Tiffany Cuellar Needham

Tiffany Cuellar Needham is the Executive Director of Teach For America (TFA) in Houston. TFA exists to eliminate educational inequity. In order to realize our vision, we find, develop, and support equity-oriented leaders – individually and in teams – so they can transform education and expand opportunity with children, starting in the classroom. We have committed our next 10 years to ensuring twice as many children in communities where we work will reach key educational milestones indicating they are on a path to economic mobility and co-creating a future filled with possibility. Tiffany was named the ED of TFA Houston in February of 2016. In this role, Tiffany leads a team of 25+ people who support the 1800+ members of the TFA Houston network. Over the last three years the TFA Houston team has built off the strong program that existed in Houston, increasing impact in classrooms and schools, strengthening the experience of corps members and alumni, and improving the organization’s operations. Tiffany’s commitment to ensuring every child has the opportunity to attain an excellent education began in 2003 when she graduated from the University of Texas at Austin and joined TFA in Houston. As a teacher, she taught a group of exceptional students in the Houston Independent School District. After three years in the classroom Tiffany joined TFA staff and most recently served as the Vice President of Programs for TFA Memphis where she launched the nation’s first regional summer teacher training, developed the regional vision and strategy for teacher training and support, maintained the region’s status as one of the most effective teacher preparation programs in the state, and dramatically improved the experience of staff members and corps members. Tiffany is a Senior Fellow of the American Leadership Forum, sits on the Board of Directors of Texas Executive Women, and was named a 2018 Woman in the Fast Lane by the Greater Houston Women’s Chamber of Commerce. Outside of work, Tiffany loves to spend her time with her husband Paul (TFA Houston Corps ‘05) and her children Isabella (10) and Westley (8).