Faculty and Staff

Aurora is thrilled to serve as interim executive director for the Two Rivers team. Prior to joining Two Rivers, Aurora served as director of strategic initiatives and senior advisor for educational equity in the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Education (DME) in Washington, D.C. At the DME, she worked to redouble the District’s support for out of school time, increase student attendance and prioritize safe passage. From 2010-2015 Aurora served as counsel and senior advisor to the chief of staff at the U.S. Department of Education (ED) under Secretary Arne Duncan. During her time at ED, she led work to attract, support and retain excellent educators and strengthen labor-management collaboration. She also spent time at the White House Domestic Policy Council and worked for the Senate HELP Committee on behalf of Ranking Member Patty Murray to authorize the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) in 2015.

Aurora received her bachelor’s in psychology-neuroscience-philosophy, master’s in social work, and juris doctorate in law from Washington University in St. Louis and earned a master’s in educational leadership from the Broad Residency in Urban Education.

In her personal time, Aurora enjoys listening to podcasts, spending time outdoors and occasionally finding time for her passion for painting. Her favorite time is spent relaxing with her husband, Mike, and daughter, Quinn.