Start Date: December 2021

As Associate Director of Data Systems, Ranita Dawkins leads the organization’s data strategy, ensuring that all initiatives are data-driven and impactful. She is the primary architect of the organization's data systems, responsible for designing and implementing the infrastructure used to analyze both qualitative and quantitative metrics. By translating complex data into clear, actionable visualizations and reports, Ranita builds data literacy across the team and directs data-driven decision-making for programs organization-wide.

Ranita brings a wealth of research and management expertise to this role, including a Doctorate in Speech and Hearing Sciences from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a Master of Arts in Speech-Language Pathology from The Ohio State University. With over 13 years of experience as a speech-language pathologist, she is uniquely equipped to ensure that data systems are not only robust but also equitable and centered on improving outcomes for children and families.

Ranita is passionate about community involvement, holding active memberships in organizations such as the Environmental Educators of North Carolina and the National Black Speech-Language Hearing Association. Outside of work, she enjoys outdoor activities like hiking and gardening, as well as indoor pursuits like breadmaking and solving jigsaw puzzles.