Our Team
Navigate STL Schools is made possible through the following staff, parent navigators, and board members.
Board Members
Gloria Nolan - President
Gloria Nolan, grounded in her experience as a St. Louis Public Schools graduate and parent, advocates for education equity in the region’s public schools through her work with Equity Bridge. Nolan recently graduated from WEPOWER’s Education Power-Building Academy where she developed K12 policy solutions with the Better Budgets Better Schools campaign and also serves as a fellow in the Tomorrow Builders Fellowship for the improvement of early childhood education in the region. She currently serves as the newest member of the WEPOWER team in the role of Advocacy and Operations Coordinator, Community Leader in Residence. Nolan gained extensive experience in youth development through her work supporting mentoring teams, managing school partnerships, developing volunteers and caregivers at local non-profits, and Langston Middle School. Nolan holds a Master of Science from the University of Central Missouri in college student personnel administration and a Bachelor of Science in therapeutic recreation. She is a wife and a mother of Dylan and Evan and is a valuable member of our team.
Matthew Christian - Treasurer
Nikki Doughty
Before joining the City Academy family in 2005, Nikki Doughty was the events coordinator at the Churchill Center & School for Learning Disabilities. She has worked with legislators and educators alike in the fields of education and social development. An active educational leader in the St. Louis community, Nikki is a trustee and foundation secretary for the Hawthorn Leadership School for Girls, a trustee of the Washington University in St. Louis Women’s Society, and leads endeavors for Great Circle Agency. She holds her Master of Social Work from Washington University in St. Louis. Nikki was named to the St. Louis Business Journal’s 40 Under 40 Class of 2016 and was a Salute to Education Excellence Award winner in 2012.
Marcus Robinson
Marcus has spent the last 25 years doing transformational work for young people from Kindergarten through College. A St. Louis Native, Marcus brings a long history of getting great outcomes in both public and private schools. As a leader in a high poverty setting serving more than two thousand students, Marcus won the prestigious Blue Ribbon Schools Award, based on the ability of his students to consistently surpass the state average on state exams and the national average on the SAT. After 20 years as a school teacher and administrator, Marcus became the first CEO of the Memphis Education Fund, a $240 million effort to transform the lowest-performing schools in West Tennessee. He has completed the Aspen Institute-Pahara Education fellowship, and he holds a Bachelor’s Degree from DePauw University and a Master’s Degree in Educational Administration from Butler University. He has earned a Master’s Degree in Education Leadership and a Certificate in Executive Coaching from Columbia University, where he is currently a doctoral candidate.
Samantha Smith
Dr. Sam Smith is a passionate advocate for educational equity and has enjoyed a career in education for the past fifteen years. She has served as an English teacher, instructional coach, and assistant principal in the St. Louis Public and Maplewood Richmond Heights school districts. She earned her BS in Secondary English Education from the University of Missouri-Columbia (2005), MA in Educational Leadership from Maryville University (2009), and EdD in Education Administration from Maryville University (2017). She holds career certifications in 9-12 English and K-12 Reading, as well as initial 9-12 Principal and K-12 Superintendent certifications. Dr. Smith has spent over a decade coaching high school policy debate, sending students to national competition three years in a row. She serves on regional AdvancED school accreditation teams annually and enjoys reading, cooking, and exploring St. Louis. Dr. Smith currently works as an Assistant Principal at Maplewood Richmond Heights High School in the Maplewood Richmond Heights School District.
If you have any questions about our team at Navigate STL Schools please contact us today.