Jo Anderson most recently served as the Executive Director of the Illinois Education Association (IEA-NEA). Before assuming that post in 2005, he held a variety of other positions with IEA-NEA, working on a range of issues from school restructuring to professional development. In 1995, Anderson founded the Center for Educational Innovation (CEI) to facilitate school restructuring and reform efforts throughout Illinois. He also held posts with the Industrial Areas Foundation and the National Consumers Union and was a university instructor in philosophy and political science.