise has also served in public and charter schools across the United States, including Alabama, Georgia, Arkansas, and Minnesota.
She has traveled extensively, volunteering for nonprofit organizations across Africa, Europe, Southeast Asia, and the Middle East.
Dr. Wise is the author of three children’s books: Johnny’s Birthday Surprise, Much Hairdo About Nothing, and Bye-Bye Big Bully.
She founded the Mary Hines Johnson Foundation in 2022, which she named after her great-great-aunt, Mary Hines Johnson, who started the first school for black children in segregated Franklin, Georgia, in 1941.
Dr. Wise understands the urgency of implementing programs that target at-risk girls and women because she went from an honor roll student and “Most Spirited Senior” to a high school dropout by the age of seventeen.
She states, “I was a trauma-filled adolescent without the tools to navigate that space effectively until I gained the self-determination, self-preservation, and self-actualization to own the process.” Dr. Wise adds, “I want to exemplify to other at-risk girls and women that one can overcome past challenges and become lifelong learners and contributing citizens because I did it, and they can too.”
Marshalette Wise, Ed.D.
Executive Director
Dr. Marshalette Wise was born and raised in Tuskegee, Alabama.
She has a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) in English Language Arts Education from Tuskegee University, a Master of Education (M.Ed.) in Educational Leadership from the University of Minnesota, and an Education Specialist (Ed.S.) in Educational Leadership as well as a Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) in School Improvement (Educational Leadership) with certification in Data Analysis and Evaluation Tools from the University of West Georgia.
Dr. Wise holds certifications in Educational Leadership, Education Administration, and K-12 Principalship in Alabama, Georgia, and Minnesota.
She is a transformative leader with over 24+ years of experience, including 15 years at institutions and universities internationally in South Korea, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates.