Carla Thompson Payton is the Chief Strategist & Impact Officer for Program Strategy at the W.K. Kellogg Foundation in Battle Creek, Michigan. In this role, she leads the creative and strategic direction of the organization’s multi-billion dollar programming, from design through implementation and evaluation. As a member of the executive team, she is also responsible for the overall strategic direction and leadership of the foundation. Carla 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.
Prior to her current role, Carla 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. In this capacity, 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 ten regional offices serving states, tribes, and territories. Previously, Carla was the inaugural assistant superintendent for early childhood education for the District of Columbia, and she also held positions with the U.S. Department of Education; Pennsylvania Departments of Education and Public Welfare; and United Way of Greater Philadelphia and Southern New Jersey.
Carla has been honored for her leadership in early childhood education by the Administration for Children and Families, the Children’s Defense Fund, and the Temple University Institute on Disabilities. She also serves on various boards and committees for nonprofit associations and professional organizations. She has a passion for racial equity and promoting Black women’s success in executive-level leadership. Among the numerous special initiatives she has led at the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, Carla helped to develop Racial Equity 2030, a $90 million global challenge focused on sparking innovation and eradicating racial inequities.
Carla holds a doctorate in educational and organizational leadership and a master’s degree in social work from the University of Pennsylvania.