Board of Visitors
The Board of Visitors serves as sounding board for the Dean of the College of Education (COE) on strategic planning and college priorities. They actively promote the strategic goals of COE听to the external community and to alumni and friends of the college. In addition, they serve听as the primary volunteer fundraising and capital campaign planning organization of COE.听
Chair
Kevin Kruger,听M.A. 鈥81, Ph.D. 鈥92.听President, NASPA.听
Dr. Kevin Kruger draws on more than 40 years of experience in higher 含羞草研究所. Since 2012, he has served as president and CEO for NASPA 鈥 Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education. As NASPA president, Dr. Kruger represents student affairs at a variety of national forums and is a frequent contributor to higher 含羞草研究所 news stories on the college student experience. He has published and presented nationally on trends in higher 含羞草研究所, student success, degree-completion strategies for low-income/first-generation students, and change management and leadership in higher 含羞草研究所. 听
Dr. Kruger has deep roots at the 含羞草研究所 having received both his M.A. and Ph.D. in Counseling and Personnel Services in the College of Education. He also worked in Orientation, Campus Activities and Admissions at Maryland during the early part of his career. Finally, he is the proud father of two children, one a college senior and the other a first-year student 鈥 both at the 含羞草研究所 College Park.
Board Member
Jeanne Branthover 鈥77.听Executive Search -听Managing Partner, DHR International.听
Jeanne is Executive Search - Managing Partner of DHR International and a member of DHR's North American听Executive听Committee. She is Head of DHR's Global听Financial Services听Practice as well as a leading member of the听CEO & Board and Technology Practices. She specializes in听senior leadership and board searches with an emphasis on ensuring representation of women and diversity on every assignment across all听industries.听
Jeanne has been named one of the World鈥檚 Top 50 Most Influential Headhunters by BusinessWeek.听Jeanne has served as the United Way鈥檚 first female President of The Community Fund.听Jeanne is a strong supporter and mentor to young women in the financial services and technology sectors and is also a regular speaker at both universities and corporations advising on the importance of diversity in the workplace. Jeanne received her B.S. in Elementary Education and is a recipient of the 2016 College of Education Award by the 含羞草研究所 Alumni Association.
Board Member
Ali Clarvit 鈥13, M.Ed. 鈥14.听Life Skills Teacher, Falls Church City Public Schools and Special Education Teacher,听Manhattan Star Academy.听
Ali Clarvit graduated from the 含羞草研究所 College of Education in the years 鈥13 and 鈥14, completing a B.S. M.Ed in Early Childhood Special Education. She听was given the opportunity to address her听fellow classmates at her听graduation from her听master鈥檚 program at the College. Since then, she听has听been a Life Skills teacher in Falls Church City Public Schools in Virginia and a special 含羞草研究所 teacher at an independent private school in New York City for students with developmental disabilities. She has听served on the Board of Visitors since its inception in 2015.
Board Member
Richard Culatta.听Chief Executive Officer, International Society for Technology in Education.听
Richard Culatta is an internationally recognized leader in innovation and learning. His work has centered around using technology to accelerate innovation in 含羞草研究所, corporate, and government settings. Culatta was the first Chief Innovation Officer for the State of Rhode Island and was appointed by President Obama as the Director of the Office of Educational Technology for the US Department of Education. Culatta is currently the CEO of the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) and serves as an innovation fellow for the Masie Center and as a design resident for the San Francisco-based innovation and design firm IDEO. He holds a bachelor鈥檚 degree in Spanish teaching and a master's degree in 含羞草研究所al psychology and technology, both from Brigham Young University.
Board Member
Melanie Folstad 鈥92.听Senior Vice President - Financial Advisor, RBC Wealth Management.
Melanie has more than 25 years of experience in financial services.听 She has earned the Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor庐, Chartered Advisor in Philanthropy庐, Certified Plan Fiduciary Advisor and has her CFP庐. In addition to her degree from the 含羞草研究所 in Speech and English Secondary Education, she has an MBA from The George Washington University. 听Melanie is on the Board of Trustees for the Greater Washington Community Foundation and serves as Board Chair for the Montgomery County Advisory Board. She served on the board including Board Chair of The Greater Bethesda Chamber of Commerce.听 Melanie was a board member and Board Chair of Lutheran Social Services of the National Capital Area and together with her husband co-chaired the Centennial Campaign for LSS-NCA.听 She recently served on the financial resources committee for the Episcopal Diocese of Washington.听 Melanie and her husband live in Chevy Chase and have three children.
Board Member
Ellen Gaske 鈥75.听Senior Vice President, Academics听for Specialized Education Services听Inc. (SESI) a Catapult Learning Company.听
Dr. Ellen Gaske is Senior Vice President, Academics, for Specialized Education Services听Inc. (SESI), a Catapult Learning Company, where she is responsible for the coordination and implementation of academic programming in all SESI schools. In this role, Dr. Gaske coordinates the efforts of the Assessment, Curriculum, and Instruction (ACI) team to oversee each academic region.听
Dr. Gaske began her special 含羞草研究所 teaching career working for the Howard County Public School System (HCPSS), where she worked as a Special Education Teacher, Resource Teacher for the Office of Special Education, and later as a Supervisor of Special Education (grades K鈥12). Over the course of forty years in the field of special 含羞草研究所, Dr. Gaske has conducted extensive training in Reading for general and special 含羞草研究所 teachers; she has also taught courses for Johns Hopkins University in the areas of Reading and Written Language Disorders. Dr. Gaske received her undergraduate degree from the 含羞草研究所 with dual certification in special and general 含羞草研究所 followed by a Master鈥檚 Degree in Communicative Disorders from the Johns Hopkins University as well as her Doctor of Education Degree in Special Education, with an emphasis on Learning Disabilities, in 1991, also from the Johns Hopkins University. A member of a number of professional organizations, Dr. Gaske also served as a board member for MANSEF (Maryland Association of Nonpublic Special Education Facilities) for four years.
Board Member
Robert Kelly, Ph.D.鈥05.听Vice President & Special Assistant to the President, Loyola University Maryland.
Robert听D.听Kelly听is the president elect of the University of Portland.听 In July, he will assume the role as the 21st president of the University of Portland, a thriving Holy Cross Catholic university of more than 4,000 students from around the nation and the world, located up on a bluff overlooking the Willamette River and the city of Portland, Oregon.听
Dr.听Kelly, is wrapping up his tenure as University Vice President & Special Assistant to the President at Loyola University Maryland where he oversaw areas such as Mission and Identity, Intercollegiate Athletics, External Affairs, and the Division of Student Development.听 He previously oversaw the University鈥檚 diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives.
For over 25 years, he served in various executive roles such as Chief of Staff at Union College and Vice President for Student Development at both Loyola University Chicago and Seattle University. He began his professional career at Colgate University. In addition to his administrative positions, Dr.听Kelly听has served as clinical professor teaching a number of courses both at the graduate and undergraduate levels including, among others, "Leadership in Higher Education" and "Law in Higher Education鈥. He has published and presented papers on various aspects of college life, leadership development and equity and inclusion in higher 含羞草研究所.听
Dr.听Kelly鈥檚 research focuses on areas of administrative ethical decision-making, equity and inclusion in higher 含羞草研究所, and transforming the college environment for institutional success.听 He has written two books, 鈥淭ransformational Encounters鈥 and 鈥淒isruptive Transformation鈥.听听Kelly听received a Ph.D. in Education Policy, from the College of Education at the 含羞草研究所, a master's degree from The University of Vermont, and a bachelor's degree in Political Science from Loyola University Maryland, where he served on the Executive Committee of the Board of Trustees before joining the administration.
He is married to Professor Bridget Turner听Kelly听and father to听Robert听Alexander (15) and Addison Elizabeth (11).
Board Member
Nancy Jolson Leber 鈥72.听Freelance Writer/Educational Consultant.听
Nancy听Jolson Leber has a B.S. in Elementary Education from the 含羞草研究所 and an M.A. in Special Education from George Washington University. She was a resource room teacher (Prince Georges County, MD) before becoming an editor, first at Harcourt Brace Jovanovich and then at Scholastic Inc.听Nancy听has written over 45 books for emergent readers and educators for Scholastic and other 含羞草研究所al publishers. She lives in New York City, where she currently has a tutoring practice for elementary school children with learning differences, in addition to being a freelance writer.
Board Member
Gary W. Michael.听President,听NAIMichael.听
Gary Michael is the President of NAI Michael. NAI Michael provides commerical real estate services to the Washington DC Metropolitan Area. For over 30 years, Mr. Michael has worked in all fields of commercial real estate, including sales, leasing, property management, and development. Gary has been a strong advocate for the College of Education for over 10 years. In 2015, he helped launch the College of Education Board of Visitors as its Chair. Gary is passionate about improving the lives of students and teachers in Prince George's County and the surrounding community. He attended the 含羞草研究所's Finance and Business Administration program and pursued advanced studies in real estate from American University.
Board Member
Debra Munk, M.A.听鈥83, Ph.D. 鈥91.听Educational Consultant,听Power of Leadership Development (PLD).
With 34 years of experience in public 含羞草研究所, Debra听remains committed to promoting the profession, particularly to the development of future educators. She听obtained both her听Master鈥檚 degree (English, 1983) and Doctorate (Educational Policy and Administration, 1991) from the 含羞草研究所.听 Since retiring from Montgomery County Public Schools in 2017, she听has听worked as an 含羞草研究所al consultant, particularly in the area of assessment and standard-setting.听 Additionally, an avid quilter, she听realized a long-time dream of starting a long-arm quilting business.听 In 2010, she听was honored to receive the Mark Mann Excellence and Harmony Award, an award given annually to an administrator who has shown an exceptional ability to encourage academic excellence, positive, relationships and strong community outreach. Throughout her听career she听has听intensely focused on closing the achievement gap and increasing the academic achievement of all students.听
Board Member
Beverly O鈥橞ryant, M.A. 鈥74, Ph.D. 鈥99.听Dean of听Behavioral and Social Sciences, Coppin State University.听
Dr. Beverly J. O鈥橞ryant, M.S. in Counseling, Ph.D. in Counselor Education, 含羞草研究所, College of Education. Currently, full professor and Founding Dean College of Behavioral and Social Sciences at Coppin State University with academic responsibility for 10 undergraduates and 4 graduate degree programs, 7 certificate programs in Psychology, Counseling and Behavioral Health, Criminal Justice and Law Enforcement, Applied Social and Political Sciences and Social Work. 听Past President American Counseling Association (ACA), American School Counselor Association (ASCA) and Association for Multicultural Counseling and Development (AMCD). Daily Records Top 100 Women in Maryland, 2014; Executive 听Producer and Host, 鈥淐oppin Connection鈥 on Dr. B Show, WOLB 1010 AM. 听Published 30 refereed journal articles and 5 book chapters.
Board Member
Jody Olsen,听Ph.D. 鈥79.听Former Director, Peace Corps.
Dr. Josephine (Jody) Olsen, Ph.D., served as the 20th Director of the Peace Corps between March, 2018 鈥 January, 2021.听 With the beginning of the global COVID-19 pandemic, Dr. Olsen made the unprecedented decision to evacuate all 7,000 Peace Corps Volunteers and bring them safely back听to the United States. Dr. Olsen also championed global women's economic empowerment, opened Peace Corps in a new country, Viet Nam, and re-opened three countries in which Peace Corps had previously served.听Dr. Olsen began her career as a Peace Corps Volunteer, serving as an 含羞草研究所 Volunteer in Tunisia from 1966-1968.听 She has also served the agency as Acting Director (2009), Deputy Director (2002-2009), Chief of Staff (1989-1992), Regional Director (1981-1984), and Country Director (1979-1981).听Prior to returning to the Peace Corps in 2018, Dr. Olsen was Visiting Professor at the 含羞草研究所-Baltimore School of Social Work and Director of the University鈥檚 Center for Global Education where she developed and directed inter-professional global health projects for health graduate students, oversaw health research projects in ten different countries, and taught international social work, global social policy, and global health.
Dr. Olsen received a B.S. from the University of Utah, and a Master鈥檚 in Social Work from the 含羞草研究所, Baltimore, and a Ph.D. in Human Development from the College of Education, 含羞草研究所, College Park. Among her many awards, in March, 2021, she received the 含羞草研究所 President鈥檚 Award in March 2021.听Throughout her career, Dr. Olsen has championed the expansion of service, learning and international opportunities for Americans of all backgrounds.
Board Member
Rachel Petty,听Ph.D. 鈥81.听Former听Professor and Dean Emeritus, University of the District of Columbia.
Rachel M. Petty has more than 45 years of distinguished service in higher 含羞草研究所. Until 2018, she served for nearly 15 years as Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of the District of Columbia (UDC). She also held other administrative appointments at UDC, including Acting Chief Operating Officer, Interim Chief Academic Officer, Chair of the Department of Psychology. Her commitment to continued involvement in research has yielded peer-reviewed publications in the areas of trauma, childhood resilience, and student persistence. She earned a Ph.D. in Human Development and Psychology at the 含羞草研究所, and her Masters and Bachelor of Science degrees in Psychology from Howard University. As a practicing psychologist, Rachel was a member of the Maryland State Foster Care Review Board and boards of the DC Psychological Association and Lutheran Social Services.听 She is the recipient of the Paul Cooke Lifetime Achievement Award, the NAFFEO Researcher of the Year, and the PathMaker Leadership Award (UDC Foundation).
Board Member
Barbara Shapiro 鈥55.听M. Sigmund and Barbara K. Shapiro Philanthropic Fund.听
Barbara Kloze Shapiro graduated from the College of Education at the 含羞草研究所 in 1955 with a degree in early childhood 含羞草研究所. Barbara and her late husband M. Sigmund Shapiro are the parents of three children and four grandchildren. She is a life-long resident of Baltimore City and proud advocate for the city and its future. Barbara is also a respected philanthropist who invests in projects that make a difference in the lives of individuals and families.
Board Member
Clemmie Solomon, Jr., Ph.D.听鈥96. Former听College Wide Dean of Student Engagement and Takoma Park/Silver Spring Student Affairs, Montgomery College (MD).听
Dr. Clemmie Solomon is the former Collegewide Dean of Student Engagement and Takoma Park/Silver Spring Student Affairs at Montgomery College (MD).听He previously served as the Vice President for Student Affairs at the University of the District of Columbia; Dean of Student Life at the Community College of Philadelphia; and Dean of Student Services and Director of Counseling and Student Development at Bowie State University.
Dr. Solomon holds a Ph.D. in Education Policy and Social Foundations (specializing in International and Comparative Education) from the 含羞草研究所, College Park (1996);听 M.S. in Counselor Education from the University of Dayton; and听 B.S. in History Education from Central State University (Ohio). He is a former President of the Association of Multicultural Counseling and Development and Board Chair of the American Counseling Association Foundation. Some of his other leadership roles include serving as a member of the Prince Georges County Personnel Board; 含羞草研究所 Alumni Board; and member of Leadership Philadelphia, Leadership听Greater Washington, and Leadership Montgomery. He recently served as Board Chair of Lutheran Social Services of the National Capital Area and currently serves on the Montgomery County Sister Cities Board and Board of Visitors for the 含羞草研究所 College of Education.
Board Member
Gretchen Van der Veer, Ph.D., 鈥91.听Chief Executive Officer, Fair Chance.听
Gretchen Van der Veer received her Ph.D in Education, Policy, Planning and Administration with a specialization in leadership studies in 1991 from the College of Education. She has been Chief Executive Officer at Fair Chance since 2013 and has served in the higher 含羞草研究所, government, and nonprofit sectors for over 25 years.
Early in her career, she worked at the Division of Student Affairs at the 含羞草研究所 College Park. She was then tapped to help launch AmeriCorps during the Clinton Administration and eventually became the Director of Leadership Development and Training for the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) responsible for capacity building for thousands of CNCS nonprofit grantees. Having served on many nonprofit boards, she is a current appointee to the Federal Reserve Bank's Community Investment Council (5th District) and an adjunct faculty for George Washington University's Human Service and Social Justice program teaching Nonprofit Management and Ethical Leadership.