ERIE'S PUBLIC SCHOOLS

Lori Pickens

Lori Pickens is the current president of the Erie School Board, the first African American woman to hold the position. 

"My passion is shifting systems to be efficient for rising generations as a whole," Pickens said. "I contribute a large portion of my time to youth and young adults in Erie, Pa., from diverse backgrounds, pushing them to influence spaces they desire to occupy. My heart is to influence the spaces I occupy." 

Pickens has a bachelor's degree in social work from Edinboro University of Pennsylvania and a master's degree in divinity from Pittsburgh Theological Seminary. 

"If there were three people I'd love to meet in history, they would be Ida B. Wells Barnett, Claudette Colvin and Michelle Obama."