Dr. Sherri Killins Stewart

Sherri Killins Stewart, Ed.D is the President/CEO of Leaders Making it Possible, Inc. Dr. Stewart works directly with state leaders to advance early childhood systems efforts in health, early learning, child safety and permanence, and family support, e.g., economic security, housing, and employment. She leads work to define and create intentional practices to tailor actions in early childhood systems, policies, programs, and leadership to prevent and reduce marginalization and increase opportunity. Her equity work includes co-leading the Equity Leaders Action Network (ELAN), a network of early childhood system leaders that aims to advance efforts to increase opportunity and remove barriers in policies, practices, and programs. Dr. Killins Stewart has worked at multiple levels in various states and communities to create tailored actions to benefit young children, their families, and communities.

Dr. Killins Stewart has worked as an advocate for children and families in various ways for more than 35 years, both as a direct care provider and in leadership roles on issues relating to children, families, and communities. Throughout her career, Dr. Killins Stewart has been committed to supporting families, both children and the adults who care for them as a nurse, through leadership and strategies in the workforce, housing, health, and education. Her efforts seek to increase access for families and communities to high-quality formal and informal opportunities and remove barriers in health, early care and education, employment, and other programs, strategies, and institutions, e.g., libraries and museums, to support family wellbeing. She is known for crossing organizational boundaries to create a child wellbeing and development lens in the work of informal organizations and within multiple state and local agencies, including education, public health, and housing.

Dr. Killins Stewart is the former Director of System Alignment and Integration and Co Director of State Services, Commissioner of Early Education and Care for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Vice President of Human Development and Operations at the Annie E. Casey Foundation, and CEO of Empower New Haven. She was a mayoral candidate in New Haven, Connecticut.

Dr. Killins Stewart has served on various boards, including the New Haven Housing Authority, New Haven Regional Workforce Board, and Connecticut Trails Girl Scouts. She was appointed and formerly served on the Regional Advisory Committee under the U.S. Department of Education and the M.A. Commission on Postpartum Depression. She formerly served as a member and co-chair of the New Haven Early Childhood Council. She currently serves on the Boston Children’s Museum Board of Advisors. She is presently the Vice Chair of NHCHild. Several organizations have recognized Dr. Killins Stewart; examples include the Massachusetts Reading Association Legislative Award for her leadership in promoting early childhood literacy and the Horizons for Homeless Children Public Leadership Award. She recently received the West Haven Black Coalition Community Service Award.

Dr. Killins Stewart holds a nursing degree from the University of Pittsburgh, a Master of Administrative Science from Johns Hopkins University, and a Doctorate in Counseling Psychology from the University of Sarasota.

Dr. Killins Stewart resides with her husband in New Haven, Connecticut, and Guyton, Georgia. She is the mother of three adult daughters.