Board of Directors
In Memory of Jack Johnston – An Innovator in Many Ways
Jack spent his professional career focused on the intersection between technical creativity, the development and effective use of diverse teams, and the critical role of R&D leadership. He created and led multidisciplinary, multi-company and multinational teams in such diverse areas as lubricant additive design and manufacture, zero emissions process design, advanced engine system design, fuel cell vehicle power plants, and R&D organization re-design. Jack began his career in the multidisciplinary area of polymer science, attracted by the creative energy that develops at the interface between disciplines. This was followed by studies in France, his first exposure to truly multinational R&D and the challenges of working across cultures as well as disciplines. His industrial career included experience with R&D at Union Carbide, Exxon Chemical and ExxonMobil Research & Engineering, as well as manufacturing experience with Exxon Chemical. He developed a reputation for successfully tackling high risk projects with novel approaches and a deep commitment to leading diverse groups. He worked actively with the National Science Foundation Division of Undergraduate Research Advanced Technology (ATE) initiative, serving on a number of National Visiting Committees, including over 10 years as an NVC chair. From 2000 until his retirement in 2006, he was responsible for technology-policy development related to advanced energy systems, as well as serving as the Planning Executive for ExxonMobil’s Corporate Strategic Research labs. He spoke extensively on the topic of energy systems R&D, and related issues such as science and technology education. After his retirement from Exxon Mobil, he has worked with Habitat for Humanity, Innovate+Educate on innovating educational systems, as a consultant with SFB Associates, a firm specializing in R&D leadership and management, and as a consultant to two DOE Projects. Jack’s avocational interests included paleoanthropology, furniture making, and exploring the trails of Northern New Mexico with his wife Cathy. Jack will be missed by many people in many ways. He will be remembered.
Kimberly Admire
Vice Chairman
Lockheed Martin
Kimberly (Kim) S. Admire is Corporate Vice President, Diversity, Inclusion and Equal Opportunity Programs for Lockheed Martin.
Since joining Lockheed Martin in 1998, Ms. Admire has held a number of positions of increasing responsibility including Vice President, Human Resources for Enterprise Operations; Vice President, Human Resources and Communications at Sandia National Laboratories; Vice President, Human Resource Operations for Lockheed Martin Integrated Systems and Solutions; and Vice President, Human Resources and Security Operations for Lockheed Martin Management and Data Systems.
Before joining Lockheed Martin, Ms. Admire worked as a human resources consultant for Fortune 500 organizations concentrating on talent acquisition and development. She has more than 25 years of human resources leadership experience in several industries including healthcare, engineering and technology, and aerospace.
Ms. Admire is active in the community and serves on several boards of directors including Innovate+Educate, where she is currently the Vice-Chair, and the American Cancer Society National Capital Region Corporate Council.
A native of Kansas City, Missouri, Ms. Admire is a graduate of Park College, where she received a bachelor’s degree in business administration. She earned a master’s degree in management from the University of Maryland University College.
Loretta A. Armenta
Century Link
As Director, NM Regulatory and Legislative Affairs at Century Link, Ms. Armenta provides corporate executive leadership, and interacts and lobbies with state legislators and civic leaders to further the success of Qwest Communications. She also provides strategic direction for Qwest in New Mexico with regard to consumers, employees, and government and civic affairs.
In February 2003, Ms. Armenta was selected to serve as a member of the FannieMae’s Housing Impact Advisory Council. In November 2002, Ms. Armenta was appointed by Governor Bill Richardson to serve on the Governor’s Transition Team. Ms. Armenta was also appointed by Governor Bill Richardson to serve on the New Mexico/Chihuahua Economic Commission. In April 1995, Ms. Armenta was appointed by President Bill Clinton to serve on the North American Development Bank (NADBank) Community Adjustment and Investment Program Advisory Committee.
Ms. Armenta has been the recipient of numerous awards in recognition of her community service and national/international leadership. In November 2006 Ms. Armenta was inducted into the “New Mexico Business Hall of Fame” and in November 2005 she received the Governor’s Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition of her national, state, and local leadership and advocacy on behalf of issues impacting women and minority business owners. In 2004, Ms. Armenta was also awarded the prestigious Spirit of Achievement Award by the National Jewish Medical and Research Center.
Ms. Armenta is a nationally recognized advocate for cultural diversity in the workplace, small business initiatives, civil rights, women’s issues and equal opportunities for the disabled.
Glen Banks
Apple Computer
Glen Banks is a Education Senior Account Executive with Apple based in Placitas, New Mexico and is responsible for higher education campuses in New Mexico and Arizona. He has worked for Apple for over 18 years, starting as a systems engineer, and now working with colleges both large and small in New Mexico and Arizona. He is set up and configured iPad labs for several colleges and provided training for students, faculty and staff on the iPad. Glen has extensive speaking experience and is a certified Toast Master. He has also worked for Oracle Corp. as a regional manager and spent seven years at New Mexico State University as a systems analyst and research assistant.
Mike Belcher
Assistant Secretary
Hewlett-Packard
With over 10 years experience in education solution development for major OEM’s, Mike has specialized in developing, delivering and marketing technology-based learning solutions into the K-12 and Higher Education segments. Accomplishments include comprehensive anytime anywhere and Student computing solutions including Instructional Technology Planning, Professional and Faculty Development, e-Learning portals, Classroom Delivery models, application partnerships, support and Infrastructure development.
Since joining HP, Mike has led the development of “Real Life” solutions. HP’s “Real Life” solutions are designed to provide students and teachers real world skills through the use of real life examples and applications. Key components include planning, professional development and applications to help prepare teachers to integrate industry standard applications, project-based learning and student-centered collaboration into their classrooms. Mike currently works and resides in Tomball, TX with his family
Cheryl Carrier
Ford Motor Company Fund
Cheryl Carrier joined Ford Motor Company in May of 1978 and currently works with the Ford Motor Company Fund as program director for the Ford PAS and Ford NGL programs. In this capacity, Carrier manages all aspects of Ford PAS and NGL, which includes program development, dissemination, regional and national partnerships, and customer assistance. Prior to working with the Ford Fund, Carrier held various positions at Ford in engineering, finance, and investor relations. Her most recent assignment prior to managing Ford PAS was working for William Clay Ford, Jr., now Chairman and CEO of the Ford Motor Company. Carrier assisted Mr. Ford from 1989 through 1997, as he held various management positions and was a member of the Ford Motor Company Board of Directors.
Carlos Contreras
Intel Corporation
Carlos Contreras is the US Education Director for Intel Corporation, a job he has held for the past year of the 13 years he has been at the company. Before joining Intel, he was a process engineer with Proctor & Gamble in Oxnard, Calif. Carlos has a bachelor’s degree in industrial engineering from the University of Arizona and a Master’s in business from Thunderbird, the American Graduate School of International Management. Carlos oversees Intel’s education programs in the US which include grants to encourage excellence in math, science and engineering in K-12 as well as higher education and use of technology in the classroom.
Cindy Dietz
Rockwell Collins
Cindy Dietz is Director, Corporate Communications for Rockwell Collins. She was named to the position in September 2011. Her team is responsible for public relations/media, employee communications and community relations.
Prior to her most recent role, Cindy served 13 years as Rockwell Collins’ Manager of Community Relations and Executive Director of the Rockwell Collins Charitable Corporation. During this time she developed and lead the company’s global charitable giving and employee volunteer programs, and created the company’s first strategic plan for science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education outreach.
She continues to lead Rockwell Collins STEM education initiatives and has been named to Iowa Governor Terry Branstad’s newly created STEM Advisory Council. She was also instrumental in the development of Iowa’s STEM Education Roadmap, which was completed in early 2011.
Cindy participates on a number of state, regional and national boards, including the Aviation Industry Association’s (AIA) STEM Education Workforce Steering Committee, the Project Lead the Way (PLTW) state steering committee for Iowa, and the United Way of East Central Iowa, to name just a few.
She was one of nine to be named a Corridor Business Journal Woman of Influence in 2009. Cindy was recognized for her work helping Cedar Rapids nonprofit organizations recover from the devastating flood that hit the center of the community in 2008. Also in 2009, she was named as a Waypoint Services “Tribute to Women” Outstanding Honoree for Achievements in Her Field.
Cindy was born and raised in Iowa and holds a Journalism/Mass Communications degree from Iowa State University. She enjoys running, biking, hiking and camping with her husband KC and two daughters.
Charles Fadel
Center for Curriculum Design
Charles Fadel is Global Lead on Education at Cisco Systems, and the Cisco board member at the Partnership for 21st Century Skills, of which Cisco was a founding member. He has consulted with a wide variety of education ministries/boards including Massachusetts, France, Chile, Brazil, Costa Rica, Tunisia, and the Dominican Republic, to name a few, and has worked on education projects with more than thirty countries and states.
He is presently advising two non-profit organizations, and actively serves with several industry organizations including two committees of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), and the State Educational Technology Directors Association (SETDA). Charles has recently served on the Massachusetts Governor’s Readiness Project as well as its 21st Century Skills task force. He is also incubating a non-profit organization addressing the convergence of 21st Century Skills and Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM).
Charles has authored a book titled “21st Century Skills – Learning for Life in our Times” http://www.21stcenturyskillsbook.com/index.php , and many articles in publications such as Technology & Learning, New Media Consortium, eSchool News, Education Week, University Business, EETimes, and others. He has presented at numerous education conferences, including the Consortium for School Networking (COSN), the National School Boards Association (NSBA), the National Center for Technology Innovation (NCTI), and the Masie Center’s learning conferences.
Charles has been awarded five patents on video, content, and communication technologies. He holds a bachelor of science in electronics with course concentration in quantum and solid-state physics with a minor in neuroscience, and a master of business administration in international marketing. An avid reader, he has autodidactically learned cognitive sciences disciplines (evolutionary psychology, comparative linguistics, and others), and enjoys the lessons of classical history.
Reg Foster
IBM Corporation for the New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut Tri-State area
Reg Foster is the Corporate Community Relations Manager for the IBM Corporation for the New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut Tri-State area. His responsibilities include managing IBM’s grants aimed at improving the technological capacity of nonprofits and schools, supporting IBM executives sitting on nonprofit boards, facilitating employee involvement in the community, and government relations. Prior to joining IBM, Mr. Foster was a consultant to both nonprofit and for-profit organizations in the fields of technology planning, resource development, and government relations. He was Vice President for Government Relations at United Way of New York City, and also served as Vice President for External Relations for that organization, focusing on resource development, technology and contracting issues, and public/private partnerships. Mr. Foster was Assistant Director of the New York State Governor’s Office for the Aging. He also served as Deputy Administrator at the New York City Human Resources Administration Office of Legislation and Policy. He was the lobbyist on human services for the City to the State Legislature. Mr. Foster previously worked as an analyst at several nonprofit organizations, including the Vera Institute of Justice. His fields of work included low-income housing, mental health, and adult education. Reg holds a law degree from Osgoode Hall Law School in Toronto, and a degree in English Literature and Philosophy from the University of Toronto.
Jerry Fuentes
Assistant Treasurer
AT&T
Jerry Fuentes is employed with AT&T and currently serves as President of AT&T Arizona/New Mexico. In this capacity, Mr. Fuentes leads all legislative, regulatory, and external affairs activities in the two states.
In addition, Mr. Fuentes is involved with new technology deployment and infrastructure investment and represents AT&T in civic and community organizations.
Mr. Fuentes has worked for AT&T for 29 years and has progressed through a series of positions in the comptroller’s, human resources, information systems, marketing and external affairs organizations. Prior to being named president, Mr. Fuentes, was assistant vice president External Affairs, with responsibility for supporting legislative, governmental, regulatory, and community affairs for AT&T’s western region.
He is a past board member of various business, civic and community organizations, including the Greater San Antonio Chamber, Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center, the Library Board of Trustees, Texas Lyceum, Boy Scouts of America, the Alamo Regional Mobility Authority, San Antonio Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, Southwest School of Arts and Craft, Parks Foundation and the Spurs Foundation. He currently serves on the board of SER National, the NALEO Partnership Council and the National Hispanic Caucus of State Legislators Business Council.
Most recently, Mr. Fuentes was awarded corporate executive of the year by the San Antonio Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.
Mr. Fuentes received his master’s degree in business administration from our Lady of the Lake University in San Antonio, where he was a member of the Delta Mu Delta National Honor Society.
Roxanne Gould
Dell Computer
Former Senior Vice President, State Government Affairs at TechAmerica, which is the leading voice for the U.S. technology industry, the driving force behind productivity growth and jobs creation in the United States and the foundation of the global innovation economy. Representing approximately 1,500 member companies of all sizes from the public and commercial sectors of the economy, it is the industry’s largest advocacy organization and is dedicated to helping members’ top and bottom lines. It is also the technology industry’s only grassroots-to-global advocacy network, with offices in state capitals around the United States, Washington, D.C., Europe (Brussels) and Asia (Beijing).
Jami Grindatto
Chairman
Intel Corporation
Jami Grindatto is in Intel’s Global HR Division which includes the largest semiconductor manufacturing sites for Intel. His team is responsible for government affairs, media relations, education programs and community engagement.
Jami joined Intel in 1994. Among many roles at Intel, Jami led the Software Architecture Design that automates Intel’ newest Fabs worldwide and was Director of the Americas for Intel® Solution Services.
Jami is an Intel Achievement Award recipient. He is a member of regional and national executive boards, including the chair for Innovate-Educate, a national pre-competitive industry collaborative to drive innovation in education. Jami earned a B.S. in Computer Engineering from the University of New Mexico.
Jami was born and raised in Switzerland and played professional basketball in Europe prior to coming to the United States –he’ made New Mexico his home since 1985. He and his wife Connie have 3 children: Missie who studies Animal Sciences at New Mexico State University, Lucas and Joshua who attend Hope Christian School. He enjoys the great outdoors of the Southwest –Jami and the boys like to hike, ski and camp, while the girls prefer the amenities of their fifth wheel for vacationing.
Vicki Grisanti
EMC Corp
Victoria Grisanti is Senior Manager for Community Involvement at EMC Corporation, the world leader in information storage systems, software, networks, and services. In this position, Ms. Grisanti is responsible for representing the interests of EMC on community involvement initiatives, including supporting the company’s focus to improve K-12 science, technology, engineering, and mathematics education.
In addition, Ms. Grisanti participates in education public policy reform efforts in Massachusetts and manages the company’s donations of technology, volunteer programs and other local and global philanthropic activities.
During her ten years in communications and corporate social responsibility, Ms. Grisanti previously was the Director of Communications at the American Heart Association, a national non-profit organization focused on reducing the incidence of death from cardiovascular disease. Prior to that, Ms. Grisanti served as a Public Relations Specialist at Staples, Inc., the world’s largest office products company, where she managed communications activities related to Staples’ domestic retail stores.
Examples of Ms. Grisanti’s responsibilities:
- Board of Directors, Massachusetts Business Alliance for Education
- Board of Directors, Worcester Education Collaborative
- Member, Massachusetts Business Roundtable, Corporate Social Responsibility Task Force
- Served on the Massachusetts’ Department of Elementary & Secondary Education’s Mathematics Framework Review Committee
Born in Boston, Massachusetts, Ms. Grisanti graduated from Syracuse University’s S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications and lives in Mendon with her husband and two children.
Denise Hobbs
Oracle – Albuquerque, New Mexico
Denise Hobbs is the Sr. Marketing Manager for The Oracle Education Initiatives. In this role, she brings more than 16 years of success in marketing and a proven track record in strategic relationship selling specific to the education industry. She is responsible for promoting the Oracle Education Foundation Thinkquest, an online project-based learning K-12 platform and the Oracle Academy secondary and postsecondary curriculum for North America. Denise has held positions ranging from Assistant Director of Enrollment at Eastern New Mexico University, Sr. Sales Manager/Owner of Relational Training and Consulting, Inc., and Sr. Sales Representative for IKON Education and MicroAge, Inc. Additionally, she has held various roles at Oracle Corporation throughout her career. Denise holds a bachelors degree in Marketing from the University of Houston and currently resides in Albuquerque, NM with her husband Greg and daughters Abby and Charlotte.
Colleen T. Jenkins
SAS Institute
Colleen is tasked with developing and nurturing a portfolio of strategic relationships and special projects that address the critical challenges of building and sustaining effective 21st Century educational enterprises.
Throughout Colleen’s 20+ years at SAS, several labels have been attributed to her: “Leader”, “Visionary”, “Intrapreneur”, and most recently, “Boundary Spanner”. As a 21st Century leader, she exemplifies accountability for meeting goals and objectives; proactively identifies and creates sustainable processes and collaborations; brings people together across traditional internal and external organizational boundaries; and effectively guides individuals and teams to work together for a common purpose.
Colleen’s previous leadership roles include: General Manager, Senior Business Director, Business Director, and Regional Manager. She has lead local and regional sales, marketing, customer relationship management, and R&D teams.
Colleen currently resides in Fuquay Varina, NC with her husband and five year old daughter.
Ray Johnson
Treasurer
IBM
As IBM Corporate Citizenship and Corporate Affairs Manager for IBM, Ray oversees the company’s K-12 education reform efforts, and community and government relations programs for a seven-state region, including New Mexico. A leading advocate of K-12 business and education partnerships, Ray has been involved with numerous initiatives in his territory, including the push for standards and assessments in the mid-1990’s. Under his leadership, IBM has also implemented programs such as e-mentoring, an online program that matched over 300 IBM employees with 4th and 5th grade students to help with math skills. He also helped develop a reading improvement program in Boulder County, and a “Stay in School Program” for middle school students in Denver Public Schools.
Ray has also helped place more than 600 IBM Young Explorer computers at numerous day care centers and kindergarten classes throughout his region to help with early childhood learning through IBM’s KidSmart program; helped establish a computer training program for middle school students in Denver’s inner-city; implemented e-business classes for high school students; created computer labs to help improve math skills at middle schools; and held nine week-long summer technology day camps for middle school girls designed to provide hands-on experience, spark their interest and encourage them to pursue high tech careers.
He also helped establish a new computer technology center for Espanola Valley Schools in New Mexico; provided equipment to assist teachers participating in Los Alamos National Laboratory’s Math and Science Academy; and helped create and or update computer labs in several schools in Northern New Mexico.
Ray joined IBM in 1978 and has held a variety of positions in internal communications, media relations, community relations and government affairs. He has served on the board of many non-profit organizations throughout his career, including the Colorado Center for Tax Policy, Colorado Association of Commerce and Industry, Provider’s Resource Clearing House, Teaming for Results, Friends of Food for Thought, Curtis Park Community Center and March of Dimes. Ray also serves on the executive board of the Colorado Association of Commerce and Industry, and chairs its Education Foundation. He also chairs the Colorado Business and Education Alliance. He received a bachelor’s degree in communications from the University of Northern Colorado, and lives in Westminster, Colo.
Marina Leight
Converge Magazine
Marina Leight serves as Vice President of Education for the Converge media platform and the Center for Digital Education. The Converge platform includes an award-winning magazine, a cutting-edge website, turn-key custom publishing and high-level events in numerous jurisdictions. Converge’s mission is to drive forward a new vision around the education imperatives vital to the future success of our people, communities and nation. These include investment in and commitment to science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), green education, literacy, digital infrastructure and education technology, and workforce development. It involves understanding the importance of education in all aspects of economic development. The Center for Digital Education flanks this effort with prestigious surveys and awards, primary research and relevant market analysis.
Leight is responsible for all content and strategy for Converge and the Center for Digital Education. A writer and former teacher, Leight has been interviewed and quoted in prominent media such as National Public Radio and has participated as a featured author in published works for the K-12 market. Her speaking calendar has included major education audiences and engagements such as the National Educational Computing Conference, the Council of State Governments, and Educause. She has also served on several education boards and task force groups throughout her career.
Tracey Linville
Monster
Tracey Linville is the National Sales Manager for Monster’s Global Government Solutions. In her current role, she leads a team of National Account Managers working with Public Sector and Education across the country. Tracey joined Monster in 2005 and during her tenure has had Management roles in both the Commercial and Healthcare channels. Prior to joining Monster, Tracey held leadership roles at both Qwest Communications and AT&T. She has her B.S. in Psychology from Arizona State University and lives in Scottsdale, Arizona with her husband John.
Rick Lucero
Cisco Systems
Sam Morris
Lenovo Education
During his 19 years as an educator, Sam dedicated himself to teaching and learning and to the benefits of technology in transforming education. As a member of the faculty at Duke University, he developed resources for Project CALC, a program which included a technology-based discovery lab component with introductory calculus. In 1997, he joined the founding faculty of Cary Academy, an independent school in North Carolina. Capitalizing on the school’s mission which focused on discovery, innovation, and collaboration, Sam continued to explore how technology could enable more authentic experiences for students studying mathematics and computer science. Later as Instructional Technology Director, he led the school as it moved to a 1:1 Tablet PC environment. In that role he worked with faculty to leverage the technology to transform the teaching and learning. In addition to his work at Cary Academy, he also served as a consultant to public school teachers implementing technology in mathematics instruction. As Education Solutions Manager with Lenovo, Sam continues to dedicate himself to improving learning outcomes by the effective use of technology. While working to ensure that Lenovo creates the best hardware solutions for education, Sam also develops professional development and support resources for teachers and administrators. Sam received a BS in Mathematics and MAT from Duke University.
Joan Myers
Applied Research Associates (ARA)
Joan Myers is an entrepreneurial, politically astute leader whom has a deep passion for innovation, a global perspective and a strong sense of patriotism and commitment to U.S. competitiveness. Currently she serves as Director, Cyber Technologies for Applied Research Associates (ARA.) Former assignments include Director, Special Projects for the Partnership for Defense Innovation/Defense Security Technology Accelerator, Director, U.S. Policy for SAS, the largest privately held software company in the world, and she served as President and CEO of the North Carolina Technology Association (NCTA) for over nine years. In her role at NCTA she focused on growing and prospering the technology industry.
Ms. Myer’s strengths in “building bridges” between public officials and business leaders and has been pivotal in shaping the Information Technology sector and returning value to NC companies. Actively engaged in the global Eisenhower Fellowship program, Ms. Myers studied Cyber Security and Cyber Terrorism and led the effort to create the North Carolina Defense and Security Technology Accelerator. She continues to collaborate with the FBI and helped in the launch of the FBI Domain Counter Intelligence Program aimed at better protecting U.S. intellectual property.
Joan was also appointed by President George W. Bush to serve on the Presidential Rank Review Board in 2004. Joan is also the creator of the 5 Pillars of Executive Leadership in a Non Secure World conference and believes that in order to remain on the forefront of innovation and global competitiveness, business leaders need to embrace security as a corporate ethic and weave a culture of security throughout the corporate enterprise. She has worked with companies and organizations to explore ways to better protect our economic competitiveness and national security interests.Ms. Myers team-building history and collaborative nature has given her a proven track record of performance, deep respect in her peer group and state and national recognition. Upon coming to North Carolina in 1990, she managed the Celebration North Carolina Foundation. In 1993, she finished an appointment as the Assistant Secretary for Administration for the North Carolina Department of Transportation and later served as Vice President of Government Affairs for the Greater Raleigh Chamber of Commerce.
Lee Ramsayer
Secretary
Monster Government Solutions
Mr. Ramsayer joined Monster Worldwide in April of 2007 where took responsibility to build a dedicated sales force focused on the development of state and local and education markets. He has brought to market numerous solutions specific to helping regional economies with workforce and economic development. Expanded responsibilities for recruitment advertising agencies and sales partnerships have been added to his role in 2009.
Prior to Monster, Mr. Ramsayer held the position of Vice President at Intelliworks, Inc. where he was responsible for company sales and customer relationships. In this role, he has established licensing and contract models, marketing initiatives, sales force development, business development, and established an off-shore inside sale team. Additionally, Mr. Ramsayer directly assisted the company CEO and CFO in securing $10M Series B funding from three venture capitalist firms.
Prior to Intelliworks, Mr. Ramsayer was the General Manager, US State and Local Government Sales and Consulting Services for Microsoft. He was responsible for sales of Microsoft’s products, solutions, and services to State & Local Governments with the United States. Additionally, Mr. Ramsayer is responsible for defining and developing Microsoft’s strategic approach to State and Local Governments with the United States as well as assisting Microsoft’s foreign government sales staff. These activities included developing go-to-market approaches, establishing relationships with Systems Integration firms and Government specific Independent Software Vendors.
Prior to Microsoft, Mr. Ramsayer worked for Bearingpoint, Inc where he was responsible for developing, selling, and delivering their Managed Service offerings into the public sector, Federal, State & Local, Higher Education, Health Care and Not-For-Profits. Responsibilities included the initial development, over sight, and communication of BearingPoint’s entry into the managed services market. This included, defining capabilities, packaging solutions, establishing strategic partnerships, developing service level agreements and pricing, setting delivery strategies, and supporting sales and marketing functions.
For thirteen years, Mr. Ramsayer held various sales leadership positions at Oracle Corporation, where his final responsibility was Vice President of Oracle’s sales vertical focused on the higher education marketplace. In this role, he was responsible for developing, managing, and communicating software solutions specific to Higher Education. He has held multiple client advisory roles and participated in multiple industry panels and conference presentations.
Mr. Ramsayer has over 20 years of experience in the disciplines of sales, marketing, and management in the federal, state & local, and education markets. These experiences give him a clear understanding of the Information Technology issues that large enterprises face and provide him with a foundation to advise customers on the adoption of technology and solutions.
He holds a Bachelors of Science degree in Mathematics from Muskingum College and currently resides in Bethesda, Maryland.
Eric Reeves
HighBar Companies
Eric Reeves is the founder of High Bar Companies, a Government Relations firm, specializing in innovation in education and workforce.
From 2005-2010 Eric’s work involved developed legislation solving issues in his capacity as Chief Legal Counsel of Schooldude, Inc., one the country’s fastest growing Service as a Software Company in the U.S.
Eric was a State Senator in North Carolina for 5 terms, leading innovation in science and technology throughout his tenure. Eric was instrumental in the creation of the North Carolina Technology Association, which became a voice of policy and change in the State of North Carolina. This group was an association of lead technology companies in the Research Triangle Park area and the entire state of NC. Through Eric’s vision of policy and his effective leadership, North Carolina saw many successes during Senator Reeves’ terms. He chaired the NC State Senate Technology Committee and served on the Education Oversight Committee. During his tenure in the Senate, North Carolina made great efforts to improve public technology in poor and underserved counties and the state received great recognition for its progressive approach to education.
Eric is a graduate of Duke University and Wake Forest University Law School. He now resides in his hometown of Dallas, Texas.
Eduardo Rodriguez
Strategic Communications Group, El Paso, Texas
Eduardo Rodriguez is president of Strategic Communications Consulting Group. Mr. Rodriguez previously served as executive vice president and as a member of the board of directors of Hunt Building Corporation, a privately held company engaged in construction and real estate development headquartered in El Paso, Texas. Prior to his three years with Hunt Building Corporation, Mr. Rodriguez spent 20 years in the electric utility industry at El Paso Electric Company, a publicly traded, investor-owned utility (EE-NYSE), where he served in various senior-level executive positions, including general counsel, senior vice president for customer and corporate services, executive vice president, and as chief operating officer. Mr. Rodriguez is a member of the Board of Directors of ONEOK, Inc. (OKE-NYSE) a diversified natural gas/natural gas liquids energy company located in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Mr. Rodriguez is a lawyer and possesses licensures in Texas; New Mexico; and the United States District Court for the Western District of Texas.
Mr. Rodriguez has had extensive senior management, operational, entrepreneurial and legal experience in a variety of industries as a result of his client base at Strategic Communication Consulting Group; his service at Hunt Building Corporation; and El Paso Electric Company. Mr. Rodriguez has engaged in the practice of law for over 30 years. In addition to his legal experience, Mr. Rodriguez’s senior management positions have included responsibility for strategic planning, corporate governance, regulatory compliance, and public policy issues.
Mr. Rodriguez has been actively involved in the non-profit sector in both outreach and thought leadership capacities serving on non-profit boards, and in a number of instances, in the capacity of Chairman of the board. The nature of the service has included commercial and economic development; workforce considerations; environmental policy; government and education policy considerations. He has organized and facilitated various public policy initiatives focused on the regional economy.
Currently, non-profit board service is with Project ARRIBA, an El Paso based workforce and education development program; The Nature Conservancy of New Mexico; The Regional Economic Development Foundation Board; the Bi-National Sustainability Lab. He is a member of The Paso Del Norte Group and the CommunityenAccion organizations in El Paso, Texas. He formerly served as Chairman of Avance, Inc., an early childhood development program, headquartered in San Antonio, Texas with an El Paso Chapter.
Education: B.A. (High Honors) Texas Tech University; J.D. St. Mary’s University School of Law.
Vikram Savkar
NPG
Vikram Savkar is Senior Vice President and Publishing Director at NPG with global responsibility for managing NPG’s educational publishing programs. Vikram joined NPG to launch Nature Education in January 2007. A new division of NPG, Nature Education publishes innovative, high quality products for graduate, undergraduate, and high school science students worldwide. Prior to NPG, Vikram held a number of management roles in digital and textbook publishing over a 10 year career at Pearson Higher Education, and prior to that served for 3 years as Assistant to the Conductor of the Boston Philharmonic Orchestra. Vikram received degrees in Physics and Classics from Harvard University.
Ferdi Serim
Claro Consulting, eLearning Strategies
Ferdi Serim has worked in many venues: Board Member of the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE), the New Mexico Public Education Department’s EdTech Director, Reading First Director, Program Manager for Literacy, Technology & Standards; Board Member of the Consortium for School Networking (CoSN); Advisory Board for the Partnership for 21st Century Skills; director of the Online Internet Institute (OII); Associate of the David Thornburg Center for Professional Development (and jazz musician). He is the author of four books: NetLearning: Why Teachers Use the Internet; From Computers to Community: Unlocking the Potentials of the Wired Classroom; Information Technology for Learning: No School Left Behind, and Visible Thinking, Teaching & Learning: Strengthening and Assessing Digital Age Skills.
John Stahl
Oracle America, Inc.
John is a thought leader within the education market space for Oracle, bringing more than 15 years of fostering and developing solutions for State Departments of Education, Higher Education, and Local Education Agencies. In his current national position, John has been working towards solutions and recommendations for Race to the Top, Longitudinal Data Systems, and innovative and transformative technology solutions for education.
Prior to joining Oracle, John was vice president of a leading educational process and organizational transformation consulting organization, where he helped guide some the nation’s largest school district’s process change and technology initiatives.
John is a Certified Management Accountant and a four-term board member of the Milwaukee chapter of the Institute of Management Accountants. He holds an Accounting Degree from Bradley University in Peoria, Ill. and currently resides in the Milwaukee area.
Dr. Kurt Steinhaus
Las Alamos National Laboratory
Kurt Steinhaus currently serves as Director of Community Programs at Los Alamos National Laboratory. His work is focused on education, economic development, and community giving.
Most recently, Kurt has served as education policy advisor for Governor Bill Richardson and subsequently was asked to serve as Deputy Cabinet Secretary of Education. He has a Masters degree in music and a second Masters in computer science. His Doctorate is in Educational Leadership and Organizational Learning.
Kurt and his wife Jo Beth have two children. Valerie is a Computer Science major and Kent is majoring in Environmental Science, both at the University of New Mexico.
Linda Wedeen
Hewlett Packard
Linda Wedeen, Hewlett Packard Corporation, Rio Rancho, New Mexico. Linda is responsible for building relationships and working collaboratively with community organizations and media as well as internal executive communications. Hewlett Packard is one of the largest technology companies located in the State of New Mexico, the pilot state for Innovate+Educate to align industry to advance STEM and transformation in education. Linda holds an education degree and a masters degree in organizational development. She will be a great new resource to the Innovate+Educate board. Thank you Linda for your commitment and partnership!
Mark Weston
Dell, Inc.
Mark E. Weston is the national education strategist for Dell Inc. Profound change in education—educating all students to dramatically higher levels of learning—is the enduring theme of Mark’s work. In support of that goal, Mark, during his career, has served in key positions in the private, public, and education sectors.
Prior to joining Dell, Mark led the strategic education initiatives group at Apple Computer focused on creating large, policy-driven and funded educational technology initiatives in Illinois, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, New York City, New Hampshire, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas, and Virginia. Earlier, Mark coordinated state services at the Education Commission of the States, chaired by Governors Tommy Thompson (R-WI), Terry Branstad (R-IA), and Zell Miller (D-GA), where he served on the organizing staff for the 1996 National Education Summit. He managed media affairs for Congressman Jim Nussle, directed intergovernmental affairs for Secretary Lamar Alexander at the U.S. Department of Education, served as minority counsel for the Appropriations Committee of the U.S. House of Representatives, directed the education reform program of the National Conference of State Legislatures, and served as an educator and association president in Iowa. In these roles, Mark consulted with over 40 state legislatures, the US Congress, and hundreds of school districts.
Mark earned his doctorate from the University of Colorado Denver, where he holds a dual appointment as an adjoint associate professor in the Graduate School of Education and Human Development and the Graduate School of Public Affairs. His work has been published in a wide range of publications including Converge, Education Week, Education Forum, Journal of Educational Administration, Independent School Magazine, Journal of Ethnographic and Qualitative Research in Education, Los Angeles Times, State Legislature, and Washington Times.
Mark, wife Kay, and bulldog Petunia live in Atlanta Georgia.
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