Oakland Unified School District’s last permanent superintendent, Kyla Johnson-Trammell, has landed a new gig as the CEO of Oakland Thrives, the organization announced Tuesday.
Oakland Thrives, launched in 2015, forges public-private partnerships in an effort to improve life for Oaklanders. Oakland Thrives focuses its programs on five sectors: health, wealth, education, safety, and housing. The organization coordinated Oakland Resilient Families, a guaranteed income pilot project that began in 2021, offering $500 a month to 600 families over the course of two years. The University of Pennsylvania studied the pilot and found that families who participated saw improved educational outcomes for their children, increased housing security, improved employment and better mental health. More recently, Oakland Thrives is a partner in the Rise East initiative, a $100 million campaign to revitalize and invest in deep East Oakland.
“I’m deeply honored to step into this role and grateful for the trust placed in me,” Johnson-Trammell said in a statement. “Oakland shows what’s possible when community, public institutions, and private partners come together around a shared purpose, and I look forward to building on that to ensure every child and family thrives.”
Johnson-Trammell became Oakland schools superintendent in 2017. Over eight years, she navigated precarious financial challenges, teacher strikes, and the COVID-19 pandemic. Under her leadership, OUSD left financial receivership last year. As school superintendent, Johnson-Trammell helped secure millions in philanthropic funding for Oakland schools, including through partnerships with Salesforce and Eat.Learn.Play., Stephen and Ayesha Curry’s organization that funds literacy, nutrition, and play spaces in Oakland schools.
In 2024, the school board approved a three-year contract extension that would have made Johnson-Trammell the longest-serving superintendent in five decades. The following spring, the newly elected school board majority moved to end her contract early, a decision the board has never publicly explained. In her final public remarks as superintendent in May 2025, Johnson-Trammell said that she and the school board majority didn’t see eye-to-eye on how to achieve financial sustainability in OUSD, alluding to a difference of opinion over school closures. Johnson-Trammell had said previously that OUSD needed to “right-size” the district by closing schools, a stance the current school board majority opposes. She left her role as superintendent in July 2025, and officially left OUSD in January 2026.
As CEO of Oakland Thrives, Johnson-Trammell succeeds Melanie Moore, who had led the organization for five years. Moore previously ran the Golden State Warriors Community Foundation.
“Dr. Kyla Johnson-Trammell is a nationally recognized leader who has been serving our community in so many ways for decades,” said Mayor Barbara Lee, who serves on Oakland Thrives’ leadership council. “She is the right leader at the right time and I look forward to working with her to take Oakland Thrives to new levels.”
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