A native of E. St. Louis, Illinois, Dr. Ian Buchanan is committed to servant leadership and interrupting inequity. He currently serves as CEO of Nia Education Group, a coaching and consulting firm dedicated to helping great leaders become their greatest leadership selves. In addition, Ian is the author of the best-selling book, KING: A Four-Part Leadership Framework for Black Men. Most recently, Dr. Buchanan has assumed the role of Education Chair for the St. Louis City NAACP chapter, leading a region-wide literacy campaign, the Right to Read.
Prior to founding Nia Education Group, Dr. Ian served as Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum and Instruction (Chief Academic Officer) in the School District of University City (Missouri). Before his five-year tenure in University City, Buchanan served as founding Director of Strategic Partnerships for the Achievement School District (Memphis, TN), a state-sponsored, all-charter school district.
Also during his tenure in Memphis, Dr. Buchanan served as founding Managing Director of the Parent Leadership and Advocacy Institute (PLAI), a non-profit organization committed to empowering parents to influence change. He also played an influential role in the development of the nationally acclaimed Memphis Lift, a self-described “powerful parent organization.”
Over a span of more than two decades, Ian has served in a number of teaching roles at the K-12, adult basic education, undergraduate, and graduate levels. He also spent more than a decade in school leadership roles at the elementary and middle school levels. Along with the K-12 teaching and leadership experience, Buchanan also has served as an HBCU admissions officer, National Science Foundation Fellow, and Teach For America Managing Director.
Ian has received numerous awards and recognitions, including the Missouri Association of Secondary School Principals Consummate Professional of the Year Award, the St. Louis American Salute to Excellence in Education Award, and the Teach for America Principal of the Year Award. He is highly regarded around the country for his passion and commitment to empowering our communities.
Ian Buchanan and his wife, Carmen, have one daughter, Nia, an HBCU graduate and educator.
