About Christopher Nesmith
Founder, Turbare Collaborative | Superintendent | Systems Builder
​​Dr. Christopher Nesmith is a nationally recognized education leader, systems reformer, and founder of Turbare Collaborative, a consulting practice grounded in a simple but radical belief: trust is the system. Currently serving as a public school superintendent, Chris is known for leading bold turnarounds that align schools, employers, and communities around equitable outcomes for every learner.
​
Chris’s leadership has reshaped districts through mastery-based learning, youth apprenticeship, early childhood reforms, and postsecondary alignment strategies. His doctoral research on building trust in cross-sector partnerships underpins his consulting work, equipping leaders to build structures where trust isn’t just expected—it’s designed in.
​
He’s contributed to national efforts with AASA, Washington STEM, LAUNCH, and the Western Governors’ Association, and has been featured in outlets including The Seattle Times and District Administration Magazine. At every level, Chris brings a clear mission: to stir stagnant systems, rebuild trust where it has been broken, and align work around what students actually need.
BOOK TO SPEAK - info@turbarecollaborative.com
Featured On:
Plan Forward: Sip of Strategy - Part 1 November 2024
Plan Forward: Sip of Strategy - Part 2 November 2024
MaiaLearning - College and Career Radio - May 2025
Dr. Brad Johnson - Lattes and Leaders - June 2025
League of Education Voters
Lunchtime LEVinar - Superintendents from Across Washington - June 2025
Lunchtime LEVinar - WVSD Prepares Students for Success August 2019
- Article - July 2015
Education
2017 - 2025
Washington State University
Ed.D. (ABD), Educational Leadership
-
Dissertation: Forging Trustful Connections: A Case Study on The Role of Trust in Forming Inter-Organizational Relationships for Youth Apprenticeship Programs in Career and Technical Education.
-
Focuses on the critical role of trust in cross-sector partnerships for scalable, equity-driven CTE and apprenticeship systems.
2008 - 2010
University of Washington
Master of Education (M.Ed.), Educational Administration
-
Emphasized instructional leadership, organizational change, and public school administration with a focus on equity-centered reform.
2001 - 2006
Central Washington University
Bachelor of Science (B.S.), Business Education
-
Laid the foundation for your early career as an educator and launched your focus on real-world, skills-based learning systems.
