CETPA Digital Textbook Symposium Participants
| Name | Position | Event | Biography | |
| William H. Habermehl | Orange County Supt. of Schools | Welcome and Introductions | With over 2900 full and part-time employees, the Orange County Department of Education, working with the local Orange County school districts serving over a half million students, provides money-saving centralized services including alternative education, special education, outdoor education, instruction, business, human resources, and technology. Better schools mean better communities. My goal is to continue working towards high achieving schools in safe environments for all students. The rich cultural environment of Orange County offers expanding opportunities and challenges, and our work is focused on providing alternatives for every student. |
| L. Russ Brawn | CETPA President, CEO CSIS | Welcome and Introductions | Over the last twenty years, Mr. Brawn has advocated for and worked toward the use of information technologies as support structures for education administration. During this time, he implemented four distinct statewide systems that emphasize improved management of student data at all levels. Mr. Brawn has functioned as a systems architect, an information systems designer, a research analyst and as a systems integrator. He has led project teams in programmatic and technical areas, and has extensive management experience of technical organizations both within and outside of education. |
| Dr. Glen W. Thomas | California Secretary of Education | ‘Any Time Learning’ | Glen Thomas began his career in education in the 1970s as a teacher in migrant education in the Modesto/Central Valley area. He went on to be an administrator at the district, county and state levels. He worked for the California Department of Education, the state Curriculum Commission, the Commission for Academic Content and Performance Standards and the U.S. Department of Education. He also spent eight years as the executive director of the California County Superintendents Education Services Association. Dr. Thomas has been a leader in developing academic standards, useful assessments and strong accountability mechanisms. He earned his Doctorate degree in educational leadership from USC and has taught at the community college level, at CSU, Pepperdine University and the University of Southern California. |
| Connie Peacock | Online English Teacher, Orange Unified School District | Experiencing the Initiative | Connie Peacock is an accomplished Secondary Online English teacher and teacher trainer for Orange Unified. With a Masters Degree in Curriculum, she has taught hybrid classes since 2000, and fully online classes since 2004. Connie has presented at CUE, National Schoolboard Association in Nashville, and iNACOL's Virtual School Symposium. Connie's class was the first online class to be a Technology Showcase Winner and present at CUE in 2009. |
| Carrie Millat | 5th Grade Teacher, Chaparral Elementary School, Capistrano USD | Experiencing the Initiative | Carrie has a Masters Degree from Cal State Fullerton with an emphasis in educational technology. She occasionally teaches as an adjunct professor at Vanguard University and is a Technology Lead Teacher in the Capistrano Unified School District. |
Johnnie Perry | Teacher, Chaparral Elementary School, Capistrano Unified School District | Experiencing the Initiative | Masters in Educational Technology from SDSU, Multiple Subjects Credential and BA from CSUF; Ten years as an educator with Capistrano Unified School District and two years with St. Margarete’s Episcopal School; School site and district-level curriculum and technology trainer; Three years as educational technology trainer for Orange County Department of Education; Instructional technology trainer for teacher-credential program at UCI; Consultant with Autoskill International Inc. | |
| Robert Craven | Teacher, Educational Technology Specialist with the Saddleback Valley School District. | Experiencing the Initiative | He serves on the California Computer Using Educators Board of Directors and is a frequent presenter at conferences both in California and nationally speaking on topics ranging from online learning to the 21st Century Classroom. Robert's passion for educational technology is evident in his continual work with districts, schools, educators and administrators on integrating best practice into the classroom. |
| Lainie Rowell | Teacher, K-12 Educational Technology Coordinator for Newport-Mesa Unified School District. | Experiencing the Initiative | She is also a consultant and trainer for Alan November’s November Learning and CUEtoYOU. In these roles, Lainie works closely with classroom teachers, principals and district administrators providing professional development on best practices and ways to integrate technology to improve teaching and learning. |
| Warren Williams | Past President, CETPA, Assistant Supt. Grossmont UHS, Retired | Moderator, Panel Discussion | Warren Williams is the retired Assistant Superintendent of Information and Technology Services for the Grossmont Union High School District in La Mesa California. He serves as Past President of the Board of Directors for the California Educational Technology Professionals Association, is the K-12 Statewide Coordinator for Cal-PASS and serves on Applications Coordination Committee for the California K-12 High Speed Network. He has served as an instructor and mentor for the statewide CTO Mentor program |
| Dr. Joel Thierstein | Associate Provost, Rice Univ, Executive Director | Panel 1 | Dr. Joel Thierstein is Associate Provost for Innovative Scholarly Communication at Rice University and Executive Director of Connexions. Prior to coming to Rice, Dr. Thierstein served as an Associate Professor and Director of New Media Communications at Oregon State University. Dr. Thierstein has nearly 10 years of media experience. He has worked in radio, television, cable television, and newspaper. Dr. Thierstein has also worked with many companies and organizations including Sony, the Pro-MPEG Consortium, and the National Association of Broadcasters. |
| Robin Nirken | Dell Education Sr. Consultant and Alliance Manager | Panel 1 | With 10 years at Dell, Robin has spent the majority of her career working with Educators, listening and gathering best practices. Responsibilities include building relationships with key industry influencers to help bring complete solutions to the marketplace. Currently focused on how the various challenges K12 customers face globally in evolving the teaching and learning environments to meet 21st learning requirements. |
| | Jason Ediger | Director iTunes U and Mobility | Panel 1 | Jason Ediger is director for iTunes U and Mobility in Apple's Education Division. In this role he manages the team responsible for iPhone, iPod and iTunes U in K-12 and higher education. Before joining Apple, Ediger was with the Orange County Department of Education, coordinating distance learning environments, evaluation of emerging technologies, and professional development focusing on the integration of technology. Prior to this, Ediger was in the classroom for nine years, teaching 8th grade in Whittier, CA. |
| Elizabeth Crawford | Education Market Development Manager for Hewlett-Packard's Personal Systems Group. | Panel 2 | Education Market Development Manager for Hewlett-Packard's Personal Systems Group. Within the America's marketing organization, she is responsible for delivering an integrated go-to-market strategy to the K-12 education market in the U.S., including customer events, advertising, branding, public relations, direct marketing, project management, custom marketing campaigns and programs, web and email marketing, sales support, business development, and partner and association relationships. |
Paul L. McFall | Senior Vice President, Curriculum, Pearson | Panel 1 | Paul McFall is currently Senior Vice President, Curriculum. His responsibilities include advising Product Management and Product Development on key curriculum issues, serving on various Product Management and Development Teams, keying on Adoption States, supporting Government Relations efforts, and working with ILC and HLC organizations. Paul is currently serving as the President of the Executive Committee of the AAP School Division and is also on the Central Regional Board for Jumpstart, a non-profit Pre-K organization. | |
| Snow White | Professional Learning Global Manager, Dell | Panel 1 | Snow has her degree in Applied Learning & Development and Teaching Certificate and has been involved and working with US educational technology initiatives for the last 16 years. For 10 years, she owned a computer learning center for kids and implemented cutting-edge technology solutions into public and private schools. In addition, Snow worked with state education agencies advocating for technology curriculum adoptions for the states of New Mexico, Oklahoma, Alabama, and Louisiana. In 2003, Snow joined Dell to assist K12 customers implement technology initiatives into their districts. |
| Brian Bridges | Director, California Learning Resources Nework (CLRN) | Panel 1 | Brian Bridges is the Director of the California Learning Resource Network and President of the Computer Using Educators Board of Directors. A middle school English, drama, and computer teacher for 20 years, he also served as program manager or CTAP Region 6 for eight years. |
| Murugan Pal | Co-founder CK-12 | Panel 1 | Murugan is currently the Co-Founder & President of CK-12 Foundation. CK-12 is a non-profit organization launched in 2006, that aims to reduce the cost of textbook materials for the K-12 market both in the US and worldwide. Prior to CK-12, Murugan had a brief tenure with Foundation Capital as Entrepreneur-In-Residence. Previously, Murugan was the founder and CTO of SpikeSource. Before founding SpikeSource, Pal was an entrepreneur-in-residence with venture capital firm Kleiner, Perkins, Caufield & Byers. Previously, he was a Founding Engineer of e-business software company Asera, Inc. Before Asera, Pal was a principal developer at Oracle Corporation in the Application Server division and was part of the company's early XML initiatives. |
| Robert Craven | Teacher, Educational Technology Specialist with the Saddleback Valley School District. | Panel 1 | He serves on the California Computer Using Educators Board of Directors and is a frequent presenter at conferences both in California and nationally speaking on topics ranging from online learning to the 21st Century Classroom. Robert's passion for educational technology is evident in his continual work with districts, schools, educators and administrators on integrating best practice into the classroom. |
| Peter Levy | Strategic Development, Curriki | Panel 1 | 15 years of experience working at the cross-section of innovative technology and education. Peter began his career as an analyst for Jupiter Communications and has worked in a range of leadership roles for Scholastic, bigchalk and Wireless Generation. For Curriki, Peter is a part of the senior leadership team and directs all ongoing partnership arrangements with for-profit publishers, not-for-profit organizations, schools districts, state departments of education and international ministries. |
| Lainie Rowell | Teacher, K-12 Educational Technology Coordinator for Newport-Mesa Unified School District. | Panel 2 | She is also a consultant and trainer for Alan November’s November Learning and CUEtoYOU. In these roles, Lainie works closely with classroom teachers, principals and district administrators providing professional development on best practices and ways to integrate technology to improve teaching and learning. |
Laura A Brown | Director of Digital Content for Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. | Panel 2 | She has a Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary Education and a Master’s Degree in Educational Administration, both from Florida State University. As a public school educator, Laura was a teacher and a district curriculum specialist. Joining the educational publishing industry in 1999, Laura has facilitated the development of many award-winning instructional software applications, including Houghton Mifflin Harcourt’s Learning Village. Her current responsibilities include digital content development and designing enterprise digital solutions for districts across the US. | |
| Paul Tichinin | Superintendent, Mendocino County Superintendent of Schools | Panel 2 | Has worked in education since 1968, starting as a substitute teacher at Morgan Hill Unified School District and served through the years in capacities ranging from counselor, coordinator, instructor to resource teacher, director, administrator and superintendent. He has served the Mendocino County Office of Education in a wide range of capacities since 1980. He was first elected as Mendocino County Superintendent of Schools in November of 1994, then re-elected in 1998, 2002 and 2006 |
| Regan Caruthers | CETC, CSU Chancellors Office | Moderator, Capture the Future | Regan Caruthers currently serves as the Director of Communications and Business Development, Academic Technology Services (ATS), for the CSU Office of the Chancellor. Regan creates strategic partnerships with private sector companies and other university systems to advance the development and implementation of ATS statewide initiatives, including MERLOT. She works to increase awareness and utilization of digital alternatives to print textbooks, to help reduce the cost of learning materials for CSU students. She spent seventeen years working in sales and business development for the largest global educational publishers serving higher education, most recently as the Director of Business Development for McGraw-Hill’s Higher Education Elearning Group. |
| Andrea Bennett | Executive Director, CETPA | Moderator, Next Steps | Andrea is the Executive Director for the California Educational Technology Professionals Association (CETPA) the lead sponsoring agency of the CTO Mentor Program. Prior to becoming CETPA’s inaugural Executive Director, Andrea served as a director at two of California’s largest school districts. In total, she has 21 years experience within K-12 education including service as a programmer and database manager. |
