Mary Todd Earnhardt is the Chief Program Officer and a founding team member of Seen+Heard Action Network, a national nonprofit start-up working to bring the lived experiences and viewpoints of young people into public policy change. She started her career as a first grade classroom teacher and has since moved into youth advocacy at the federal, state, and community levels. Mary Todd earned a BA in Elementary Education from William Peace University and an M.A. in Leadership and Administration from George Washington University. She is licensed in North Carolina in general education, special education, and school administration. In her current role, she works to build lasting systems that integrate young people’s lived experiences into policy decisions. She believes that when young people are given a seat at the decision-making table, policy reflects what they need most and investment in children becomes proactive rather than reactive. Mary Todd is a double name enthusiast and a North Carolina native who lives in Raleigh with her husband and their perfect one-year-old Australian Labradoodle!