Carissa Pokorny-Golden serves as Bureau Director for School Leadership and Teacher Quality at the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE), where she oversees educator certification and preparation.  Carissa works to support approved educator preparation programs and local education agencies in creating a robust educator workforce. In 2022, she led the review and disbursement of three innovative grant programs intended to strengthen teacher and principal pipelines and diversify the workforce. Carissa came to PDE with over 26 years of experience in secondary and postsecondary education, including as an associate dean of education, English professor, and an English 7-12 teacher. She also served over 24 years in the United States Navy Reserve, retiring in 2017.  She holds a PhD in English from Temple University, a MA in English from Binghamton University, an MS in Education from Wilkes University, a BA in English, and a BS in Secondary Education English/Communications from the Pennsylvania State University.