Announcement: 08/20/2026
As we reflect on where the Right Question Institute has been and where we are heading, one truth stands out: RQI’s mission is more relevant than ever. There is an urgent need to help build critical thinking skills, foster democratic mindsets, and support people as they advocate for their families and communities.
We are excited to share several meaningful leadership updates within our organization as we work towards that shared vision.
RQI’s New Executive Director
We are excited to announce that Naomi Campbell has stepped up as RQI’s new Executive Director. Naomi brings extensive experience across all areas of RQI’s work as a facilitator, program designer, and thought leader, most recently founding and leading RQI’s Empowerment Program.
She has partnered with and learned from legal aid organizations, public and nonprofit social service agencies, healthcare providers, adult literacy programs, and community-based organizations. One constant in the remarkable breadth of her work is a strong commitment to honoring the people working on the ground and supporting their efforts to ensure that the people they serve strengthen their ability to have a voice in the decisions that shape their lives. Beyond her time at RQI, Naomi, a 2017 alumna of Harvard Law School, has worked in organizations where she has gained knowledge and experience in advocacy, dispute resolution, and community empowerment.
John Esterle, president of RQI’s board of directors, shares his thoughts here:
“I know I speak for RQI’s entire board when I say that Naomi is the perfect person to keep us moving forward during these difficult times. We have great confidence both in how she will lead our wonderful staff and support the courageous people working in the field who face daunting challenges day in and day out. She brings a passion for RQI’s mission, deep knowledge of the different contexts in which we work, the ability to articulate clearly the impact of what we do, and a determination to share our resources with the world. We are delighted to welcome her as Executive Director and look forward to learning from her as she creates her own path as RQI’s leader.”
Other Leadership Updates
We extend our deepest gratitude to co-founder Dan Rothstein, who stepped in as Interim Executive Director over the past year and, with his deep institutional knowledge, provided steady, dedicated leadership. We are equally grateful that Dan will remain a vital part of the RQI team as Senior Associate for Democratic Education. In this new role, Dan’s primary focus will be to articulate the connection between RQI’s educational strategy and the purpose and practice of democratic education in an upcoming book.
In June, our team and members of the RQI extended family celebrated the career and impact of RQI co-founder Luz Santana. For over three decades, Luz led by example, with great integrity, relentless hard work, and an unwavering commitment to the idea that all people are capable of thinking and taking action on their own behalf.
We are exceptionally fortunate that Luz will continue to be involved in select projects at RQI; if you would like to get in touch with her, please write to us at contact@rightquestion.org, and we will make sure she gets your message.
In Community
Yes, these are some monumental changes at RQI. We hope that you will join our new and ongoing leadership team to ensure that a simple but transformative educational strategy will reach far more people than ever before. Over the past decade, we have seen our strategy reach into more than a million classrooms, organizations, and community-based efforts around the world. Given the severity of the challenges all around us, we ask for your support and determination to make sure that more people gain access to the resources and skills that can help promote more independent thinking and more robust democratic action. You can count on us to keep fighting, and we count on you to help us bring our work into more schools, organizations, and communities.
