Monique Perry-Graves

Dr. Monique Perry-Graves is a transformative leader and Chief Executive Officer of Road to Hire (R2H), where she is leading the organization through its next phase of growth in the Charlotte region. Since assuming the role in May 2025, she has focused on advancing R2H’s mission to unlock economic mobility by investing in the next generation of leaders and creating pathways from high school classrooms, primarily in Title I schools, to high-paying careers. With more than 25 years of leadership experience across business, education, and nonprofits, Dr. Perry-Graves has built a career defined by transformation, growth, and developing high-performing teams. She is known for aligning stakeholders around bold visions and delivering measurable impact. Before joining Road to Hire, she was the first statewide Executive Director of Teach For America North Carolina, unifying three affiliates into one statewide organization. Under her leadership, the organization expanded its presence and secured more than $40 million in public and private funding to grow programming and partnerships with school districts, state leaders, and philanthropic organizations. She also championed initiatives such as Ignite High-Impact Tutoring while guiding the organization through major structural change and record staff engagement. Earlier in her career, Dr. Perry-Graves spent more than a decade at York Technical College in South Carolina, where she served as Chief Enrollment and Campus Operating Officer. She led enrollment management, student affairs, financial aid, marketing and communications, and strategic enrollment initiatives, implementing a comprehensive student success framework that produced double-digit gains in enrollment, retention, and completion. Her leadership has been recognized with honors, including the A. Wade Martin Innovator of the Year Award from the State of South Carolina. She has been named a Power 100 Leader and a Most Admired CEO by the Charlotte Business Journal. Dr. Perry-Graves serves on the boards of CircleIn, an AI-forward student success technology platform, and EducationNC, an independent nonprofit newsroom focused on education issues across North Carolina. She holds degrees from North Carolina Central University, Seton Hall University, and the University of Florida, and is an Aspen Institute Presidential Fellow and alumna of Harvard Kennedy School’s Women and Power program.