Dedrick Sims
Dedrick Sims is the CEO of the Sims-Fayola Foundation, where he provides professional training to educators across the country, focusing on single-gender learning, working with young men and boys of color, and school and program design through an equity lens. His work has had a profound impact, reaching over 12,000 young men and boys of color and providing workshops and coaching to more than 5,000 youth service professionals. Dedrick has also been a lead designer and founding member of three charter schools in Arkansas, Colorado, and Louisiana, further expanding his reach and influence in education.
In addition to his work with the Sims-Fayola Foundation, Dedrick is deeply engaged in community service. He has served as an appointed member of several influential organizations, including Colorado's Workforce Development Commission, Colorado's Serve Commission, and the Governor's Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Council. He has also held leadership roles such as Youth Commissioner for Aurora and Denver, and Board President for Hill Harper's Manifest Your Destiny Foundation. Dedrick has been an active voice in various nonprofit and advisory roles, including as a board member for the Bridge Project, the Don Burns Center for Homelessness and Poverty, and the Foundation for Science and Mathematics Education in New Orleans, among others.
Dedrick's contributions to the community have earned him numerous accolades, including being named one of Black Enterprise Magazine's 100 Modern BE Men of 2018, and recognized as an African American Who Makes A Difference.
He holds a B.S. in biology from the University of Arkansas Pine Bluff, as well as an M.S. and Ph.D. in instructional design and development from the University of South Alabama. In addition to his work in education and community service, Dedrick served as an Army officer, further exemplifying his dedication to leadership and service.