Miska Clay Bibbs – Chief Executive Officer (Effective 10/6/25)

Miska Clay Bibbs is a seasoned strategist, public servant, and advocate for students and families, bringing more than 20 years of leadership experience in education, nonprofit, and civic sectors. She has dedicated her career to advancing equity, building strong partnerships, and creating opportunities for young people to thrive.

Most recently, Miska served as Chief of Staff for Teach For America–Memphis, where she led cross-functional teams, managed a $6.5 million budget, and helped secure a $3 million equity-focused funding grant. Prior to that, she was Executive Director of Teach Plus–Memphis, recruiting and developing cohorts of teacher leaders to influence education policy at the local, state, and national levels. Earlier in her career, she served as Director of Community Engagement for Green Dot Public Schools in Tennessee and as District Director of Community and Volunteer Relations for Memphis City Schools, where she cultivated more than 650 partnerships and secured millions in additional resources to support student success.

In addition to her nonprofit leadership, Miska has a distinguished record of public service. She served as an elected member of the Memphis-Shelby County School Board, twice holding the position of Chair, and currently serves as a Shelby County Commissioner. In these roles, she has been a trusted advocate, policymaker, and thought leader committed to improving equity and opportunity for students and families across the community.

Miska’s impact and leadership have been recognized nationally and locally. She is a Memphis Business Journal Super Women in Business honoree, a Tri-State Defender Women of Excellence awardee, and a Nexus Mentor of the Year. She was also named a finalist for the Council of the Great City Schools’ Green-Garner Award, one of the highest honors in urban education leadership.

Deeply engaged in the Memphis community, Miska is a proud member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated, The Links, Incorporated, and the Alliance of Junior Leagues International.

As CEO of Communities In Schools of Memphis (CISM), Miska is honored to build on the organization’s decade of proven impact and lead its next chapter of growth—surrounding students with the support they need to stay in school and achieve in life.