People on the Move
Leadership Changes Announced for Baumgartner, McCulloch, LaRue, Atkins, Revenaugh, Bratcher, Ramos, Loble, Levin, DeMont, Oran
- By Kristal Kuykendall
- 04/17/23
Editor’s Note: 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 regularly 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. News releases should be emailed to [email protected].
Brad Baumgartner is New CEO at BookNook
BookNook, a provider of effective high-impact literacy and tutoring solutions for schools and students, has named Brad Baumgartner its new Chief Executive Officer as founder Michael Lombardo transitions to chairman of the Board of Directors.
Baumgartner has served in various leadership roles in education technology, including at Learnosity, Questar Assessment and ConnectEDU. His experience scaling operations and leading growth in domestic and international markets “will enable BookNook to expand its reach, increase its market penetration and achieve greater scale,” the company said in a news release.
Learn more at Booknook.com.
Wilson Language Training Adds Ewan McCulloch and Mario LaRue to Leadership Team
Wilson Language Training has announced the appointment of two new executive leaders: Ewan McCulloch as Chief People Officer and Mario LaRue as Chief Financial Officer.
McCulloch’s international career has included human resources and general management leadership roles, most recently at The Cengage Group and Staples, Wilson said in a news release. He has experience in publicly traded and private equity-backed businesses across a range of sectors including banking and finance, retail, energy, and education technology.
LaRue comes from a long career in finance including over 15 years in the technology industry. Most recently, he served as senior vice president of finance at Bonterra; previously he was vice president of finance of Clarabridge, where he led the organization through a strategic sale worth over $1 billion, Wilson said. LaRue also held management roles at Blackboard.
Learn more at WilsonLanguage.com.
United States Academic Esports League Names Katrina Atkins VP
The United States Academic Esports League, a provider of turn-key academic esports programs for K-12 schools, has named Katrina Adkins, Ed.D., as its new vice president of academic esports, a role in which she is tasked with leading the expansion of the league with a focus on “expanding opportunities for girls in STEM, developing resources for schools and educators, and finding new ways to channel students’ passion for gaming into college and career opportunities,” according to a news release.
Adkins has extensive experience in education and particularly in engaging women and minorities in STEM and esports programs.
Adkins “will work to foster a culture of inclusivity and accessibility within the K-12 esports education space,” the organization said.
The USAEL was formed in late 2022 as a partnership between education experts from Mastery Coding and esports veterans at Rally Cry; its mission is “to help students use their passion for video games to take advantage of opportunities for internships, scholarships, and pathways to high-paying careers in STEM,” the announcement explained. “The three pillars that make up the essence of the USAEL are competitions that engage, curriculum that inspires, and careers that empower.”
Learn more at https://usacademicesports.com.
Connections Academy Founder Mickey Revenaugh Retires from Pearson
More than 20 years since founding Connections Academy, Mickey Revenaugh has retired from Pearson, which acquired Connections in 2001 and expanded as Pearson Virtual Schools. Revenaugh’s retirement from her role as Vice President, International Business Development - Pearson Virtual Schools was effective earlier this year, according to a news release.
Connections Academy was “one of the first platforms to provide online public education with personalized learning for K–12 students,” Pearson said; it now serves over 100,000 students in public and private virtual schools around the world as a part of the Pearson family.
Since 2011, Revenaugh has spearheaded initiatives in blended learning, overseas “innovation academies” and international online schooling, according to a news release. She has served in many roles in education: In the 1980s, Revenaugh helmed first-of-their-kind classroom technology magazines aimed at guiding early integration of computers into teaching and learning, Pearson said.
In the late 1990s, she helped launch the federal E-rate funding program to connect every American school to the internet, the announcement said. Revenaugh serves on the boards of the Aurora Institute, Brooklyn Laboratory Charter School, and the Barbara J. Dreyer Cares Foundation. She holds bachelor’s degrees from Smith College and Yale University, a master’s in creative writing from Bennington College, an MBA in marketing from New York University’s Stern School fo Business, and a certificate in fundraising and nonprofit/public management from Boston University.
Revenaugh’s early career included working as a journalist and fiction writer, and she “hopes to revisit those passions in this next chapter,” Pearson said.
Kasey Bratcher Joins Carnegie Learning Executive Team
Kasey Bratcher has been promoted to the position of Chief Services Officer on the Carnegie Learning executive leadership team, the organization said in a news release.
Bratcher began her Carnegie Learning journey as a middle school teacher implementing CL’s Math curriculum in her classroom and later, in 2008, joined Carnegie Learning as a certified implementation specialist, the company said. In 2011, she was promoted to Manager of School Partnerships and in 2013 was promoted to Director of Professional Learning Design and Implementation.
Bratcher has been leading the entire Professional Learning department since 2015. In the last five years, Pearson said, she has led the PL team to 400% growth, expanded its portfolio of in-person and digital professional learning services, tripled sales of her division, and increased service delivery revenue by over 150% — all while maintaining customer-feedback ratings averaging 9.4 out of 10, Carnegie Learning said.
In her new role as Chief Services Officer, she will lead both the Professional Learning and Tutoring departments, expand offerings with a new digital platform, and work toward growing service revenue, according to the announcement.
Bratcher holds a Master of Arts in Educational Leadership and Administration from Western Kentucky University and a Bachelor of Arts in Education – Mathematics from Campbellsville University.
Learn more at CarnegieLearning.com.
Jacinto Ramos Jr. Joins Sibme, to Focus on Equity and Outcomes in Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona
Sibme, a provider of personalized professional development and coaching, has appointed Jacinto "Cinto" Ramos Jr. as account executive to serve schools in Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona, where he is tasked with expanding the company’s services to educators to improve equity and outcomes for students.
Previously, Ramos worked with the Council of the Great City Schools, and he is the immediate past chair of the 2019-2021 Council of Urban Boards of Education and the immediate past president of the Mexican American School Boards Association, according to a news release.
Bridging the silos of activism, leadership, and community engagement, Ramos earned a spot on the Fort Worth Independent School District's School Board of Trustees in June 2013, and in 2015, he became the youngest board president in FWISD’s history. Ramos began his career as a formerly certified juvenile probation officer in Texas and a gang interventionist for the Boys and Girls Clubs of America.
Ramos holds a doctorate in Educational Leadership and Administration from Walden University. He is a certified multicultural trainer, a formerly certified juvenile probation officer in Texas, a former co-director of the Multicultural Alliance's Camp CommUNITY, an affiliate of Courageous Conversations About Race, and a past director of the Texas Association of School Boards. Ramos also has been an adjunct professor in criminal justice and ethnic studies at Texas Christian University since 2015.
Learn more at Sibme.com.
Instructure's Melissa Loble named Chair of 1EdTech Board of Directors
Instructure, the maker of Canvas, has announced that Melissa Loble, its chief customer experience officer, has been named chair of the board for 1EdTech, a nonprofit working to improve education technology’s impact on learning outcomes by fostering an open, trusted, and innovative edtech ecosystem.
Loble previously served in educator roles in both K-12 and higher education institutions and has worked in various executive leadership positions for over nine years at Instructure, according to a news release. “With extensive experience leading teams across various disciplines throughout her career including client success, platform and partnerships, solutions engineering and professional services, Loble is uniquely positioned” to lead the 1EdTech board, the organization said. She also serves in advisory roles at Internet2, Terracotta, and Utah Valley University.
Loble holds a bachelor's degree in political science from the University of California, Los Angeles; a master's degree in educational policy from Teachers' College, Columbia University; and a Master of Business Administration with an emphasis on leadership from the Columbia Business School.
Learn more at www.instructure.com.
K12SIX Director Doug Levin Named to CISA Advisory Panel
The U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency has appointed K12 SIX Director Doug Levin to a two-year term on its Cybersecurity Advisory Committee, according to a news release.
The CSAC is comprised of experts on cybersecurity, technology, risk management, privacy, and resilience; the committee advises the CISA director on policies and programs related to the agency’s mission.
In his CSAC role, Levin “will advise on the unique cybersecurity needs and threats impacting the U.S. K-12 education sector and lend his expertise to guide policy and programs to support target-rich, cyber-poor entities across the nation,” the announcement said.
In recent steps to support school districts’ in their cyber risk management efforts, CISA released the landmark report “Protecting Our Future: Partnering to Safeguard K-12 Organizations from Cybersecurity Threats” recommending that district leaders take immediate action to strengthen their security practices, and K12 SIX regularly updates its K12 SIX Essentials Series to align with CISA’s cross-sector goals and threat data.
“There is a lot of work to be done to shore up the cybersecurity defenses of school systems, but I’ve been heartened by growing awareness of the issue and the commitment of partners in government and the private sector who are taking steps to stem the tide,” Levin said.
Learn more at K12SIX.org.
Maggie DeMont is New General Manager at Heinemann
Professional development and educator support provider Heinemann has appointed Maggie DeMont as General Manager, reporting directly to President Matthew Mugo Fields, according to a news release.
“DeMont has been instrumental in developing a data-informed plan for Heinemann that will strengthen and diversify the company's resources for educators through continued investment in research-based curricular offerings, a modernized approach to professional learning, innovative new digital tools and a professional books and media arm that offers educators timely content delivered via multimedia platforms,” the company said.
Most recently, DeMont served as SVP of Corporate Strategy at HMH; previously, DeMont worked in strategy consulting as a principal at the Parthenon Group. She holds an MBA from the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth and began her career as a senior analyst at Chase Securities.
Learn more at Heinemann.com.
CoderZ Taps Tony Oran as CEO
Cloud-based robotics and STEM platform CoderZ has announced that Tony Oran is the company’s new CEO in the United States.
Oran, with “extensive experience in sales, marketing as well as business leadership and development,” most recently served as vice president of sales for Festo Didactic’s North America division and previously was director of strategic business development and partnerships.
He has held multiple management roles at Festo Group, a worldwide supplier of automation technology, equipment, and solutions for industrial and technical education. During his time there, Oran joined the board at Nocti Business Solutions, an international company offering occupational competency testing services. In 2022, he was appointed to the board of the National Coalition of Advanced Technology Centers, a network of higher education resources connecting industry, education, and government.
Learn more at GoCoderZ.com.