Former Virginia Secretary of Education Javaid Siddiqi is the president and CEO of The Hunt Institute, a North Carolina-based education policy organization that works to support and inform elected officials and policymakers across the nation and was founded by four-term North Carolina Governor Jim Hunt. During his tenure, The Hunt Institute has more than tripled its staff and has expanded its scope of work beyond K-12 to include the entire education continuum from early childhood to postsecondary and the workforce.
Siddiqi works with the leadership team to guide the strategic plan for The Hunt Institute and develops the institute’s relationships with partners and funders across the nation. He works with senior-level elected officials across the political aisle to help design strategy, shape policy and drive educational improvements on the national and state levels. Prior to serving as president and CEO, he served as the director of the Hunt-Kean Leadership Fellows, which partners with senior-level political leaders who have the knowledge, skill and will to be effective, reform-minded education policymakers at the state level.
Siddiqi’s career spans more than 20 years in education, education reform and policy. He began his professional career as a high school teacher, assistant principal and as a principal in Chesterfield, Virginia, where he led the implementation of Expeditionary Learning, a nationally recognized school reform model. As secretary of education in Governor Bob McDonnell’s Cabinet, Siddiqi assisted in the development and implementation of the Commonwealth’s education policy and provided guidance to 16 public universities, the Virginia Community College System, five higher education and research centers, the Department of Education, and state-supported museums. Prior to his appointment, he served as deputy secretary of education, where he focused his efforts on teacher quality and improving educational outcomes for all students.
In addition to an extensive history of leadership service, Siddiqi continues to actively serve his community and state. He is an Aspen Institute Fellow, former vice rector of the Radford University Board of Visitors, and a former member of the Chesterfield County School Board. He currently serves on the Elevate Early Education board and the National Center for Teacher Residencies board.
Siddiqi is a graduate of Richard Bland College, Virginia State University and Virginia Commonwealth University where he received both his undergraduate degree and doctorate in educational leadership.
