Matthew Brunell
Co-executive Director @Springfield Empowerment Zone Partnership
Signup · Get unlimited contacts
WORK HISTORY
Co-executive Director @Springfield Empowerment Zone Partnership
Springfield, MA, US
Systems Leadership & Innovation- Co-lead a network of 15 schools students) through a state-district-union partnership focused on innovation and equity- Oversee SEZP’s $85M annual school-based budget process and its implementation of an equity-centered accountability framework- Launched 9 new school models—including early college, dual language, and newcomer schools—with one selected as a national Carnegie Future of High School site.Student Outcomes & School Transformation- Increased high school graduation rates by 40% through systems-level redesign and targeted school-based interventions- Led SEZP to statewide recognition as a national model for school innovation, with 4 of the 6 Massachusetts 6–12 schools to exit underperforming status since 2017 located within the network- Oversaw a more than sevenfold increase in SEZP’s average accountability percentile over the past decade—marking the most consistent gains of any state-initiated intervention in Massachusetts- Elevated student outcomes across the network, with nearly 50% of SEZP students now attending schools performing above the 10th percentile—up from 0% in 2015.Equity & Talent Development- Led a 54% increase in educators of color and a 160% increase in school leaders of color over a five-year period- Raised $2.5M in philanthropic support from regional and national funders to fuel high school redesign and grow a pipeline of diverse school leaders- Served as lead negotiator for two teacher contracts over last six years, each prioritizing teacher voice and student-centered improvements; the agreements were ratified by 96% and 93% of SEZP teachers, respectively.Resource Mobilization & Community Partnerships- Secured $4M+ in first-time state grants to fund afterschool and summer programs across nearly 30 community-based organizations; led monitoring and evaluation.
EDUCATION
Boston College
Bachelor of Arts - BA, English
Boston College Law School
Doctor of Law (J.D.)
Boston College
Bachelor of Arts (B.A.), English
ABOUT MATTHEW BRUNELL
I’m a strategic advisor, systems leader, executive coach, and philanthropic partner with over 20 years of experience leading transformational work across human services—most prominently in K–12 education. I help nonprofit leaders, public systems, and foundations navigate complexity, lead through change, and design initiatives that align vision with sustainable impact.Through my consulting practice, I partner with foundations, school networks, and mission-driven organizations to lead strategic planning processes, guide investment strategy, and support leadership transitions. I’ve developed multi-year plans for philanthropic entities and schools, conducted executive searches for heads of school and nonprofit CEOs, and coached senior leaders through moments of scale, succession, and reinvention. My work spans founder pipeline design, portfolio evaluation, and initiative development—always grounded in clarity, equity, and results.In parallel, I serve as Co-Executive Director of the Springfield Empowerment Zone Partnership (SEZP), one of Massachusetts’ most successful and most inclusive education innovation efforts. Under my co-leadership, SEZP has launched nine new school models and driven significant gains in student outcomes, graduation rates, and educator diversity—earning recognition as a statewide leader in school transformation.
This profile is compiled from publicly available professional sources. Unifers is not affiliated with or endorsed by LinkedIn. Request removal of this profile.