Passionate About Distance Learning, Hungry for Input


The Association is governed by a board of unpaid volunteers, each elected for a three-year term. The board meets regularly as part of multiple committees as well as twice a year, spring and fall, to conduct the business of the Association. There is also an Executive Committee, made up of board members who hold certain key offices, and meet at least monthly to provide continuity of operations.

Board members serve on a variety of committees, some stipulated in the Bylaws and some of which are more of an ad hoc nature. These committees are usually chaired or co-chaired by a board member but typically include interested volunteers from the Association’s general membership. Standing committees include Membership, Chapters, Events, Awards, Credentialing, Global Affiliates, and Communications.

The approximately 20 members of the board are a diverse group that reflects the variety of the membership base. It includes both distance learning practitioners and vendors as well as some with an academic interest in distance learning pedagogy. The board, as a group, has experience with each of the Association’s constituencies and, further, has experience with a wide breadth of delivery methods ranging from online, to videoconferencing, to satellite and even printed media.

There are a couple of things all members of the board have in common. One is an enthusiasm for distance learning and, especially, for those working in DL. The other is that board members are hungry for feedback. When you encounter someone on the board, introduce yourself and let us know how we’re doing. Let us know how the Association is helpful to you and, even more important, what we might do to make USDLA your most valued professional membership.

2024 - 2025 USDLA Board Members


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Pat Cassella

Executive Director

Past President, Chair Emeritus Platforms and Services Chair Sponsors and Partners Chair President, ETCVideo LLC
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Valary Oleinik

President

Speaker and Gamification Coach
Valary with a Why
New York, NY
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Chuck Sengstock

Chairman of the Board

Higher Education Certification Chair
Associate Dean of Online Learning
Landmark College
Putney, VT
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Dr. Shana Garrett

President Elect

Communications Chair Dean, Walden University
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Amanda Major

Treasurer

Faculty, Institute for Emerging Leadership in Online Learning Assistant Program Director, iLab Instructional Designer (Faculty) Center for Distributed Learning Division of Digital Learning University of Central Florida
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Wendy Pate

Secretary

Awards Chair
Associate Director
Stevens Institute of Technology
Hoboken, NJ
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Erica Bell

Chapter Chair

Executive Director of Regional Centers & Online Program
USDLA Chapter Chair
University of Tennessee at Martin

Dr. Farah Bennani

Chair of Global Partnerships

Dean, Math, Science and Engineering Elgin Community College

John Copeland

Board Member

Regional Sales Manager Wolfvision Houston, TX

Bernadette Deamico

Board Member

Nonprofit Fund Development Professional

Kristin DeProspero

Board Member

CEO and President - Funding Solutionz, Inc Kennesaw, GA

Michael Edmondson, Ph.D.

Board Member

Associate Provost for Continued Learning

Hope Gibbs

Chair of Communications

Founder and president, Inkandescent® Inc: The PR + Publishing Company for Women

James Hodges

Board Member

University of Utah

Eric Jones

Board Member

CEO, Oiada International Global Enterprise Solutions Manager, Global Cloud Xchange New York, NY

Arletha McSwain

Board Member

Associate Provost and Chief Global Officer Virginia Union University

Dr. Robbie Melton

Board Member

Vice President of Technology Innovations for the SMART Global Technology Innovation Center

Tiffany Morgan

Board Member

Instructional Media Coordinator at Iowa PBS

Rob Robinson, Ph.D.

Board Member

Senior Strategist and COO, The Hardy Group

Alexandra Salas, Ph.D.

Chair of Public Policy

USDLA Public Policy Chair Strategist, Edu-preneur, Educator Cognition Ink, LLC New Jersey

Rick Seeley

Board Member

Director, Educational Technology and Media Services, University of Northern Iowa

Harriet Watkins

Presidential Appointee

Presidential Appointee Chief Academic Officer, Instructional Connections

2024 - 2025 Advisory Board


Inaia Ambrosini

Advisory Board

Instructional Designer

Paul Bardack

Advisory Board

Retired. Former Executive Director
Maryland Small Business Development Center

John Bellocchio

Advisory Board

Owner
Fetch & More

Victoria Brown

Advisory Board

President of Florida Distance Learning Association

Professor, Florida Atlantic University

Lisa A. Clark, EdD

Advisory Board

Advisory Board

Associate Vice President, Academic Transformation at Anthology

George Collins

Advisory Board

USDLA Hall of Fame

USDLA Past President

Jeff Dungan

Advisory Board

Founder and Chief Learning Architect

Waypoint Solutions

Dr. Arifa Garman

Advisory Board

Instructional Designer

University of Maryland President Garman eLearning

Phillip Herr-Klepacki

Advisory Board

Director for Distance Education

University of Florida College of the Arts

Janine Lim, Ph.D.

Advisory Board

Dean, Online Higher Education Andrews University

Debra Luken

Advisory Board

Instructional Designer
University of Central Florida Center for Distributed Learning

Sandra Mahoney

Advisory Board

Associate Dean of Instruction
Mohave Community College

Dawn Mahoney

Dawn Mahoney

Chief Problem Solver
Learning in the White Space

Tim Marvel

Advisory Board

Director of Operations
Simply Smart Training, LLC

Tammy McClain-Smith

Advisory Board

Chief Learning Officer
EduXcellence Consulting

Allyson Mitchell

Advisory Board

Director of Partnerships & Engagement
The Center for Interactive Learning and Collaboration

Emily Mulvihill

Advisory Board

Assistant Professor
CSU Pueblo

Kae Novak

Advisory Board

Assistant Director, Learning Design
Front Range Community College

Valary Oleinik

President

Speaker and Gamification Coach
Valary with a Why
New York, NY

Joanna Palmer

Advisory Board

Higher Education Leader

Jason Ruckert, Ph.D.

Advisory Board

Vice Chancellor, Worldwide Online Education Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University

William Ryan, Ph.D.

Advisory Board

Ryan Consulting

David Stein

Advisory Board

Video Services Manager Governing Advisory Board, Ohio Distance Learning

Ira M. Weinstein

Advisory Board

Founder/Managing Partner Recon Research, Inc.