The Foundation for Portland Public Schools, a nonprofit supporting the school district through fundraising and philanthropy, has named a new executive director.

Andrea Weisman Summers Photo courtesy Portland Public Schools

Andrea ‘Andi’ Weisman Summers started April 6, replacing Kate Snyder, who left in December to take over as mayor of Portland, according to a news release Wednesday from Portland Public Schools.

“The Foundation for Portland Public Schools has become over time the vehicle for philanthropy and business to support the Portland Promise,” Superintendent Xavier Botana said in the release. “I am pleased to have Andi Weisman Summers, a veteran educator with a deep understanding of the work our district is doing, working side-by-side with my team to continue and further this work.”

Summers previously served as co-director of coaching at the Great Schools Partnership, a nonprofit supporting public school improvement and innovation, and was named to the post after a regional search led by the foundation’s board of directors and interim director Brenda Peluso.

She also worked as a bilingual immigration advocate at the Immigrant Legal Advocacy Project for over six years and has 10 years experience as a teacher in Maine, Costa Rica and Peru. She lives in Portland and has a daughter who is a high school junior in the Portland district.

Since her appointment, Summers has overseen the launch of new fundraising campaigns to assist Portland Public Schools in its response to the COVID-19 pandemic, including the Books to Homes Fund, which is providing students with reading materials, and the Extended Learning Fund, to boost summer learning for students who have struggled to engage during the school shutdowns.

“I believe in the power of public education,” Summers said in the release. “Joining FPPS during this unprecedented era of COVID-19 and distance learning has only deepened my respect for teachers and school leaders. It is an honor to join this team of educators in trying to meet the needs of students and families and provide the best possible education for our community.”