Our Advisory Council
Taylor Stewart serves as co-chair of the Strong Schools Maryland Advisory Council and is the vice president of organizing leadership at Leadership for Educational Equity and formerly served as vice chair of Strong Schools Maryland’s Executive Committee. Prior to joining LEE, Taylor worked for Teach For America – Baltimore in development and taught 10th grade government at Heritage High School at the Lake Clifton campus. Her civic involvement includes organizing in education for the last 10 years; working on several political campaigns; and serving on the boards of Brown Memorial/Park Avenue Presbyterian Church, Live Baltimore, DC Mizzou Alumni Association, and Strong Schools Maryland.
Taylor was born and raised in Kansas City, MO, and found her way to Baltimore in 2007 as a Teach For America corps member. She has a B.A. from the University of Missouri in Political Science, a Masters of Arts in Teaching from Johns Hopkins University, and a J.D. from the University of Maryland.
Salimah Jasani-Nelson is the Director of Alumni & Impact at Teach For America Baltimore, where she develops and executes a regional strategy to mobilize over 1,100 alumni toward improving student outcomes in kindergarten readiness, literacy, and college and career readiness. She previously served as a Senior Consultant at Education Elements, partnering with schools, districts, and state agencies worldwide on strategic planning, leadership development, and systems change. She has also held roles at the Maryland State Department of Education and in the Office of Speaker Nancy Pelosi focused on special education and federal education policy. Salimah began her career as a special education and English teacher in Baltimore City Public Schools, while engaging in community organizing around educational equity when she wasn't in the classroom. As an immigrant, former English learner, and member of the disability community, she brings a deep commitment to advancing educational equity and opportunity for all students. Salimah lives in Baltimore City and is an alumna of the LBJ School of Public Affairs and the Johns Hopkins University.
Nell Callahan founded Frontwood Strategies, a full-service strategic communications firm, drawing on her extensive experience across sectors including education, healthcare, civil liberties, and economic policy. Her career highlights include serving as Managing Director at SKDKnickerbocker where she helped secure bankruptcy protection for Puerto Rico and contributed to the 2013 campaign that made marriage equality legal nationwide, as well as serving as Press Secretary for Senator Jeanne Shaheen. She earned both her master's in media and public affairs and bachelor's degree from The George Washington University, and previously worked at The Glover Park Group, the Kerry-Edwards campaign, and The Albright Group. Nell and her husband Joe live in Arnold and are the proud parents of two Anne Arundel County public school students.
Zion Parran is a junior at Baltimore City College, where she serves as the Student Body Vice President and is a member of SOMOS, the school’s legislative advocacy team. A passionate leader, Zion was named a 2023 Junior Achievement of Central Maryland 18 Under 18 honoree for her outstanding accomplishments in leadership, academics, and community service.
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Zion is the current Maryland Policy Debate Champion, using her voice to advocate for change and empower others through reasoned argument and civic engagement. Whether she's competing on the debate stage or working alongside peers in student government, she is committed to making a positive impact.
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Beyond school, she enjoys sailing, traveling, and reading. She also plays a key role in her family’s small business, Kupcake Kidz, a local cupcake company that has been serving the Baltimore Community for the past 9 years. Zion is driven by a deep belief in youth leadership and the power of speaking up—and she’s just getting started.