Sonali Nijhawan

Sonali Nijhawan is a dedicated leader in national service and civic engagement. In 2021, she was appointed by the Biden-Harris administration as the Director of AmeriCorps State and National, becoming the first South Asian woman and AmeriCorps alum to hold this position.

In this role, Sonali led initiatives that strengthened communities through service and volunteerism. Her career began as an AmeriCorps member with City Year Chicago, inspiring her to join the founding team of City Year Sacramento. She later served as the California Director of Education Pioneers, recruiting and supporting managers in urban school systems and education nonprofits. Prior to joining the Biden-Harris administration, she worked with former Mayor Michael Tubbs to develop and lead Stockton Service Corps, an initial six-year $12 million investment that mobilized AmeriCorps members to meet local needs and expand opportunity and upward mobility in the city of Stockton.

Sonali holds a bachelor’s degree in education and psychology from Marquette University and a master’s in social work from the University of Maryland, Baltimore. She is also a Senior Fellow at the EdRedesign Lab at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, where she contributes to national learning and strategy around place-based, cradle-to-career initiatives.