Board Member Focus: Liza Sherman

“I hope the fruits of my labor are ripe for many generations to come.” 
-- Donovan Nichols

As the VP for Project Management at Sisung Group, one might think that Liza Sherman has enough on her plate.  Her projects include administration of a $173 million construction program at fourteen community and technical colleges throughout Louisiana, and a Medicaid funding consulting engagement. Yet even with those extensive responsibilities, Liza prioritizes volunteerism through board service at ReNEW Schools and as Chair of the Development Committee.

“I first became attuned to how critical the public education system was to overall quality of life for citizens of all socioeconomic backgrounds when I entered the workforce development arena in 2002,” said Sherman. “Across the board, employers reported scarcity of well-qualified, trainable and literate workers as their number one issue.”
 
According to this assessment, thousands of people in the Greater New Orleans region are stuck in low wage jobs with little to no career pathway.  With a better K-12 foundation, Sherman believes many could move into jobs that command living wages and have good career potential.  This realization prompted her to get engaged with ReN ​EW
  Schools. 
 
ReNEW Schools provides a rigorous, college preparatory education to historically underserved PK-12 students, yet there is one school in the network that has a special place in Liza’s heart: ReNEW Accelerated High School (RAHS). 
 
“RAHS works with overage, under-credited youth - many of whom have previously dropped out. We have homeless students, students who have been in jail and students who have children of their own,” said Sherman. “These students are dealing with tremendous life pressures, but they’ve all made the choice to return to school through ReNEW’s diploma and college track program. I’m so proud that RAHS graduated 72 students this past June, up 412% from the previous year.”
 
ReNEW’s 2nd Annual Future Takes Flight fundraiser, co-chaired by Scott & Marjorie Cowen, is coming up on Friday, October 4th.  With over $12,000 in silent auction items, sponsorship by Grey Goose, Bombay and Dewars, the evening is certain to be a blast.  100% of proceeds support ReNEW’s Summer College Trip program that sends approximately 500 students on college visits in five cities nationwide.  To purchase tickets, visit www.renewschools.org.
 
ReNEW Schools
ReNEW Accelerated High School
ReNEW Cultural Arts Academy (PreK-8)
ReNEW Dolores T. Aaron Elementary (PreK-8)
ReNEW SciTech Academy (PreK-8)
ReNEW Schaumburg Elementary (PreK-8)

The Top Shelf
The success of a charter school hinges largely on the decisions of its governing board. The Top Shelf enhances the capacity of charter school boards through professional development, board recruitment and community engagement. 

---