
Nina Rees
Senior Fellow, George W. Bush Institute
Nina Rees is an education reform leader with vast experience in the public, private and nonprofit sectors. For nearly twelve years, Nina was the president and chief executive officer of the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools, the leading national nonprofit organization committed to advancing the charter school movement. Prior to joining the National Alliance, Nina spent 20 years shaping education policy in the public and private sectors. She served as the first Deputy Under Secretary for Innovation and Improvement at the U.S. Department of Education. Before moving to the Education Department, Nina worked in the White House as Deputy Assistant for Domestic Policy to the Vice President of the United States.
Nina also served as Senior Vice President for Strategic Initiatives at Knowledge Universe, a leading global education company with investments in early childhood education, before- and after-school programs, and online instruction. In the 1990s, Nina was the Heritage Foundation’s senior education analyst and chief spokesperson on education. She began her career on Capitol Hill, where she worked for then-Congressman Porter Goss.
Nina has been a guest on Bloomberg, CNBC, C-SPAN, Fox News, MSNBC's Morning Joe, and PBS’s NewsHour. Her articles and opinions have been published in The New York Times, USA Today, The Wall Street Journal, and The Washington Post. Washingtonian named her one of Washington DC’s Most Influential People in 2021, 2022 and 2023.
Nina currently serves on the board of visitors of George Mason University, the board of directors of the PIE Network and the advisory committee of the Program on Education Policy and Governance at Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government. She is a Pahara-Aspen Fellow and a member of the Aspen Global Leadership Network.
A native of Iran who immigrated to America at the age of 14, Nina earned her undergraduate degree at Virginia Tech and a master’s degree at the Schar School of Policy and Government at George Mason University. She is also the proud mom of a Davidson College Wildcat.
Nina Rees Library Contributions

Nina Rees
Senior Fellow, George W. Bush Institute
Nina Rees is an education reform leader with vast experience in the public, private and nonprofit sectors. For nearly twelve years, Nina was the president and chief executive officer of the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools, the leading national nonprofit organization committed to advancing the charter school movement. Prior to joining the National Alliance, Nina spent 20 years shaping education policy in the public and private sectors. She served as the first Deputy Under Secretary for Innovation and Improvement at the U.S. Department of Education. Before moving to the Education Department, Nina worked in the White House as Deputy Assistant for Domestic Policy to the Vice President of the United States.
Nina also served as Senior Vice President for Strategic Initiatives at Knowledge Universe, a leading global education company with investments in early childhood education, before- and after-school programs, and online instruction. In the 1990s, Nina was the Heritage Foundation’s senior education analyst and chief spokesperson on education. She began her career on Capitol Hill, where she worked for then-Congressman Porter Goss.
Nina has been a guest on Bloomberg, CNBC, C-SPAN, Fox News, MSNBC's Morning Joe, and PBS’s NewsHour. Her articles and opinions have been published in The New York Times, USA Today, The Wall Street Journal, and The Washington Post. Washingtonian named her one of Washington DC’s Most Influential People in 2021, 2022 and 2023.
Nina currently serves on the board of visitors of George Mason University, the board of directors of the PIE Network and the advisory committee of the Program on Education Policy and Governance at Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government. She is a Pahara-Aspen Fellow and a member of the Aspen Global Leadership Network.
A native of Iran who immigrated to America at the age of 14, Nina earned her undergraduate degree at Virginia Tech and a master’s degree at the Schar School of Policy and Government at George Mason University. She is also the proud mom of a Davidson College Wildcat.