St. Paul, Minn.— Minnesota’s P-20 Education Partnership (MNP20) has named Mandy Janssen as the initiative’s deputy director. In this role, Janssen will support the planning, direction, coordination, and day-to-day operations of MNP20. She will also serve on the leadership team, collaborating closely with the Executive Director on the partnership’s strategic, tactical, and logistical efforts.
“The P-20 Education Partnership is fortunate to welcome Mandy Janssen as our Deputy Director. Mandy brings a deep level of expertise and experience across education and workforce systems in Minnesota,” said Josiah Litant, MNP20’s Executive Director. “Her enthusiasm, passion, and commitment to ensuring opportunity and success for every one of Minnesota’s learners came through clearly during the hiring process. Mandy’s ability to build strong and authentic relationships, along with her experiences leading the development of new programs across a number of organizations, has positioned her well to help lead impactful and strategic work at MNP20 on behalf of all Minnesotans.”
Established by the Legislature in 2009, MNP20 is a multi-sector, independent coalition of leaders representing early childhood, K-12, higher education, nonprofits, workforce development, and government. Partnership members collaborate to influence change, foster innovation, and advocate for policies affecting learner success and outcomes from birth through workforce.
Over the past six years, the Minnesota P-20 Education Partnership (MNP20) has been in a steady process of honing its vision and expanding its capacity to deliver the coalition’s vision. In 2023 the partnership hired its inaugural Executive Director. In January 2025 MNP20 announced new, multi-year funding from ECMC Foundation and The Joyce Foundation to support the partnership’s further capacity and impact, including the hiring of a Deputy Director.
Current MNP20 priorities that Janssen will help lead include the partnership’s participation in the College in High School Alliance’s national “Next Phase of Dual Enrollment Policy” cohort, a collaborative effort with state agencies and the Governor’s Workforce Development Board to recommend policy and strategies to increase recruitment and retention of educators across early childhood and K-12, and efforts to support the state’s postsecondary educational attainment goal.
Prior to joining MNP20, Janssen served as a Solutions Development Director at GPS Education Partners, where she led teams in developing and executing equity-focused work-based learning programing at the intersection of industry, philanthropy, and secondary and post-secondary education. Prior to that role she was a Vice President of Talent and Workforce at TwinWest Chamber of Commerce, Executive Director and Education Director at Reve Academy, Support Service Department Head at ACS International School in London, adjunct faculty at Hamline University, and an instructional coach and educator in Palm Springs Unified School District.
She holds an M.A. in Teaching with a certification in cross-cultural language and academic development from Chapman University, and a B.S. in Social Work from Winona State University.
“I'm honored to join the Minnesota P20 Education Partnership at such an exciting time,” Janssen said. “Real systems change happens when people come together with shared purpose and curiosity, and I'm inspired by the Partnership's commitment to collaboration across sectors. At the heart of this work is a simple but powerful idea: every learner deserves a clear, supported path to their future—and I'm eager to help amplify the work that makes that vision real for students and communities across Minnesota.”
Learn more about MNP20 on the Minnesota Office of Higher Education website.
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