Project LEARN is proud to announce the appointment of Shamir Rivera-Quintal as the organization’s Interim Executive Director.
Rivera-Quintal succeeds LZ Nunn, who will step down at the end of the year to join The Lowell Plan and Lowell Development Financial Corporation (LDFC) as their new Executive Director.
A passionate community leader, Rivera-Quintal brings a wealth of experience in community development, operations and education to her new role.
For the last five years, Rivera-Quintal has served as Director of Operations at Coalition for a Better Acre (CBA), where she oversaw day-to-day operations, led strategic planning and budgeting, managed IT and facilities and strengthened organizational capacity.
Prior to joining CBA, Rivera-Quintal served as Project LEARN’s Associate Director of Development and Programs from 2017-2020, where she expanded the organization’s programs, supported fundraising initiatives, coordinated key events and advanced alumni engagement efforts. Her work played an essential part in elevating the organization’s communications strategies and career-readiness programming to serve hundreds of students annually.
Project LEARN, a Lowell based non-profit organization, partners with Lowell Public Schools to create an immersive citywide ecosystem of college- and career-connected learning, training and credentialing experiences that positively impact the lives of Lowell’s young people. Over the last decade, Project LEARN has invested nearly $15 million into the Lowell community and served over 19,000 of the city’s students through high-impact programming.
Matthew Coggins, Project LEARN’s Board Chairman, said that with Rivera-Quintal’s leadership at the helm, the organization “will continue to move forward with stability and purpose during this interim period. Shamir brings a deep understanding of our mission, a steady hand in organizational leadership, and a long-standing commitment to Lowell’s students and families.”
“Her experience—both from her previous work with Project LEARN and her broader operational leadership in the community—positions her to guide the team while we prepare for our long-term search,” Coggins continued.
“Starting as Interim Executive Director in January feels both energizing and deeply meaningful. I’m thrilled for the opportunity to lead Project LEARN through this next chapter,” said Rivera-Quintal.
“Project LEARN’s commitment to expanding opportunities for students is exactly the kind of work that inspires me, and I’m eager to get started,” Rivera-Quintal continued.
Rivera-Quintal will start as Project LEARN’s Interim Executive Director in January 2026.
