Cheretta Clerkley
Chief Operating Officer
Cheretta graduated from Temple University with a B.A. in Journalism and received her Master of Business Administration from the University of Maryland. A high-level executive specializing in the strategic transformation of nonprofit organizations, she most recently served as the AVP, Content & Co-Created Expertise. Her visionary leadership is defined by a commitment to operational excellence and a proven capacity to drive growth and efficiency within mission-driven sectors.
Before her recent roles, she served as the Executive Director of the Association for Positive Behavior Support (APBS) and the Chief Operating Officer of the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE). At ISTE, she demonstrated an exceptional ability to scale operations, managing a $42M budget and facilitating a major organizational merger with ASCD that propelled the entity into a $65M+ enterprise. Cheretta also held leadership positions at the American Psychiatric Association (APA), including as Managing Director of Education, where she was instrumental in modernizing educational programs and leading key diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives.
Her extensive experience includes serving as the Chief Marketing Officer for the Autism Society of America and as Principal Consultant of Clerkley Consulting Group, LLC. Cheretta was honored as a Forty Under 40 honoree by the Association Forum and recognized as a Show Manager of the Year (SMOTY) by The Expo Group. She resides in Upper Marlboro, MD, with her husband and three kids.
Quote:
“You can fall, but you can rise also.” —Angelique Kidjo
Why I chose this quote:
This quote serves as a powerful reminder of the inherent resilience and the capacity for strategic transformation within every individual and organization. It speaks to my deep commitment to driving operational excellence and fostering innovation, ensuring that challenges are met with the visionary leadership necessary to "rise". At Generation Hope, I am inspired by how this spirit of resilience is nurtured and transformed into real outcomes for our Scholars and their families.