Education Trust Louisiana Director Erika McConduit leaving for St. Louis job in April

Advocate, The (Baton Rouge, LA)

March 18-- Mar. 18--Education Trust Louisiana Director Erika McConduit is leaving the organization to take a job in April with Centene Corp. as its vice president of diversity and inclusion in St. Louis.

Keisha Smith, who serves as policy and external relations manager, has been named Education Trust's state director. Smith, who holds a Ph.D., has nearly 15 years of experience in various educational settings, advocating children's access to a quality education. She previously was with the Urban League of Greater New Orleans and had served as public engagement director at the Center for Development and Learning. She also has held the positions of adjunct professor at LSU, Drexel University and Xavier University.

Before joining Ed Trust, McConduit served as the president and chief executive officer of the Urban League of Louisiana. During her time there, she was appointed to the board of supervisors for the Louisiana Community and Technical College System, and served on numerous committees, including former Mayor Mitch Landrieu's education task force, Louisiana State Superintendent of Education John White's student task force as co-chair and the National Urban League's education task force.

Centene is the largest Medicaid managed-care organization in the country and largest carrier on the health insurance marketplace. Its Louisiana subsidiary is Louisiana Healthcare Connections.

"My commitment to equity and expanding opportunities for all is what called me to this role. My life's work is to make an impact, and having the ability to do it on such a large scale is an opportunity of a lifetime," McConduit said in an email announcing her departure from The Education Trust.

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