Will Burns has built a professional life centered on advancing public service, education, and community-focused policy. He has consistently brought thoughtful leadership to roles in government, advocacy, and nonprofit organizations. His work reflects a steady focus on delivering practical solutions and strengthening systems that serve people directly, often working behind the scenes to ensure progress in ways that prioritize collaboration, efficiency, and fairness for all stakeholders involved.
He recently served in two senior leadership positions as Executive Vice President of National Advocacy for the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools and Executive Director of the Charter Schools Action Fund. In these roles, he managed federal advocacy for charter schools while leading strategic efforts to build public understanding and support for school choice. His responsibilities included designing approaches that kept education funding secure and strengthened networks of advocates across the country.
Burns played a key role in safeguarding $440 million in federal charter school funding across four budget cycles and in shaping new federal legislation affecting charter schools. At the Charter Schools Action Fund, he directed more than $2 million toward candidates and initiatives supporting school choice. He implemented the first integrated federal political strategy for the charter school movement. He also created a national training program that gave state-based advocates access to tools and knowledge for stronger political engagement.
Will Burns, Chicago, also worked as head of government partnerships for a micromobility company under Ford Smart Mobility. He secured operating rights in over 30 municipalities, including major cities such as New York, Boston, and Washington, D.C. His efforts produced model transportation policies that cities could adopt to support equitable and environmentally friendly mobility solutions, helping communities integrate innovative transit systems while maintaining public safety and accessibility.
He began his public service career as a member of the Illinois legislature, where he advanced policies to protect tenants in foreclosed properties, co-sponsored the Civil Union Act, and worked on welfare reform supporting survivors of domestic violence. Later, as alderman for Chicago’s 4th Ward, he led redevelopment initiatives, co-authored a minimum wage ordinance, promoted affordable housing, and transformed a closed high school into an arts academy, combining neighborhood revitalization with expanded educational opportunities.
He gained early experience working on a congressional campaign and in senior staff roles within the Illinois State Senate, where he focused on ethics reform, death penalty repeal, reentry policy, and school funding. He later contributed to civic and nonprofit organizations addressing education, taxation, and equity issues, further developing his expertise in collaborative problem-solving and long-term planning to address community needs.
Will Burns continues to dedicate his time to nonprofit boards, community service, and volunteer projects, focusing on equity and access to opportunity. His work has been recognized with leadership fellowships and honors that reflect his ability to work across differences to achieve positive change. Though he now lives in Washington, D.C., with his family, he continues to draw inspiration from the values and experiences shaped by his years of service in Chicago.
