Ellen A. McBurney ’12SJC, ’14M.A

Ellen McBurney serves as Chief Operating Officer at Civic Builders, the nation’s leading nonprofit lender and developer of public charter schools. Since 2002, Civic Builders has invested more than $2 billion to create over 100 schools, expanding access to high-quality education for more than 55,000 students annually - 94% of whom graduate from high school, with 80% qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch. Guided by the belief that every child deserves access to an excellent education, Civic Builders creates equitable learning environments and drives measurable impact for communities nationwide.

Ellen earned a combined B.A./M.A. in Government and Politics with a concentration in International Relations and minors in French, Philosophy, and Theology from St. John’s University, where she distinguished herself as a member of the President’s Society, Senior Senator in Student Government, and President of Gamma Phi Beta Sorority. She was honored with both the Spirit of St. John’s Award and the Vincentian Founder’s Award for Leadership and Service for her outstanding leadership and dedication to community engagement. Ellen also completed the Columbia Business School Emerging Nonprofit Leaders Program, which deepened her expertise in mission-driven leadership and organizational strategy.