staff

Harriette Thurber Rasmussen,
Academy Coach

Harriette Thurber Rasmusssen is a district coach for the Washington State Leadership Academy. Harriette's commitment to build a new education system for the 21st century spans two decades and the opportunity to interact and influence every level of the system—from the building to the statehouse, and through public and private arenas.

Under the auspices of a variety of sponsors including the Bill & Melinda Gates and Wallace foundations, she has served as leadership and organizational development coach to education systems across the country, including a joint venture of the Harvard Graduate School of Education, Harvard Business School, and The Kennedy School of Government that incorporates cutting edge research around student learning, organizational effectiveness, and the socio-political aspects of executive leadership.

As senior consultant to Harvard University's Change Leadership Group, Harriette was involved in the research and development of their systemic change framework, served as a faculty member for the Coach Leadership Program, and coauthored Change Leadership: A Practical Guide to Transforming Our Schools. A consistent goal of her work is organizational alignment, transformation, and leadership development that results in all students prepared for post-secondary education and a viable economic future in the 21st century.

Harriette also has extensive background in community engagement, adult learning and professional development, Whole-Scale™ event design, strategic planning, and school board function. Based in Seattle, Washington, she is the author of numerous publications on parental involvement.