Punita Dani Thurman

Punita Dani Thurman is vice president of strategy, directing organizational strategies; developing regional, state, and national partnerships; and leveraging public and private resources toward the Foundation’s mission.

Punita brings an extensive history of working across different sectors—private, public education and philanthropy—centering large-scale systems and policy change. In 2019, Punita was appointed by Governor Gretchen Whitmer to serve as a Commissioner for the State of Michigan with the Education Commission of the States. She is recognized as a key figure in education policy in the state and works to inform policymakers on the issues that matter most to students and parents. She also serves on the State of Michigan’s PreK-12 Literacy Commission and holds a range of nonprofit board leadership roles across the state.