Terrell Danley

About Terrell Danley

I am a dynamic, solutions-oriented organizational leader, educator, and researcher with over two decades of experience advancing equity through community engagement, strategic partnerships, volunteer management, and workforce development. Rooted in Washington, DC, and deeply committed to the growth of its communities, I have built a career designing transformative programs that connect underserved populations to opportunity, from adult literacy to emerging adult career pipelines.Currently serving as Senior Director of Programs at the Washington Literacy Center and completing my Ph.D. in Urban Leadership and Entrepreneurship, I blend data-driven decision-making with grassroots insight. My work spans everything from developing culturally affirming, trauma-informed curricula to leading grant-funded initiatives, facilitating professional mentorship, and mobilizing stakeholders around a shared vision of collective impact.A former chef/owner who returned to education, I’m known for building bridges between institutions and the people they aim to serve. My doctoral research explored how hope influences agency and connection among urban emerging adults—a theme that runs through all of my work. I believe in fusing strategy with soul, using research to drive outcomes, and relationships to sustain them.Hope is my theory. Connection is my method. And impact is my legacy.

Experience

1. Senior Director of Programs

   Washington Literacy Center

   May 2021 — Present · Washington, DC, US

   Create, lead, and sustain academic and training programs for low-literacy youth and adults, improving their educational and workforce readiness skills using documented best practices and appropriate adult learning theory and techniques. Used the collaborative impact model to leverage community partners and relationships to provide training opportunities for independent learners, nonprofit entities, and federal employees needing educational enrichment to improve their career trajectories and maintain employment.

Education

• University of the District of Columbia

  Doctor of Philosophy - PhD, Urban Leadership and Entrepreneurship

• University of the District of Columbia

  Master of Arts - MA, Adult and Continuing Education and Teaching

• The Culinary Institute of America

  Associate of Science (A.S.), Culinary arts

  1991 — 1993

• Penn State University

  Bachelor of Science, Mathematics Teacher Education

  1982 — 1986