Dr. Molly Macek is the director of education policy for the Mackinac Center for Public Policy. She holds a Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) from Johns Hopkins University. Prior to attaining her doctorate, she earned a Master’s in Teaching degree from Johns Hopkins University, and a bachelor’s degree from Georgetown University.

Macek brings to the Mackinac Center nearly two decades of experience in secondary education. She has worked in both private and public schools as a classroom teacher, department chair and administrator. Macek has performed extensive research on education problems of practice and has published studies on education innovations and interventions. She has also worked as a dissertation adviser for doctoral students at The Johns Hopkins University School of Education. Most recently, Macek served as the high school principal at a private school in Toledo, Ohio.

Macek was born and raised in Marshall, Michigan and lived in the Baltimore/D.C. area for 28 years before returning to the Midwest in 2019. She enjoys spending time with her husband, two children and dog, Lego.