People On The Move

SchoolStatus Names Scott Mitchell as Chief Financial Officer

Plus: Leadership Changes at Texthelp, Kajeet, National CISR High School Insurance Program

• By Kristal Kuykendall
• 04/18/22

SchoolStatus, a school-to-parent communications platform provider, has named Scott Mitchell as its chief financial officer.

Mitchell’s background includes over 25 years in corporate finance, accounting, financial planning, and corporate development, including most recently as chief financial officer of HireRoad, a cloud-based talent management solution. He’s also held financial leadership roles with Education Brands and Blackboard, as well as Verizon and others, SchoolStatus said.

Mitchell holds a Bachelor’s in Business Administration – Accounting from the College of William & Mary and resides in Ashburn, Va.

Learn more at SchoolStatus.com.

Texthelp Names Cathy Donnelly as Chief People Officer

Texthelp, a global provider of literacy and assistive technology, appointed Cathy Donnelly as its Chief People Officer, the company recently announced. A senior HR executive with over 25 years' experience, Cathy's role will ensure Texthelp's business strategy is successfully reflected across all HR activity.

Donnelly, with over 25 years’ experience as a human resources manager, served as senior director of talent at Liberty IT for almost 10 years, during which time the company earned Top 10 placement in the UK and Ireland “Great Place To Work” rankings, Texthelp said in a news release.

Prior to joining Liberty IT, Donnelly served as HR Manager for IKEA in the U.K. and Ireland, leading the personnel strategy for over 8,000 employees.

In her new role at Texthelp, Donnelly “will be developing an employee experience where people are coached and supported to fulfill their potential and feel valued,” the company said. “Building a globally inclusive community that recognizes and celebrates diversity will foster a high-performing culture for the company.”

Donnelly is based in Northern Ireland and is expected to split her time across Texthelp offices in the United States, the U.K., the Nordics, and Australia.

Learn more at Texthelp.com.

Kajeet Expands Leadership Team with Addition of Telecommunications Industry Veterans

Kajeet, a provider of IoT connectivity, software and hardware solutions for school districts, local and state governments, and businesses, has appointed Scott Langley as vice president of enterprise sales and Michael Suess as director of sales and strategy for the company’s public sector division, according to a news release.

Langley’s 20-year career within the telecommunications industry includes a strong background in wireless and mobile devices, Kajeet said. He is a veteran of the U.S. Army, U.S. Army National Guard, and Multi-National Corps – Iraq, having served for two decades in all.

Suess also has worked within telecommunications sales and strategy for 20 years; he previously held senior leadership positions at MCI Communications, Verizon Wireless, Verizon Enterprise Solutions and Sprint, according to the news release. Suess will oversee strategy and sales in Kajeet’s public sector division, which includes educational institutions, government agencies, housing authorities, and libraries, Kajeet said.

Learn more at Kajeet.com.

Noelle Codispoti Tapped to Lead Certified Insurance Service Representative High School Program

The National Alliance of Insurance Education & Research has named Noelle Codispoti as its new Director of CISR High School Program, a three-semester, online course that enables students to earn a nationally recognized industry designation before they graduate, the alliance said in a news release.

Codispoti “will develop and implement the national growth strategy and comprehensive program supports to ensure student success,” NAIER said. “In pursuing key goals of expanding program reach and engaging an under-represented demographic to bolster a richly diverse talent pipeline, particular focus will be placed on the student experience to improve delivery; and developing meaningful partnerships to further support students with early industry networks and career opportunities.”

Previously, Codispoti served for a decade as CEO of Gamma Iota Sigma, the insurance sector’s leading collegiate professional fraternity. Her growth strategy and leadership there resulted in a 400% increase in student membership, NAIER said.

Codispoti’s career has illustrated a deep commitment to diversity and inclusion within the insurance industry talent pipeline: She brought the Global Dive In Festival to North America in 2016 pioneered groundbreaking student initiatives fostering DEI solutions and understanding, according to the news release.

Learn more about the CISR High School Program at the alliance’s website.

THE Journal welcomes submissions about new hires and promotions among ed tech industry executives and K–12 public school administrators in the United States. Contributed news items will be published once a week on THEJournal.com; the archives can be accessed at any time at THEJournal.com/articles/list/people-on-the-move. To submit news about new leadership and management changes at K–12 ed tech companies and at nonprofits in the K–12 ed tech space, complete the form at bit.ly/EdTechPeopleNews. To submit news about new hires and promotions among K–12 public schools administration, complete the form at bit.ly/K12AdminNews.