Carla D. Thompson Payton

Carla Thompson Payton is one of the country’s foremost philanthropic leaders creating systemic change for children and families, promoting a more just economy and advancing racial equity. As the chief strategist and impact officer for the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, she leads the creative and strategic direction of the organization's multi-billion dollar programming. Prior to joining the foundation in 2012, Thompson Payton served for over a decade in local, state, and federal public service, ultimately as the deputy director of the Office of Child Care at the Administration for Children and Families in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. There, she was responsible for developing national early childhood education policy, managing the $5 billion annual budget of the Child Care Development Fund and providing oversight to 10 regional offices serving states, tribes and territories. Previously, she was the inaugural assistant superintendent for early childhood education for the District of Columbia, where she led the first publicly funded pre-kindergarten program. Her efforts led to developing dynamic new learning opportunities for children and their educators and public-private partnerships. In other professional experience, she has held positions with the Departments of Education and Public Welfare in Pennsylvania; United Way of Greater Philadelphia and Southern New Jersey in Philadelphia; and the U.S. Department of Education. Thompson Payton has been honored for her leadership by the Administration for Children and Families; the Children’s Defense Fund; and the Temple University Institute on Disabilities. Essence magazine named her one of the “50 Women Who Made Us Proud.” She serves on boards and committees for nonprofit associations and professional organizations. She wrote Black Girl Magic: C-suite Leadership in Philanthropic Organizations. In addition, she is the author of three publications related to school readiness and advocacy. She holds a significant passion promoting Black women’s success in executive-level leadership. Among the numerous special initiatives she has led at the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, she helped to develop Racial Equity 2030, a $90 million global challenge focused on sparking innovation and eradicating racial inequities supporting communities across the globe in reimagining their future. She holds a bachelor’s degree in social work from Syracuse University. She also holds a doctorate in educational and organizational leadership and a master’s degree in social work from the University of Pennsylvania.