Venitia Richardson is the Director of the Effective Educator Development (EED) program office for the United States Department of Education. Prior to her time with the Department, she dedicated twenty years of her career in service to the children and families of Hartford, Connecticut, with great passion, commitment, and pride in several roles with the Hartford Public schools: special education teacher, behavioral specialist, district inclusion facilitator, assistant director in the Office for Student Support Services, middle school assistant principal, and founding principal of Opportunity High School, a high school designed as part of the district’s reform process. Venitia began on her path of youth service working for the YMCA of Greater Delaware (Dover, DE) and Greater Hartford (East Hartford, CT). 

Venitia holds a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Connecticut in Educational Psychology, a Master’s degree in Education from the University of Connecticut, and a sixth-year degree in Educational Leadership from Central Connecticut State University. She is also a veteran of The United States Air Force.