Caroline Casagrande

Caroline Casagrande is the Chief External Affairs Officer at the Center for Education Reform (CER), where she leads policy initiatives, communications, and partnerships to advance education freedom nationwide. A former New Jersey state legislator and attorney, she served in the General Assembly from 2008 to 2016, becoming the youngest woman ever elected to the body and later rising to Deputy Republican Leader. From 2018 to 2021, she was appointed Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Academic Programs under President Donald Trump, overseeing global academic exchange programs that connected millions of students and educators worldwide. From 2022 to 2025, she served as Executive Director of State and Federal Affairs, Technology at Stride, Inc., leading national policy strategy for career learning and workforce development initiatives. Prior to elected office, she practiced municipal law as a partner in Menna, Supko & Casagrande and later directed the Young Women’s Leadership Institute. A fellow of Rutgers University’s Eagleton Institute of Politics and the East-West Center in Honolulu, Casagrande is a New Jersey native who holds a J.D. from Rutgers School of Law–Camden and a B.S. in political science from Pennsylvania State University.