Who We Are

Marlon Marshall is the Chief Executive Officer of City Fund Action. He leads the organization’s efforts to ensure all students have access to high-quality public schools. In his role, Marlon brings a wealth of leadership experience from the highest levels of government, campaign strategy, and organizational development to advance City Fund Action’s mission.

Before joining City Fund Action, Marlon was a founding partner at 270 Strategies, helping organizations build impactful campaigns to mobilize communities and achieve meaningful change. He previously served as Special Assistant to the President and Principal Deputy Director in the Obama White House Office of Public Engagement, where he worked to connect everyday Americans to the policymaking process. He served in leadership roles in the 2016 Hillary for America campaign and the 2012 Obama reelection campaign, overseeing grassroots operations that engaged millions of volunteers across the country.

Marlon serves on the board of the Equitable Facilities Fund, an organization dedicated to improving access to affordable facilities financing for public charter schools. He earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of Kansas and a master’s in Policy Management from Georgetown University. A passionate fan of all things Kansas Jayhawks, Marlon serves on the Alumni Association Board. He resides in Denver with his wife, Stacy, and their two daughters.

Kevin Shafer is President of City Fund Action, where he leads the organization’s efforts to expand access to high-quality schools for all students nationwide. Kevin leads both the City Fund Partner Team, which provides direct support to city leaders, and the Impact Team, which evaluates organizational progress and supports the network of education leaders working to accelerate progress and improve outcomes.

With over 15 years of experience in philanthropic and school system leadership, Kevin has dedicated his career to transforming urban education. Before becoming President, he served as a Partner at City Fund Action, where he provided strategic support to cities and states and played a pivotal role in launching the organization’s communications workstream.

Prior to joining City Fund Action, Kevin was the Chief Innovation Officer for Camden City School District, where he spearheaded the district’s school transformation efforts. His work led to the development of Renaissance Schools, a partnership between district and high-performing charter schools that expanded access to high-quality education. In Camden, he led citywide school construction and renovation projects, securing over $300 million in improvements, and launched a citywide enrollment system to ensure equitable access for all students.

Kevin began his career in Bridgeport, Connecticut, teaching 7th-grade social studies before transitioning into education leadership. He later trained new teachers and served as Deputy Chief of Staff for Bridgeport Public Schools, supporting district-wide strategy and operations.

He serves on the board of The 74 Million, a nonprofit news organization dedicated to covering education policy and reform. He holds a B.A. in Political Science and History from Wake Forest University, where he graduated magna cum laude with honors and was inducted into Phi Beta Kappa.

Kevin currently resides in Philadelphia with his wife, Marianne, and their two sons, Emerson and Fletcher.