Elizabeth Jiménez is the CEO of GEMAS, a consulting and advocacy firm dedicated to improving the education of English language learners. Jiménez earned an MBA from the Peter F. Drucker Graduate Management Center at Claremont Graduate University and a BA in Spanish from California State University, Fullerton. She holds a California teaching credential and a bilingual/cross‐cultural credential and has taught elementary grades for nine years. Jiménez cut her teeth in politics working in the California State Legislature on pioneering legislation for English language learners. She has served as the statewide lead trainer for the California’s English Language Development Test and has conducted two extensive teacher credential projects for the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing. She has written over 25 textbooks for Pre‐K‐12 English language learners and conducts training in Puerto Rico and throughout the United States. Currently, she is the trainer and coach for Torch Middle School in Southern California, which has been designated a School to Watch.  

Public Consulting Group, Inc. (PCG) is a leading public sector solutions implementation and operations improvement firm that partners with health, education, and human services agencies to improve lives. Founded in 1986 and headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts, PCG has nearly 2,000 professionals in more than 50 offices around the US, in Canada and in Europe. PCG’s Education practice offers consulting services and technology solutions that help schools, school districts, and state education agencies/ministries of education to promote student success, improve programs and processes, and optimize financial resources.