Jennifer Bergland, Director of Governmental Relations and Member Services, Texas Computer Education Association.
She was the Director of Instructional Technology for Bryan ISD for 8 years and the Chief Technology Officer for seven. In 1995, Jennifer took a department of two trainers and a part-time secretary, with the primary responsibility of training teachers on how to integrate technology into their teaching, to a staff of 40 technology professionals whose responsibility it was to support and maintain a high-tech infrastructure supporting over 18,000 users. Bryan ISD recognized her efforts by naming her the district’s Administrator of the Year in 2002. Under Jennifer’s leadership the district received over 9.2 million dollars in grants. These grants enabled the district to provide the students with a 21st Century education.
Jennifer has lobbied for more funds for technology at the local, state, and national level. She has testified before both the Texas House and Senate education committees. She spoke at a briefing on Capitol Hill in Washington DC promoting the one-to-one laptop-project that three Bryan ISD middle schools participated in. She also was asked to present before the House of Representatives Education Committee in June of 2009. ISTE awarded Jennifer the Advocate Trendsetter Award in July 2009.
Karen Cator, Director of the Office of Educational Technology, U.S. Department of Education
Karen Cator, Director of the Office of Educational Technology, U.S. Department of Education Karen Cator is the Director of the Office of Educational Technology at the U.S. Department of Education. She has devoted her career to creating the best possible learning environments for this generation of students. Prior to joining the Department, Cator directed Apple’s leadership and advocacy efforts in education. In this role, she focused on the intersection of education policy and research, emerging technologies, and the reality faced by teachers, students and administrators. She joined Apple in 1997 from the public education sector, where she lead technology planning and implementation in Juneau, Alaska. She also served as Special Assistant for Telecommunications for the Lieutenant Governor of Alaska.
Andrew Chlup – Director of Technology, Vail School District, Vail, Arizona
He began his career as an upper elementary teacher, but soon realized that his goal was to teach educators how to engage their students through the purposeful integration of technology. Andrew has made it his goal to utilize a combination of existing equipment and open-source software applications to revolutionize the way teachers and students work and learn. He has authored and implemented several programs, ranging from an online homework system to school district wide blogs. Recently his efforts have been focused on the Vail School District's "Beyond Textbooks"™ program. Andrew is an Arizona certified teacher and has his Masters in Educational Technology from Northern Arizona University. He was the Arizona Technology in Education Association Technology Coordinator of the Year in 2010 and was selected as part of Tucson, Arizona's "40 under 40" Class of 2010. He is also a member of the Arizona Technology in Education Association and the International Society for Technology in Education.
Geoffrey Fletcher, Senior Director for Strategic Initiatives and Communications, State Educational Technology Directors Association (SETDA)
Dr. Geoffrey H. Fletcher is Senior Director for Strategic Initiatives and Communications with SETDA. Prior to joining SETDA, Dr. Fletcher was Editorial Director for the Education Group of 1105 Media, Inc. with responsibility for all content of the Education Group, including T.H.E. Journal, Campus Technology and their web sites and e-newsletters. He also served with the Texas Education Agency (TEA) for 11 years in various positions including Assistant Commissioner with responsibility for standards and curriculum, the statewide assessment program, educational technology initiatives, textbooks and professional development. For two years he was responsible for TEA’s information system, including the Public Education Information Management System.
John Keller, Director of Learning Technologies, Indiana Department of Education
John Keller is the Director of Learning Technologies for the Indiana Department of Education. In this role John oversees state and federal grants for educational technology, serves as the state E-rate coordinator, provides leadership to the design and implementation of Indiana’s portal for student data, collaboration tools, and instructional resources, the Learning Connection. John also works across the agency to promote expanded use of technology to support student learning and serves as the departmental liaison to Indiana’s ed tech professional associations. John’s educational background includes a home school high school diploma, a bachelor’s degree from Grace College, and a masters and doctorate from Indiana University. As a public school educator, John taught 5th and 6th grades for six years and also served in a professional development capacity in the area of ed tech training. Additional professional responsibilities have included adjunct instructor roles at Indiana Wesleyan and Ball State Universities and four years in the nonprofit sector as an education specialist on an educational software design project.
Douglas Levin, Executive Director, State Educational Technology Directors Association (SETDA)
Mr. Douglas Levin joined SETDA as Executive Director in November 2009 with nearly 20 years of Washington, DC-based education policy and research experience. A passionate advocate on behalf of state educational technology leaders, Mr. Levin has served in prominent roles in the private and non-profit sectors, including in senior leadership positions with the National Association of State Boards of Education, the American Institutes for Research, and Cable in the Classroom, the cable industry’s national education foundation. Mr. Levin played key roles in developing the nation’s first three national education technology plans and in conducting research and evaluations of major educational technology programs and initiatives, including as primary author of the Pew Internet study of internet-savvy students, The Digital Disconnect.
Bailey Mitchell, Chief Technology and Information Officer, Forsyth County Schools, Georgia
Bailey Mitchell brings twenty five years of experience as an educator and has worked for the past thirteen years as the Chief Technology and Information Officer for Forsyth County Schools, a growing community of Atlanta, Georgia. He is responsible for the educational and administrative technology enterprise with a focus on personalized learning, collaborative classrooms, mobile computing, parent communication and teacher support. Forsyth Schools are nationally recognized as a leader in educational technology. Bailey is chair-elect of Consortium for School Networking (CoSN). Prior to working for Forsyth County Schools, Bailey served as the Director of Instructional Technology at the Georgia Department of Education. Bailey has a B.S. degree in Career and Technology Education and a Masters and Specialist Degree from The University of Georgia in Educational Administration and Curriculum and Supervision.
Lan Neugent, Assistant Superintendent for Technology and Career Education, Virginia Department of Education
Lan Neugent is Assistant Superintendent for Technology and Career Education at the Virginia Department of Education. Mr. Neugent has over 35 years of experience at the classroom, district, and state level. As assistant superintendent for technology and career education, Mr. Neugent is responsible for establishing direction for state policy for educational technology, career and technical education, educational information management and adult education and for carrying out both Governor and General Assembly initiatives. Under his direction, Technology and Career Education Division units provide technical support for other departmental divisions, liaison with other state agencies, and support for local educational agencies. Major technology initiatives being implemented by Virginia include online testing, open educational resources development, longitudinal data system implementation and virtual school programming.
Mary Ann Wolf, PhD, CEO, Wolf Ed
Has fifteen years of experience in education and education technology. She currently serves as an independent advisor to several organizations, focuses on connecting policy and practice for innovative education reform and instructional practices, and grounds her perspective in her teaching experience and work with students. Mary Ann recently wrote Innovate to Educate: Education System [Re]Design for Personalized Learning based upon a Symposium held by SIIA, ASCD, and CCSSO. Previously, Mary Ann was the Executive Director of the State Educational Technology Directors Association (SETDA). With SETDA, Mary Ann released several research and position reports, testified before the US House of Representatives Education and Labor Committee, and co-hosted technology showcases on the Hill. Mary Ann taught fifth grade in Virginia and studied education leadership with a focus on teacher time and professionalism at the University of Virginia. Mary Ann has a Ph.D. in Education from the University of Virginia, a Masters Degree in Elementary Education from the George Washington University, and a Bachelors in Accounting and Marketing from Georgetown University.