Zach Curtis is a strategic policy and public affairs leader with over a decade of experience driving high-impact initiatives across nonprofit, government, and private sectors.
He currently serves as Director of Policy at the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards, where he leads state and federal advocacy efforts and advises executive leadership. In that role, he has secured significant policy wins directly benefiting teachers, rebuilt a lapsed federal policy strategy from the ground up, and guided the organization through complex funding challenges — all while elevating the National Board's profile with lawmakers and coalitions at both the state and federal level.
Prior to the National Board, Zach served as the federal lobbyist for the Association for Career and Technical Education and brings additional private sector perspective from nearly seven years at Bloomberg, where he advised senior government affairs leaders at nonprofits and higher education institutions on congressional strategy.
Zach holds a Master of Public Policy from George Washington University and a BA in International Relations from the University of Oregon. He currently serves on the Board of the Committee for Education Funding and co-leads the Coalition for Teaching Quality.
A California native who spent seven years in Washington, D.C., Zach relocated to Chicago's Lincoln Park neighborhood in early 2025. Outside of work, he enjoys sports, fitness, and the craft of mixology — and is actively building his Chicago network.