Our Team
Michael T.S. Wotorson
Michael Wotorson is executive director of the Campaign for High School Equity (CHSE), an unprecedented partnership of 10 of the nation’s leading civil rights and education organizations focused on high school education reform. He is responsible for overseeing the coalition’s federal policy agenda and its public outreach and education activities.
Michael has spent his career advocating in support of educational equality and civil rights, working for more than 15 years as a researcher, advocate, and policy analyst. Prior to joining CHSE, Michael was national education director for the NAACP, and has held positions at the American Association of State Colleges and Universities, Mid-Atlantic Equity Center, National Association of State Universities & Land-Grant Colleges, Leadership Conference on Civil Rights Education Fund, Fair Employment Council of Greater Washington, and Anti-Defamation League.
Born and raised in West Africa, Michael holds Bachelor and Master of Arts degrees in political science from the University of Missouri-Columbia. He is a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc. and a former general secretary of the Union of Liberian Associations in the Americas.
Henry Stewart
Henry Stewart serves as CHSE’s director of policy and outreach. In this role he helps to shape the organization’s policy education efforts, assists partner organizations in communicating their policy priorities, and leads CHSE efforts to build awareness and support for the goals of comprehensive high school policy reform.
Henry has had an extensive career in legislative and public affairs. Starting his career as a staffer in the office of former Congressman Earl F. Hilliard (D-AL), he went on to serve as senior associate and director of legislative affairs at the Washington Linkage Group. From there, he was recruited to work as national director of religious and community affairs for the Kerry Edwards presidential campaign.
As director of community affairs in the Executive Office of Washington, DC, Mayor Anthony Williams, he built relationships with grassroots community groups working to improve education and opportunity for all. He then served as director of corporate and external affairs at the National Council of Negro Women under the direction of the late civil rights legend, Dr. Dorothy I. Height, where he developed an intense and targeted passion toward education in communities of color.
Born and raised in Washington, DC, Henry is a graduate of Morehouse College and studied Divinity at the Wesley Theological Seminary. He is an associate minister at Emory United Methodist Church where he serves as a preacher, educator, and leadership developer. He is also a life member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc.
Elizabeth Cohen
Elizabeth Cohen serves as CHSE’s policy analyst, helping to establish and advance the organization’s policy direction.
Elizabeth comes to CHSE from the Chicano Studies Institute at the University of California, Santa Barbara, where she served as a research assistant focusing on the policy implications of bilingual education, desegregation, high school graduation rates, and minorities in higher education. At the Washington Regional Office of MALDEF, Elizabeth completed an internship, assisting staff in collaboration with the National Women’s Law Center to develop “Listening to Latinas: Barriers to High School Graduation” and creating materials for MALDEF’s Parent School Partnership and Truth in Immigration Web site.
Her commitment to education reform began when she served as an AmeriCorps literacy tutor in the Oakland Unified School District. During this time, Elizabeth also volunteered at the Museum of Children’s Art (MOCHA), where she facilitated hands-on activities at community centers, festivals and other public venues. When her term of service ended with AmeriCorps, a staff position was created for her as MOCHA’s studio manager.
Elizabeth’s experience also includes substitute teaching in public schools and teaching preschool in southern California. Elizabeth is proficient in oral and written Spanish and is a 2008 Magnum Cum Laude graduate of UC Santa Barbara.
Altagracia Espinal
Altagracia Espinal presently serves as the Executive Assistant to Michael Wotorson, Executive Director of the Campaign for High School Equity (CHSE). In this capacity, Ms. Espinal directly assists the Executive Director and staff with office management and logistical support. Additionally, Ms. Espinal provides direct support for the short and long term planning of CHSE partner meetings and national briefings.
Prior to joining the Campaign for High School Equity, Ms. Espinal served as the Administrative Assistant and event support staff for JLB Floral, Inc., a leading floral design company based in Alexandria, Virginia. During this time Ms. Espinal was also a freelance bilingual consultant. As an independent contractor, she worked closely with Hispanic Strategy Group, a Washington-based government relations firm. In this capacity, Ms. Espinal's efforts were primarily focused on working with the National Council of La Raza (NCLR), a premier Hispanic civil rights organization with an affiliate network of more than 300 community-based organizations. Ms. Espinal was responsible for providing direct planning and technical assistance for the NCLR Annual Conference that gathers over 20,000 people. Additionally, Ms. Espinal was contracted to provide planning and event management support for the production team of the NCLR ALMA Awards, the only English language awards show that honors Hispanic entertainers on a major television network. Her ability to manage high intensity projects and provide superior event management support has been instrumental to employers and clients she has worked with.
Ms. Espinal's experience and dynamic interpersonal skills are invaluable assets to her work. She has a commitment to people and service. She has been a massage therapist for over 8 years and, prior to her work as a freelance consultant, Ms. Espinal was a certified bilingual Realtor that specialized in assisting Hispanic families in the purchase of their first home.
As a member of the CHSE team, and a parent of two children, Ms. Espinal combines her professional commitments with her perspective as a parent in a work place that strives to establish greater educational opportunities for all children.