Najah Callander is a visionary leader in education and community engagement, currently serving as Deputy Chief of Family and Community Partnerships for Houston ISD, the nation's eighth-largest school district. She leads the district's strategy to strengthen partnerships between schools, families, and community systemsensuring that every student has access to the resources and supports needed to thrive.
With nearly 20 years of experience in the nonprofit and education sectors, Najah has driven systemic change through initiatives in grantmaking, youth development, volunteer mobilization, program evaluation, and large-scale partnership design. At HISD, Najah leads work aligning family engagement, social services, and community initiatives to serve more than 170,000 students and their families. Her leadership has produced transformative results, including implementing and expanding Sunrise Centers' community hubs that provide food, mental health, hygiene, and other essential supports to more than 30,000 families. She also led the integration of student and adult services data across multiple divisions, creating a first-of-its-kind system that connects interventions to outcomes and improves equity in access to care.
An advocate for youth, women, and equity, Najah is an active member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., The Links, Incorporated, and other civic organizations committed to community uplift. She holds a B.S. in Economics, from Florida A&M University, and a J.D. from The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law. Her blend of legal expertise, executive leadership, and grassroots insight makes her a sought-after voice on education equity, community partnerships, and innovative models of systemic change.