Jennifer Blanchard is a Sr. Instructional Designer for EDSI. Jennifer's passion for design and development allows her to create rich and meaningful curriculum that encourages connectivity and growth to meet a variety of clients' needs. Prior to working with EDSI, Jennifer worked many years as an elementary teacher, middle school English Language Arts teacher, reading specialist, and Response to Intervention specialist in public education. Jennifer is well-versed in understanding the needs of educators, including the tools necessary for success in the classroom. She holds a B.A. in Elementary Education (K-8) with a coordinate major in English from Rowan University and a M.A. in Curriculum and Instruction with an emphasis in Secondary Education (6-12) from Grand Canyon University.
Marie Cora has worked in the field of adult education since 1984. She has worked for the last 30 years in professional development, and for 20 years delivering PD online. She holds an M.Ed. in TESOL and will complete a PsyM in Industrial/Organizational Psychology in 2024. Her expertise is in ESOL, workplace education, digital literacy, classroom assessment, leadership training, and using data for program improvement. Marie’s experience includes work as a classroom teacher, career advisor, program director, professional developer, and project manager for local and national initiatives. She has worked with the LINCS project since 2004 in various capacities and is currently the Adult Education Professional Development Coordinator for the state of Rhode Island.
Nell Eckersley, MPA, is the Director of Digital Equity Projects at the Literacy Assistance Center. Nell has been working on ways to integrate digital literacy skills into adult education ever since she developed a project on how to teach basic computer skills in a classroom without computers in 2001. Nell’s current work on digital literacy and adult education includes providing professional development workshops for adult education teachers, managing the Adult Education Google Club, being a subject matter expert for the DRAW project, acting as a technology advisor for the CILIA-T project, and updating and creating resources for LINCS. Her particular areas of interest are strengthening digital literacy skills for adult education practitioners and students, integrating technology into the adult education classroom via mobile devices, and digital inclusion for all.
Olga M. Escamilla, Ph.D., has worked in adult education since 1994. She began her career in adult education as a teacher’s aide and progressively moved to GED® instructor, ABE supervisor, and in 2004 she served as the administrator of the South Central GREAT (Getting Results Educating Adults in Texas) Center for professional development. She provided coordination of regional and state-wide professional development in adult education for 10 years and engaged in extensive collaboration with internal and external partners in the development and delivery of research-based professional development activities. As a coordinator of the professional development grant and based on her gained knowledge though prior classroom experience, she knew that assisting individuals with varying backgrounds, experiences, and learning difficulties was particularly important. Since January of 2010, Olga has been serving as a senior lecturer for the Department of Educational Leadership and Counseling at Texas A&M University-Kingsville. Dr. Escamilla has also served as professional development specialist at Texas A&M University-College Station since 2016.
From 2004-2005 Olga served as a chairperson on the COABE/TALAE (Texas Association for Literacy and Adult Education) conference committee and again collaborated to coordinate the COABE/TALAE conference in 2015-2016. She served a two-year term on the Alamo Workforce Board from 2013-2014. She is currently serving a two-year term as the Region 4 Representative for COABE. Dr. Escamilla has worked in the field of adult education for over 25 years, demonstrating outstanding leadership qualities at the local, state, and national levels. She has presented various workshops and conference presentations and has been awarded the Texas A&M University System Student Recognition Award for Teaching Excellence.
Kim Glenn is the Managing Director of Innovative Learning Solutions at EDSI. Kim has overseen the creation of statewide training systems, organizational professional development systems, customized training solutions, workforce development training, and apprenticeship and pre-apprenticeship programs, as well as curriculum development for adult basic education instruction. Kim’s passion lies in adult education, learning and development, and supporting those who need it most. Kim oversees Michigan’s professional development contract for adult education and presents at countless conferences. She is leading her team in e-learning efforts and pushing the boundaries of development and excellence in instructional design for classroom, hybrid, and distance learning.
Kim holds a bachelor’s degree in Industrial and Organizational Psychology from Dickinson College, certification in Workplace Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion from the University of South Florida, a certificate in Adult Learning from Texas A & M, a graduate certificate in Instructional Design and Learning Design from the University of Massachusetts, a certificate in Design Strategy from University of Syndey, and is a DiSC certified trainer.
Sarah Goldammer is the director of the Southern Illinois Professional Development Center, part of the Illinois Community College Board Professional Development Network. She has a B.S. in special education and an M.S. in higher education. Ms. Goldammer served as part of the professional development team for the Accelerating Opportunity Initiative, the development of a Bridge Development Basics Training, and implementation of Integrated Education and Training (IET) models. She has coached 50+ programs creating Bridge and Integrated Education and Training (IET/ICAPS) programs. She recently co-created the Illinois training, “Designing for Equity and Access for ALL Learners.” She has been involved in adult education for the past 23 years and has been teaching and training for over 30 years. She is proud to have had students from 3 to 83 years old and every age in between.
Callie Hazan worked for six years with the Pennsylvania Adult Education Professional Development System. Prior to working with the PDS, she worked in the field of adult education as a student support coordinator, workforce development program manager, and instructor. She also provided support to programs through community outreach, marketing, grant writing, technology support, and data collection. She earned an M.Ed. in Lifelong Learning and Adult Education and a post-baccalaureate certificate in Adult Basic Education from Penn State University.
Astrid Liden has been the ABE Professional Development Specialist with the Minnesota Department of Education since 2006. Prior to joining the state ABE office, she worked as an ESL instructor, teacher trainer, and ABE program manager.
Glenda Rose, Ph.D., has worked in adult education for over 30 years. She is a teacher, content developer, professional developer, and administrator. She earned her doctorate in Foreign Language Education from the University of Texas at Austin with the goal of helping teachers of adult English Language Learners.
David J. Rosen, Ed.D. was Executive Director of the Adult Literacy Resource Institute at the University of Massachusetts in Boston from 1986 to 2003. As an independent consultant, he has been the moderator of two U.S. Department of Education-sponsored LINCS communities of practice: Integrating Technology, and Program Management. As an Associate of the Ed Tech Center at World Education, he has been the internal evaluator of the English Now! Learning Circles program developed by the World Education Ed Tech Center and funded by the Dollar General Literacy Foundation, and he is now an advisor to the English Now! national scale-up, also funded by the Dollar General Literacy Foundation. Dr. Rosen is the lead author with Carmine Stewart of Blended Learning for the Adult Education Classroom published by Essential Education and a co-author with Dr. Jenifer B. Vanek of “Technology for Innovation and Change in Adult Basic Skills Education,” a chapter in Turning Points: Recent Trends in Adult Basic Literacy, Numeracy, and Language Education, Jossey-Bass Publisher, Fall 2017. Also with Jen Vanek, he is co-author of a new blended learning guide entitled "The What, Why, Who, and How of Blended Learning for Adult Basic Skills Learners" published online in May, 2020, by New Readers Press. For several years, he was the author of the COABE Journal's technology column, and is now the author of the Technology Solutions column in the Adult Literacy Education Journal published by ProLiteracy.
Carmine Stewart, Ph.D., is the President and CEO of Aspire Consulting and Educational Services, conducting research, evaluation, professional development, and diversity training for adult literacy agencies. Carmine is very passionate about developing teacher excellence, particularly when it comes to supporting beginning adult readers. Carmine earned her doctorate in August 2012, after defending her dissertation, “Teacher Preparation and Professional Development in Adult Literacy Education.”
Valeria Voiles has been the Adult Education Director of Professional Development and Testing with the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development since 2021. Prior to joining the state ABE office, she worked as a Tennessee TEAM Coach for seven years with the Tennessee Department of Education and as a high school ELA instructor, librarian, and administrator at a Tennessee State Special School for 23 years.
Sudie Whalen, M.Ed.,is a Senior Technical Assistance Consultant with the American Institutes for Research (AIR). California Adult Literacy Professional Development Project (CALPRO) Senior Training Advisor, ADVANCE Integrated Education and Training (IET) Deputy Director, and the Literacy Information Communication System (LINCS) Director of Online Learning. Sudie serves as a subject matter expert and trainer in the following areas: collaborative team-building – professional learning community and community of practice development and sustainability, equity in adult education, career technical education instruction, integrated education and training (IET), adult learning theory (andragogy), and student motivation and persistence. Before working at AIR, Sudie was the lead Career Technical Education (CTE) teacher at Liberty Adult Education Center in Brentwood, California.
Beverly Wilson, M.Ed., is the State Director of Adult Education and Chief HSE Administrator with the Arizona Department of Education (ADE)-Adult Education Services (AES). She previously served as the Director of Professional Learning for the state office for 17 years. Prior to working for ADE, she was a program administrator for an adult education and family literacy program. Before discovering adult education, Beverly taught special education students in grades K-8, and junior high students in the areas of reading, English, and social studies. Beverly holds a bachelor's degree in Elementary Education, with a minor in Special Education from Arizona State University, and a Master of Education in Educational Leadership from Northern Arizona University.
Marie Cora has worked in the field of adult education since 1984. She has worked for the last 30 years in professional development, and for 20 years delivering PD online. She holds an M.Ed. in TESOL and will complete a PsyM in Industrial/Organizational Psychology in 2024. Her expertise is in ESOL, workplace education, digital literacy, classroom assessment, leadership training, and using data for program improvement. Marie’s experience includes work as a classroom teacher, career advisor, program director, professional developer, and project manager for local and national initiatives. She has worked with the LINCS project since 2004 in various capacities and is currently the Adult Education Professional Development Coordinator for the state of Rhode Island.
Nell Eckersley, MPA, is the Director of Digital Equity Projects at the Literacy Assistance Center. Nell has been working on ways to integrate digital literacy skills into adult education ever since she developed a project on how to teach basic computer skills in a classroom without computers in 2001. Nell’s current work on digital literacy and adult education includes providing professional development workshops for adult education teachers, managing the Adult Education Google Club, being a subject matter expert for the DRAW project, acting as a technology advisor for the CILIA-T project, and updating and creating resources for LINCS. Her particular areas of interest are strengthening digital literacy skills for adult education practitioners and students, integrating technology into the adult education classroom via mobile devices, and digital inclusion for all.
Olga M. Escamilla, Ph.D., has worked in adult education since 1994. She began her career in adult education as a teacher’s aide and progressively moved to GED® instructor, ABE supervisor, and in 2004 she served as the administrator of the South Central GREAT (Getting Results Educating Adults in Texas) Center for professional development. She provided coordination of regional and state-wide professional development in adult education for 10 years and engaged in extensive collaboration with internal and external partners in the development and delivery of research-based professional development activities. As a coordinator of the professional development grant and based on her gained knowledge though prior classroom experience, she knew that assisting individuals with varying backgrounds, experiences, and learning difficulties was particularly important. Since January of 2010, Olga has been serving as a senior lecturer for the Department of Educational Leadership and Counseling at Texas A&M University-Kingsville. Dr. Escamilla has also served as professional development specialist at Texas A&M University-College Station since 2016.
From 2004-2005 Olga served as a chairperson on the COABE/TALAE (Texas Association for Literacy and Adult Education) conference committee and again collaborated to coordinate the COABE/TALAE conference in 2015-2016. She served a two-year term on the Alamo Workforce Board from 2013-2014. She is currently serving a two-year term as the Region 4 Representative for COABE. Dr. Escamilla has worked in the field of adult education for over 25 years, demonstrating outstanding leadership qualities at the local, state, and national levels. She has presented various workshops and conference presentations and has been awarded the Texas A&M University System Student Recognition Award for Teaching Excellence.
Kim Glenn is the Managing Director of Innovative Learning Solutions at EDSI. Kim has overseen the creation of statewide training systems, organizational professional development systems, customized training solutions, workforce development training, and apprenticeship and pre-apprenticeship programs, as well as curriculum development for adult basic education instruction. Kim’s passion lies in adult education, learning and development, and supporting those who need it most. Kim oversees Michigan’s professional development contract for adult education and presents at countless conferences. She is leading her team in e-learning efforts and pushing the boundaries of development and excellence in instructional design for classroom, hybrid, and distance learning.
Kim holds a bachelor’s degree in Industrial and Organizational Psychology from Dickinson College, certification in Workplace Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion from the University of South Florida, a certificate in Adult Learning from Texas A & M, a graduate certificate in Instructional Design and Learning Design from the University of Massachusetts, a certificate in Design Strategy from University of Syndey, and is a DiSC certified trainer.
Sarah Goldammer is the director of the Southern Illinois Professional Development Center, part of the Illinois Community College Board Professional Development Network. She has a B.S. in special education and an M.S. in higher education. Ms. Goldammer served as part of the professional development team for the Accelerating Opportunity Initiative, the development of a Bridge Development Basics Training, and implementation of Integrated Education and Training (IET) models. She has coached 50+ programs creating Bridge and Integrated Education and Training (IET/ICAPS) programs. She recently co-created the Illinois training, “Designing for Equity and Access for ALL Learners.” She has been involved in adult education for the past 23 years and has been teaching and training for over 30 years. She is proud to have had students from 3 to 83 years old and every age in between.
Callie Hazan worked for six years with the Pennsylvania Adult Education Professional Development System. Prior to working with the PDS, she worked in the field of adult education as a student support coordinator, workforce development program manager, and instructor. She also provided support to programs through community outreach, marketing, grant writing, technology support, and data collection. She earned an M.Ed. in Lifelong Learning and Adult Education and a post-baccalaureate certificate in Adult Basic Education from Penn State University.
Astrid Liden has been the ABE Professional Development Specialist with the Minnesota Department of Education since 2006. Prior to joining the state ABE office, she worked as an ESL instructor, teacher trainer, and ABE program manager.
Glenda Rose, Ph.D., has worked in adult education for over 30 years. She is a teacher, content developer, professional developer, and administrator. She earned her doctorate in Foreign Language Education from the University of Texas at Austin with the goal of helping teachers of adult English Language Learners.
David J. Rosen, Ed.D. was Executive Director of the Adult Literacy Resource Institute at the University of Massachusetts in Boston from 1986 to 2003. As an independent consultant, he has been the moderator of two U.S. Department of Education-sponsored LINCS communities of practice: Integrating Technology, and Program Management. As an Associate of the Ed Tech Center at World Education, he has been the internal evaluator of the English Now! Learning Circles program developed by the World Education Ed Tech Center and funded by the Dollar General Literacy Foundation, and he is now an advisor to the English Now! national scale-up, also funded by the Dollar General Literacy Foundation. Dr. Rosen is the lead author with Carmine Stewart of Blended Learning for the Adult Education Classroom published by Essential Education and a co-author with Dr. Jenifer B. Vanek of “Technology for Innovation and Change in Adult Basic Skills Education,” a chapter in Turning Points: Recent Trends in Adult Basic Literacy, Numeracy, and Language Education, Jossey-Bass Publisher, Fall 2017. Also with Jen Vanek, he is co-author of a new blended learning guide entitled "The What, Why, Who, and How of Blended Learning for Adult Basic Skills Learners" published online in May, 2020, by New Readers Press. For several years, he was the author of the COABE Journal's technology column, and is now the author of the Technology Solutions column in the Adult Literacy Education Journal published by ProLiteracy.
Carmine Stewart, Ph.D., is the President and CEO of Aspire Consulting and Educational Services, conducting research, evaluation, professional development, and diversity training for adult literacy agencies. Carmine is very passionate about developing teacher excellence, particularly when it comes to supporting beginning adult readers. Carmine earned her doctorate in August 2012, after defending her dissertation, “Teacher Preparation and Professional Development in Adult Literacy Education.”
Valeria Voiles has been the Adult Education Director of Professional Development and Testing with the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development since 2021. Prior to joining the state ABE office, she worked as a Tennessee TEAM Coach for seven years with the Tennessee Department of Education and as a high school ELA instructor, librarian, and administrator at a Tennessee State Special School for 23 years.
Sudie Whalen, M.Ed.,is a Senior Technical Assistance Consultant with the American Institutes for Research (AIR). California Adult Literacy Professional Development Project (CALPRO) Senior Training Advisor, ADVANCE Integrated Education and Training (IET) Deputy Director, and the Literacy Information Communication System (LINCS) Director of Online Learning. Sudie serves as a subject matter expert and trainer in the following areas: collaborative team-building – professional learning community and community of practice development and sustainability, equity in adult education, career technical education instruction, integrated education and training (IET), adult learning theory (andragogy), and student motivation and persistence. Before working at AIR, Sudie was the lead Career Technical Education (CTE) teacher at Liberty Adult Education Center in Brentwood, California.
Beverly Wilson, M.Ed., is the State Director of Adult Education and Chief HSE Administrator with the Arizona Department of Education (ADE)-Adult Education Services (AES). She previously served as the Director of Professional Learning for the state office for 17 years. Prior to working for ADE, she was a program administrator for an adult education and family literacy program. Before discovering adult education, Beverly taught special education students in grades K-8, and junior high students in the areas of reading, English, and social studies. Beverly holds a bachelor's degree in Elementary Education, with a minor in Special Education from Arizona State University, and a Master of Education in Educational Leadership from Northern Arizona University.
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