Sherika Stewart

Sherika Stewart is a public administrator, strategic leader, and educator whose work spans organizational development, public policy, higher education, and criminal legal system transformation. As a Vivian D. Nixon Fellow at JustLeadershipUSA, she brings a multidisciplinary perspective grounded in equity-centered practices, and the belief that directly impacted communities should play a central role in shaping research, policy, and institutional change.

Her professional background includes research, policy, and leadership roles with the CUNY Institute for State & Local Governance, the Research Foundation of the City University of New York, Borough of Manhattan Community College, and the Petey Greene Program. Across these institutions, Sherika has contributed to research initiatives, organizational strategy, educational access, and program development, bridging evidence-informed practices with community knowledge to advance more equitable and responsive systems.

Sherika is also a fellow at Columbia University, where her work focuses on legal literacy and making complex legal systems and information more accessible to directly impacted communities. A Rockwood Leadership Institute fellow, she is committed to cultivating transformative leadership, strengthening community capacity, and challenging traditional structures of power and decision-making.Drawing from both lived and professional expertise, Sherika believes meaningful systems transformation requires more than representation. It demands that directly impacted communities have the knowledge, resources, and authority to design, architect, and reimagine the institutions and systems that shape their lives.