About the EPI Center’s CEO

As the founder and chief executive officer of the Center of Excellence for Educator Preparation and Innovation, Dr. Damara Hightower Mitchell is an educator advocate, solutionist, and “edupreneur.”

Dr. Mitchell is a nationally recognized education leader and innovator who brings a 360-degree perspective across K–12, higher education, government, and nonprofit sectors. Rising from high school English teacher to assistant principal by age 24, she went on to hold executive roles within the South Carolina Department of Education and at institutions such as the University of South Carolina, and led at three historically Black colleges and universities: Benedict College, Claflin University, and Voorhees University. 

As founder and CEO of two organizations, the national nonprofit Center of Excellence for Educator Preparation and Innovation and the Catalyst Institute for Transformative Learning, she has demonstrated visionary leadership in driving educational change. 

Her impact has earned national acclaim, evidenced by her selection as one of just 36 leaders nationwide for the prestigious Executive Leadership Academy, a 2024 fellowship with the HBCU Executive Leadership Institute, and recognition as one of 25 women transforming the landscape of HBCUs and Minority-Serving Institutions. She also brings a global perspective, with experience teaching in Israel, serving as a higher education delegate in Ireland, and conducting research as a Fulbright-Hays Scholar in Africa. 

She holds a Doctorate in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of South Carolina and earlier degrees from Benedict College and the University of Southern Mississippi. She has pursued further executive training at Harvard University. 

Today, she stands as a thought leader in education, championing innovation, educational access, and excellence across the educational landscape.