Speakers

Leah R. Amstutz received a B.S. in Animal Science from Michigan State University and her M.A. in Education from Defiance College. A strong advocate of hands-on, inquiry-based learning, she spent 9 years in the classroom teaching agricultural education. In 2011, she began her career with the Ohio Department of Education as a program specialist in the Agricultural and Environmental Systems career field. Leah was then promoted to assistant director in 2013 and associate director in 2015. She currently serves as Director of the Office of Career-Technical Education where she promotes the expansion of career tech in Ohio.

Dr. Amanda Bastoni is a research scientist at CAST. During her 20+ years in education as a researcher, teacher and Career and Technical Education (CTE) director, Amanda has focused on increasing equity and access for special populations in CTE. Specifically, she sought to use UDL to increase pathways for English Language Learners and females interested in exploring STEM careers. Most recently Amanda has been working with agencies and organizations to remove barriers and utilize local assets to increase access to STEM for rural populations.

At CAST Amanda spearheads work with CTE educators and administrators at the secondary and post-secondary levels. Through one-on-one coaching, workshops, and presentations her work has focused on work-based learning, designing competency-based assessment tools, supporting non-traditional learners, and effectively using Perkins funds to support innovative initiatives. For example, in New Hampshire, Amanda has been working with school districts and the Bureau of Career Development to create a CTE pathway in outdoor recreation. She is the Association for Career and Technical Education’s (ACTE) national Inclusion Access Equity and Diversity (IAED) Coordinator. Before working at CAST, Amanda was an accomplished Career and Technical Education (CTE) director and teacher with a proven record of achievement including being named the 2019 NH CTE Leader of the Year.

As a Data Strategist for the Texas Education Agency, Josie Brunner serves on projects advancing college, career, and military preparation programs. Through collaboration under the Texas Tri-Agency Workforce Initiative, her work informs on P20 career pathways and initiatives through bridging insight with action. She works with the TEA Career and Technical Education team to develop and improve data resources under Perkins V and supports the state’s vision that Texans of all ages should have access to high-quality education and workforce training that empowers them to achieve their full potential.

Her prior roles include leading the evaluations under the state’s strategic plan for higher education under the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board and conducting analysis and research to support programs for an urban school district.

Justin Chin is the Director of High School Connections at Lane Community College. Chin is the son of Chinese immigrants who settled in rural western Oregon in 1971, and honors his family’s sacrifices in his work in K–16 education. Chin’s background as a first-generation college graduate has influenced his focus on post-secondary access, workforce development, and career technical education in his broad-ranging career in rural, frontier-fringe, and urban centers in Oregon. Chin is a Post-Secondary State CTE Leader Fellow through Advance CTE and the ECMC Foundation. His research, as part of the Post-Secondary State Leaders Fellowship, explores scaffolding career readiness through holistic student support in CTE for Asian Pacific Island American students.

Outside his work for Lane Community College, Chin serves as the Vice-Chair for Oregon Humanities, is acting President for the Oregon Career Development Association, and works with national and regional initiatives to elevate Asian and Pacific Islander communities. Chin resides in Eugene, Oregon with his wife, Thanh.

Derricke Dennis is a news anchor and national correspondent for ABC Network News in New York City, where he reports breaking, political, business, and human interest stories for ABC Radio and all ABC News platforms. Additionally, he has served as a Host/Anchor for the Law & Crime Network, an upstart competitor to Court TV.

Previously, Derricke anchored a weeknight global newscast on I24 News, an international news channel with studios in Tel Aviv, France, Washington DC, New York and Los Angeles. Earlier, Derricke served as nighttime correspondent for WCBS-TV in New York, and as a morning anchor for FOX News Channel on SiriusXM.

Known for his passionate storytelling and his LIVE reporting, Derricke is always covering the big story — the Coronavirus Pandemic, Superstorm Sandy, the Newtown Connecticut School Massacre, the Boston Marathon Bombing, the death of civil rights icon Rosa Parks, the Trump Presidency, and now the new Biden Administration.

Before moving to New York, Derricke worked as a reporter and anchor for News 12 New Jersey. He also spent six years as a lead reporter and substitute anchor for WDIV-TV, Detroit’s NBC affiliate.

Derricke is a New Jersey native who grew up in Atlantic City. He’s a graduate of Howard University‘s prestigious John H. Johnson School of Communications in Washington D.C., with a degree in journalism.

He is also a proud member of the Newark / Essex County, New Jersey chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Incorporated.

Ciera Mead Franks-Ongoy is the Perkins Equitable Access Coordinator and MOA Coordinator for Montana’s Office of the Commissioner of Higher Education (OCHE). Ciera has been with OCHE for 1.5 years and has a combined experience of over 6 years working on post-secondary campuses to support student success, within education non-profits to amplify community engagement, and serving in both Peace Corps and AmeriCorps. Ciera received her M.Ed. from Western Washington University and a Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Studies from the University of Washington. She is thrilled to be a part of projects using data to elevate equity issues in student access and success to mobilize leadership and community buy-in. When she’s out of the office, Ciera enjoys spending time with her husband and two dogs, out running or mountain biking on Helena’s phenomenal public trail system, or tinkering away in her garden.

Miriam is the Director of the Strategic Data Project overseeing the Center for Education Policy Research at Harvard University’s efforts to build and sustain data-driven leadership and research capacity in education systems and organizations. She provides direction and support for the Strategic Data Project Fellowship programs, the SDP Institute for Leadership in Analytics, and the Partnering in Education Research Fellowship, among other key initiatives. Miriam also contributes to strategic leadership activities for the center. Previously, Miriam directed the Best Foot Forward project, an impact evaluation of the use of video technology in teacher evaluation. Her writing has been published in Education Finance and Policy, Education Administration Quarterly, and Education Week, among other publications. Miriam is a graduate of George Washington University and Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government.
 

Anthony was recently promoted to State Director of Career and Technical Education with the Indiana Office of CTE under the Governor’s Workforce Cabinet. Since joining the Office of CTE in August 2018, he has served as a career specialist and Assistant Director of CTE Programming where he has been heavily involved with redesigning Indiana’s CTE programs of study and work-based learning.
Prior to joining the Office of CTE, Anthony served in school administration as a Principal, Assistant Principal and Dean of Students for over nine years. He also taught Business Education and Economics and served as a Professional Career Internships Coordinator for 12 years before becoming an administrator.

Deanna Strauss Hersko is the Manager for K12 Career Technical Pathways and Programs at Lorain County Community College. She has a diverse background that includes experience across K12 and post-secondary education, industry and government sectors. Mrs. Hersko attended The University of Akron and Malone University where she holds degrees in Business Administration, Organizational Management and Higher Education Administration. As a first-generation college student, she credits the investment that community college faculty and staff at The University of Akron – Wayne College made in her as a freshman, as the reason she became a post-secondary educator. With seventeen years of experience in higher education, predominately focused on the development of robust pathways and programs, Mrs. Hersko has dedicated her life work to ensuring all students have access to educational pathways that lead to careers in high-wage, high-skill in-demand jobs. Her work spans multiple facets of higher education including admissions, academic advising, financial services, new student orientation, residential education, student life and teaching first-year experience and freshman leadership classes. Throughout her career, she has been recognized as an Outstanding Woman in Higher Education, an Outstanding Graduate Assistant from The University of Akron and received the Pentagon Award from the Board of Trustees at Ashland County West Holmes Career Center for her significant contributions to developing opportunities for their students. Additionally, Mrs. Hersko was recognized by NextFlex, a Manufacturing USA Institute, for her outstanding impact on developing the next generation of workforce in Ohio. Some of her favorite moments as an educator have happened while traveling the U.S. and Ecuador with students on immersion trips doing social justice and advocacy work. Mrs. Hersko loves the unique challenges each day presents in higher education, as no one day is ever the same.

Hello, my name is Faith Lanzillo and I am an alumni of Alvirne High School and the Wilbur H. Palmer CTE Center. In high school, I participated in the Health Science class offered in my CTE center and was also a part of the CTE ambassador program. Now, I am currently attending Xavier University in Cincinnati, Ohio as a biomedical science major with the hope of furthering my education in medicine. I obtained my NREMT license while in my senior year of high school and now I work as an Emergency Medical Technician at Armstrong Ambulance in Massachusetts. I absolutely love my job and truly believe that taking the Health Science CTE class helped me understand this field better. In my free time, I enjoy reading, helping advocate for CTE, and volunteering for things I am passionate about.

Gabrielle Madison is the Director of Community Relations for Thomson Reuters. In her role, she has responsibility over various community partnerships for the Dallas office of Thomson Reuters. She engages the Thomson Reuters team in various industry associations, charitable organizations, civic groups and other organizations to develop community engagement strategies that make have a positive impact on the community, the team and build brand awareness.

Over the last ten years besides working in Community Relations, Gabrielle has worked in HR with Thomson Reuters.

Gabrielle’s passion for creating better communities is also found in the areas where she serves. She currently serves in her fourth year as the Southwest Region Board Member for the American Heart Association and is the chair of their Health Equity Committee helping to drive health care access to those that have been neglected. She is the Vice-Chair on the Trusted World Organization’s Board, the Vice-Chair of the Education and Talent Workforce Council for the Dallas Regional Chamber, a member of the P-TECH Impact Board for Dallas ISD, and the Board Chair for Bonton Farms.

Gabrielle has also been fortunate to be honored in various ways including being named “40 under 40” by the Dallas Business Journal, a member of the Dallas Regional Chamber’s Leadership Class of 2019 and was recently honored as a Dallas 500 for the second year. Another organization that is near to her heart is the Jackie Robinson Foundation, which provides scholarships and premier leadership development for minority college students.

Gabrielle graduated from Baylor University with a B.B.A. in Marketing, and currently lives in Frisco, TX with her amazing family.

Kate Naranjo is the Director of the STARs Policy Project at Opportunity@Work, a nonprofit focused on improving the labor market for workers who are Skilled Through Alternative Routes (STARs). Kate was previously the CEO’s Chief of Staff. Before Opportunity@Work, Kate managed projects at Poverty Solutions, a research and action tank based at the University of Michigan. She also helped to launch university-community partnerships, managed the Summer Youth Employment Program, and managed a large-scale project on rural communities. Kate was also a Schools Manager with EverFi, an education technology company and served two years with City Year, an Americorps program.

Drexell is the Chief Impact Officer at The Dallas Foundation, where he leads a team focused on the Foundation’s community impact strategy to reduce intergenerational poverty and improve child well-being through investments in programs that ensure a strong and healthy start for all Dallas children. He works closely with philanthropic, nonprofit, and civic leaders across Dallas and collaborates with the Foundation’s donor partners to advise or direct over $80 million a year in community philanthropy.

Prior to joining The Dallas Foundation, Drex was the Senior Vice President of Education & Workforce at the Dallas Regional Chamber, where he led the organization’s efforts to equitably grow and develop the existing regional education and workforce pipeline. Previously, he founded and served as CEO of Brave Capital Partners, an investment company focused on catalyzing minority communities. Drex also previously served as Managing Director and Chief of Staff at Civitas Capital Group, a private real estate investment firm, where he led the establishment of the GrowSouth Fund to invest in southern Dallas. Drex has also served in several leadership and strategy roles including The Owl Group, Blockbuster, FedEx Office, and Accenture.

Drex serves on a number of civic and nonprofit boards, including on the boards of Better Block Foundation, DHA Opportunity Rising Foundation, Education is Freedom Foundation, Impact Ventures, the SMU Simmons School of Education and Human Performance, and on the City of Dallas Economic Development Task Force. He also works closely with Dallas ISD, where he chairs the Dallas ISD Bond 2020 Advisory Council as well as serving with the Dallas Education Foundation, Dallas ISD Racial Equity Trustee-Appointed Advisory Council, and the West Dallas STEM School Advisory Board.

Drex earned a Bachelor of Arts in History from Rice University, where he was a two-time Track and Field All-American in the triple jump. He lives in Oak Cliff with his wife and three children.

As Vice President of policy and advocacy, Brennan leads DQC’s strategy to ensure that state leaders enact policies and practices that get individuals across the P–20W spectrum the data they need for every student to excel.

Brennan joined DQC in 2011 to advance the organization’s mission that seeks to ensure that data is used in service of student learning. Before joining DQC, Brennan worked at the State Collaborative on Reforming Education, in Nashville, Tennessee, as a research and policy analyst. During her graduate studies, she worked for the Tennessee Comptroller’s Office of Research and Education Accountability.

Brennan earned a bachelor’s degree in political science from Vanderbilt University and a master’s in public policy from Vanderbilt University’s Peabody School of Education. She is a native of Chattanooga, Tennessee.

Dr. Plourde is an Associate Professor at the University of the District of Columbia, where he balances teaching mathematics and directing the faculty development initiatives of the college within the Office of Academic Affairs for its Community College campus. He is also the faculty advisor for The UDC Artist Collective.

Leslie Slaughter currently serves as the Executive Advisor to the Kentucky Department of Education’s Office of Career and Technical Education. She began her career as a classroom CTE teacher and has since served the Kentucky Department of Education as a state CTE program area supervisor, Kentucky’s State Coordinator for the New Skills for Youth (NSFY) initiative and as the Executive Director of the Kentucky Board of Education. Leslie has a bachelor’s degree from the University of Kentucky and a master’s degree from Campbellsville University.

Jacque has been working in higher education for over 10 years, spending her early years working in recruitment, financial aid, and advising. She has been with the Montana University System for almost six years, starting as the Perkins Program Manager and moving into the State CTE Director role over three years ago. Jacque loves working with CTE and dual enrollment, and is so thrilled to be making a difference in the lives of students, families, employers, and communities in Montana.

As Data Manager in the Office of Career and Technical Education (OCTE), I have been involved in initiatives such as Kentucky and federal career readiness data; Kentucky student post-high school outcomes; dual credit initiatives; career pathways data; postsecondary credentials data; and CTE End-of-Program assessment analysis.

Dr. China L. Wilson currently serves as the Equity & Civil Rights Compliance Specialist in the Division of Career and College Readiness at the Maryland State Department of Education. In this role, Dr. Wilson provides leadership and support in ensuring all students are provided with equitable access and opportunity to education and learning environments in Career and Technical Education (CTE) across the state of Maryland, especially as it relates to underserved, marginalized communities. While high-quality CTE programming delivers positive outcomes for students, the reality is that not all students have equitable access and opportunity. Students in underserved, marginalized communities often lack access to these educational opportunities.

Dr. Wilson, a first-generation college student, has 20 years of experience as an educator, having taught students from elementary, secondary, and postsecondary levels, and knows first-hand the issues faced by students in underserved, marginalized communities. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Communication, a Master of Science in Counseling Education from Central CT State University, and a Doctor of Philosophy in Educational Management from Hampton University. Her mission is to use her personal and professional experiences to advance equitable learning for all students through the lens of public policy. Dr. Wilson continues to support policymakers, administrators, and community advocates to effectively partner on key issues and to discuss her work in the community as she contributes to the core purposes of equity. She has developed several local and national partnerships within the community, including Greater Baltimore Urban League, National Association for Partnerships in Equity, Mid-Atlantic Equity Consortium, Advance CTE, and members of Maryland’s House of Delegates.