Speakers

Wm. Terrell Danley, Jr., serves as the Senior Director of Programs at the Washington Literacy Center (WLC) and an Adjunct Professor in the University of the District of Columbia’s Workforce Development and Lifelong Learning Division. A native of Washington, DC’s Ward 7, he has devoted more than three decades to advancing adult education, workforce development, and community engagement. At WLC, Terrell designs and leads integrated education, digital literacy, and workforce training initiatives that equip adults with foundational reading, numeracy, and career-aligned skills. His work emphasizes creating equitable pathways for disconnected and under-credentialed learners, aligning classroom instruction with industry credentials, employer partnerships, and project-based learning. In addition to his leadership in practice, Terrell contributes to the academic conversation on literacy, agency, and hope in underserved communities. His published articles and manuscripts—such as Infinite Hope: Reframing Disconnection in Emerging Adulthood Through Purpose, Agency, and Identity and My Future: A Qualitative Examination of Hope in the Lives of Black Emerging Adults—bridge theory and practice, offering frameworks that support resilience and sustained learner engagement. Terrell is also a Seeding Disruption Fellow with The Equity Lab and an Education Reform Now Leaders of Color alumnus, dedicated to building programs that elevate literacy and expand opportunity.