Carrie Walton Penner is the former board chair and current board member of the Walton Family Foundation and a K-12 education advocate. Her passion for educational equity was ignited during college when she witnessed firsthand the significant quality discrepancy in the U.S. public education system while tutoring high school students in Washington, D.C. She has been active in education research, evaluation, advocacy and philanthropy for more than 20 years. She is focused on improving access to high-quality schools for every child, particularly those in low-income communities.
With expertise in developing effective governance models for high-impact philanthropy, Carrie has advised many nonprofit organizations on matters such as strategic planning, funder and grantee relationship building and organizational transitions. She serves on the Walton Family Foundation K-12 Education Program Committee, as well as the boards of The Aspen Institute and KIPP Foundation. She is also a member of the Stanford University Board of Trustees.
Carrie holds a bachelor’s degree in economics and history from Georgetown University, a master’s degree in administration and policy analysis, and a master’s degree in program evaluation – both from Stanford University Graduate School of Education.
Carrie is the granddaughter of Helen and Sam Walton, founders of the Walton Family Foundation and Walmart.