Introducing Our New Executive Director

We are thrilled to announce that Dr. Kari L. Jordan is the new Executive Director of The Carpentries, effective 16 April, 2020. This announcement comes after a rigorous international search conducted by Marcum LLP and members of the search committee (Karen Cranston, Amy Hodge and Elizabeth Wickes) appointed by the Executive Council of The Carpentries.

Kari has been on the Core Team of The Carpentries since 2016 and succeeds the former Executive Director, Dr. Tracy Teal, who moved on from the role in January of 2020 to pursue other opportunities. Before becoming Executive Director, Kari served as the Acting Executive Director following Dr. Tracy Teal’s departure.

“Kari’s role as Executive Director for The Carpentries is exciting for all of us,” said Elizabeth Wickes, Chair of the Executive Council, “Her expertise in engineering education, diversity & inclusion, and leadership means that The Carpentries will continue to be one of the best sources for open science and data skills training in the world.”

In addition to her work as the Acting Executive Director, Kari held the role of Senior Director of Equity and Assessment where she guided The Carpentries through development of an Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility Roadmap and was the liaison to the Code of Conduct Committee. Before this, Kari was the Director of Assessment and Community Equity where she streamlined The Carpentries assessment strategy and expanded our mentoring program.

“During her time at The Carpentries, Kari has demonstrated a strong commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion, and has earnestly embodied the values of our community,” said Dr. Amy Hodge, a member of The Carpentries Executive Council and search committee. “We are confident that Kari has the vision and the integrity to guide this community thoughtfully and inventively toward achieving our mission and vision.”

Below is a message from Kari:

Serving The Carpentries has been my honor for nearly four years. As Executive Director, I will continue to work alongside our Core Team and community to advance our mission. I am committed to our core values, and will continue to put the interests of this incredible community above my own. My goal is to empower our Core Team and community members to reach their full potential, and further position The Carpentries as the leading inclusive community teaching computing and data skills. Thank you for trusting me in this capacity. We have work to do!