Aboutusbio

Board Bios

Dr. Cynthia Macleay Campbell holds an Ed.D. from Biola University and has extensive experience in youth and adult education. She has presented workshops at state and national conferences, such as the Commission on Adult Basic Education (COABE), 2012 and 1014, Maryland Association of Adult Community and Continuing Education (MAACCE), 2010, 2012, 2013, and 2014, and upcoming at American Association for Adult and Continuing Education (AAACE), November 2014. Currently she sits on the Board of MAACCE, where she chaired the 2014 conference for 350 adult educators. Dr. Campbell most recently served as the Literacy Services Director of Baltimore Reads. Her research and professional development interests include avocational teacher identity and digital literacy/access.

Dr. Mary Ann Corely is an independent consultant in adult literacy and professional development. With the American Institutes for Research (2001-2015), she was a principal researcher who served as director of the Teaching Excellence in Adult Literacy(TEAL) project, designed to offer professional development and technical assistance to enhance the quality of adult literacy instruction. As AIR’s director (2001-2008) of the California Adult Literacy Professional Development Project (CALPRO), she led the design and development of a comprehensive system of research-based professional development and technical assistance for California’s ABE and ESL teachers and administrators, including the establishment of professional learning communities. Prior to joining AIR, she served as Director of the National Adult Literacy and Learning Disabilities Center, as Maryland State GED Director, and as adult education supervisor for Baltimore County Public Schools. With a career spanning more than 35 years of teaching and supervising adult literacy programs, Dr. Corley has served on the Boards of Directors of AAACE, NAASLN, COABE, and on the Professional Advisory Board of the National Center for Learning Disabilities (NCLD). With numerous publications to her credit, Dr. Corley is a frequent presenter at state and national adult education conferences.

Dr. Debra L. Hargrove is the Director of Professional Development Design at the Texas Center for the Advancement of Literacy and Learning, at Texas A & M University. In this role, Debra's primary responsibilities are to develop and design engaging, research-based online learning for Texas Adult Educators and Literacy providers.
Prior to joining TAMU, Debra worked over 20 years in Florida, the last 14 as the Director of Florida TechNet; A statewide distance learning project that provided technical assistance and support to Adult Educators and Literacy providers with incorporating technology in their classrooms and programs.
Debra earned a Doctorate in Educational Leadership from Florida Atlantic University in 2000 and has helped hundreds of administrators, teachers and tutors meet their own goals of understanding and using technology in their classrooms, offices and personal lives.
Debra has worked in Adult Education for the past 24 years. Her professional affiliations include the United States Distance Learning Association (USDLA), the American Society for Training and Development (ASTD), The Association for for the Advancement of Computing in Education (AACE) and the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE).
Debra was the proud recipient of the 2013 AALPD Award of Excellence, presented at the 2013 COABE Awards Luncheon in New Orleans.

Kim Harris a Senior Consultant and Lead Curriculum Developer for EDSI. She is currently leading the professional development team for Indiana’s Adult Education System, working to design and deliver a comprehensive standards based education system supported through effectively designed PD. Kim has over 10 years of experience designing and delivering comprehensive professional development programs.

Beth Ponder  is a Professional Development Specialist for the Texas Center for the Advancement of Literacy & Learning (TCALL) at Texas A & M University. In that role, Ms. Ponder assists in identifying training needs for local service providers and delivers and developments professional development as needed. Prior to joining TCALL, Ms. Ponder was the Associate Director at the Center for Literacy, Education & Employment (CLEE) at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. In that role, she served as the project director for the LINCS Region 2 Professional Development Center, a project funded by the Office of Technical, Career and Adult Education (OCTAE), U.S. Department of Education in addition to serving as a national LINCS trainer. She also served on the leadership team for the Leadership Excellence Academies (LEA), a joint project of NAEPDC and CLEE. Ms. Ponder provided project oversight for all LEA logistics, online development, web development, and materials revisions.

Jamil Steele is the Senior Director of Adult Education and Family Literacy for the Illinois Community College Board (ICCB) for the state of Illinois. He has over 20 years’ experience in adult education as an instructor, manager, director, professional developer, and state administration. Jamil Steele holds a Master Degree in Education focusing on Curriculum and Instruction, Learning Design, and Instructional Technology.

Marsha Taylor is the Director for the Arkansas Adult Learning Resource Center with over 22 years experience in adult education focusing on professional development.
Marsha holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from the University of Arkansas at Monticello and a M. Ed. in Adult Education from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. She enjoys reading, spending time with her daughter, and traveling.

Her professional affiliations include the Arkansas Adult Education Advisory Council, Arkansas Literacy Councils Member Advisory Committee, Arkansas Association for Continuing Adult Education, Partnership for Health Literacy in Arkansas, Commission on Adult Basic Education (COABE), LINCS Regional Resource Center Partner State Representative, Association of Adult Literacy Professional Developers (AALPD) Board Member, Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL), Junior Auxiliary Life Member, Second Presbyterian Church Deacon, Arkansas Children’s Hospital (ACH) Family Advisory Board, and ACH Auxiliary.

As the Director of the Arkansas Adult Learning Resource Center, a position Marsha has held since 2003. Her responsibilities include planning and directing statewide program activities, serving on statewide advisory committees, and managing budgets.

Dr. Randy Whitfield is the retired State Director of Adult Education for the North Carolina Community College System. She has an educational doctorate from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro and has held the following positions: community college instructor and coordinator, university professor, educational consultant for Levi Strauss & Co.'s national workplace literacy program, and coordinator and director of Basic Skills programs. She is the co-author of two books: Workplace Job-Specific Skills Programs: the How-to-Do-It Manual and Adult Basic Skills Instructor Training Manual. Currently, Dr. Whitfield is an educational consultant. Her business is Adult Education Training. She works with local and state adult education programs and specializes in grant writing, training for local and state staff, and the evaluation of local programs.

She is also the past chairperson of the National Adult Education Professional Development Consortium and the National Council of State Directors of Adult Education. She has served on the numerous national committees including the Workforce Excellence Board (U.S. Department of Labor), Project IDEAL Steering Committee (University of Michigan), the National Reporting System Committee (US Department of Education), the TV411 Advisory Board (Adult Literacy Media Alliance), and the National Leadership Council for "Madison Heights/Lifelines" (Intelecom).