I’m excited to celebrate the news of JFF’s associate vice president of policy, Lexi Barrett, joining the Biden administration as a senior advisor to U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona. In her new position, Lexi will be a powerful voice for educational and economic equity. As JFF’s policy lead, Lexi invigorated and grew our state and federal policy team, and she will bring her deep expertise in practice-informed public policy to the Biden-Harris administration.

Since joining JFF in 2016, Lexi has expanded our influence as a go-to resource for state and federal policy focused on education and workforce development. Her strategic leadership has positioned JFF as a leading voice for equitable advancement across the learn and work ecosystem. Our strategic policy guide How to Achieve an Equitable Economic Recovery for America: A Blueprint for the Biden Administration informed the president’s Build Back Better and infrastructure plans. Our state policy guide to improving postsecondary education and training for all learners, Making College Work for Students and the Economy, is an essential tool for state policymakers across the country.

During the Biden-Harris transition to the White House, Lexi served as a navigator on the transition team. Before coming to JFF, Lexi was a policy director at New Profit and a senior policy advisor in the Obama White House.

At JFF, we will miss having Lexi as a colleague, mentor, and leader in our organization, but we are proud of her for answering the call to service at a time of great importance for the nation. Her talents, knowledge, and acumen will serve her new colleagues in the Education Department well. The entire JFF team and Board of Directors look forward to her new role!