2024 MCEC Global Training Summit Strong Foundation, Future Success

Michelle Norman

Michelle Norman is the Executive Director and Founder of Partners in PROMISE, a non-profit organization focused on protecting the rights of military children in special education and disability communities to ensure they receive equal access to education. They develop data-informed solutions that equip parents, inform leaders, and enable military students to thrive.

Michelle is a Navy spouse of over 28 years and mother of a 20-year-old daughter with multiple medical diagnoses including cerebral palsy.  After years of navigating the complexities of the special education system and protections, Michelle realized that she was not alone in her struggles and became a passionate advocate for all military children with special needs and their families. Previously Michelle graduated with a degree in Petroleum Engineering from the University of Texas at Austin and worked as an Environmental Engineer civilian with the US Navy until her daughter was born prematurely. Her problem-solving background as well as her desire to support military families has resulted in top-level changes over the last few years within the Department of Defense Exceptional Family Member Program, State Education and Disability communities.

Michelle encourages military spouses to participate in organizations that have significant impact on their children’s education. In 2023 she was appointed to the Virginia Council of the Interstate Compact on Educational Opportunity for Military Children as well as several military service organization Advisory Boards. Michelle has been recognized for her military family advocacy efforts with the 2022 Military Officers Association of America (MOAA) Changemaker Award, William and Mary PELE Law Clinic Kayla Bower Advocacy Award, 2020 Heroes at Home Military Spouse of the Year Award for Hampton Roads and 2019 AFI Navy Military Spouse of the Year Award. 

Jennifer Kremkow, Ph.D.

Jenna is an associate professor in the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders at Elmhurst University. She completed her MS and PhD at The Pennsylvania State University with an emphasis in autism. One of her research areas focuses on the experiences of military families with autistic children with a goal of using research to support data-driven recommendations and policy changes to improve special education services for military families.

Carla Wyrsch

Carla Wyrsch is the spouse of a retired United States Marine and mother of two. She has devoted her career to educating and advocating for children with disABILITIES. Her experience spans a variety of settings, including residential treatment facilities, military bases, public schools, and the Lerner School for Autism at the Cleveland Clinic. Currently, she is the School Operations Director with MIYO Health. In addition to her work with MIYO Health, Carla enjoys volunteering with Best Buddies of Greater Memphis, the Organization for Autism Research, and Partners in PROMISE as a content creator and advisory board member. In addition to her work with children, she enjoys providing coaching sessions to professionals and parents in advocacy, behavior modification, and other best practices.

Kathleen Facon

As the Chief of the Educational Partnership and Resources Division within the Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA), Kathleen (Kathy) Facon is responsible for leading DoDEA’s efforts to champion quality educational opportunities for military children in public schools by supporting military-connected local educational agencies (LEAs). Additionally, she is responsible for overseeing the policy and management of the Non-Department of Defense School Program (NDSP), which provides support and funding for the education of authorized command-sponsored dependents of military members and Department of Defense civilian employees assigned to overseas areas without DoDEA schools.
For nearly 30 years, Ms. Facon has served in various capacities in support of military child and youth development, early education, national accreditation systems, partnerships, parent education and involvement, curriculum programming, youth education support and exceptional family member programs. She has held leadership positions at the Marine Corps Headquarters in Virginia and on Marine Corps and Army installations in California and Germany.
Ms. Facon, a native of California, received a Bachelor of Science degree in Human Development from California Polytechnic State University–San Luis Obispo and a Master of Arts in Organizational Leadership from Concordia University, St. Paul, Minnesota. Ms. Facon has been awarded the Commander’s Medal for Civilian Service and the Army Achievement Medal for Superior Civilian Service. Also, Ms. Facon has received twice, commendation from the Department of Navy for civilian service.

Brooke Rice, Ed.D.

Brooke Rice, Ed.D. leads the charge for increasing equity and access to high-quality work-based learning for high school students across the country as the Vice President of Work-Based Learning and Advisory Board Activation at NAF. Throughout her career, she has worked at the local, state, and national levels to create resources, provide training, and implement programs to help students achieve their career goals and connect them to businesses who are looking for innovative ways to skill their future talent pipeline.

Kate Clavijo, Ed.D.

Kate Clavijo, Ed.D. has over two decades of experience in evaluation and applied research across diverse fields such as education, housing, homelessness, and community development. Holding a Doctorate in Program Evaluation from the University of Louisville, she is driven by the fundamental belief that addressing complex issues requires the identification of realistic, measurable goals and logical plans to achieve them. Dr. Clavijo’s mission is to facilitate the connection between research and practice, empowering organizations to make informed, strategic decisions.

Gabby L’Esperance, Ph.D.

Gabby L’Esperance, Ph.D. is a dedicated qualitative researcher and program evaluator with a commitment to amplifying the voices of diverse communities through narrative-based research. As the director of insights at MFAN, she uses qualitative methods to understand the experiences of military and veteran families. Gabby’s leadership at MFAN has been crucial in identifying the support needed by military families and evaluating programs for positive change. An expert in military family research, well-being, food insecurity, and program evaluation, Gabby shares her insights with various audiences, including education, military, government, and funding partners. Dr. L’Esperance earned her doctorate in public administration from University of Nebraska at Omaha, specializing in nonprofit management and qualitative research.

Lindsey Dablow, MPA

Ms. Dablow has served as the Training and Operations Associate of the Military Interstate Children’s Compact Commission (MIC3) since 2018 and has over 19 years in state government, private and non-profit management.

In her role as Training and Operations Associate, she promotes “successful educational transitions” for military-connected students around the world providing training and new initiatives for the Commission. Born and raised in Kentucky, Lindsey graduated from Midway College with a Bachelor of Science in Equine Studies and a Master of Public Administration from Indiana Wesleyan University. She has performed a variety of roles with Baptist Health Foundation Lexington, Kentucky Legislative Research Commission, and within Kentucky’s thoroughbred industry. She and her husband Brian reside in Lawrenceburg, KY.

Stephanie Borrowman, Ed.D.

Dr. Borrowman is currently the Army School Liaison/Transition Specialist with the Army Headquarters Installation Management Command (HQ IMCOM) G9, Child and Youth Services (CYS).  She also has extensive experience in the public school system as a teacher, coordinator, and most recently as a special education director.  She earned her Doctorate in Educational Leadership in 2015, and her Master’s degree in Special Education in 2009.  She is also an Air Force veteran, a military spouse, and has raised four children in installations all over the world.

Saleha Sultan, Ph.D.

Saleha Sultan comes to Ft. Sam Houston ISD with over 25 years of experience in education. Having served in traditional public as well as charter schools and residential facilities, Saleha has been an integral part in monitoring multiple campuses and over-seeing classrooms for quality instruction and support for students with disabilities. Saleha’s education includes a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Karachi, Pakistan; a Bachelor of Science from the University of North Texas; and a Master of Education in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies from the University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA). She also holds a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Educational Leadership from University of Texas at San Antonio. A native of Karachi, Pakistan, San Antonio is Saleha’s forever home where she resides with her husband, three children, and mom.

Rebecca Riley

Rebecca “Becky” Riley is the Supervising School Psychologist for the Military School Districts’ Cooperative in San Antonio, Texas which serves the school districts of Fort Sam Houston, Randolph Field and Lackland. Becky has worked as a School Psychologist since 2002. She has worked in the public school systems in both Michigan and Texas. She holds a Diplomate in School Neuropsychology and is a Licensed Professional Counselor. Becky has been working with children and families since 1993 in the mental health and education fields. She enjoys working with children and youth to help them succeed academically, socially, behaviorally, and emotionally. She collaborates with educators, parents, and other professionals to create safe, healthy, and supportive learning environments that strengthen connections between home, school, and the community.

Nanette Pigg

Mrs. Nanette Pigg has served as the School Program Manager with the Army Headquarters Installation Management Command (HQ IMCOM) G9, Child and Youth Services (CYS) for the past 14 years. She has primarily been responsible for managing and providing operational oversight of the Army’s School Liaison program to include school transitions and education support for military children across the Army

Prior to joining IMCOM, Nanette served as a Region School Liaison Officer from Nov 2007-Oct 2010. She started her School Support career as the School Liaison Officer for Fort Hood Aug 2005-Nov 2007. She has a long history of more than 37 years with Child and Youth in a variety of positions from teaching to management.

She is a proud Army spouse and mother to 3 daughters who transitioned more than 9 times during their educational experience. She is committed to supporting Child and Youth programs and she looks forward to continuing to serve and supporting Army families.

Greg Rafal

Greg Rafal is the Director of BigFuture Program Implementation on the BigFuture Student Engagement team. In this role, his focus is to increase K-12 and caring adult awareness of BigFuture and to lead the BigFuture Live virtual community event strategy.

Prior to his role at College Board, he worked in higher education. Most recently he was at the University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business where he oversaw global programs for undergraduate and MBA students.  He also worked in international student admissions and student affairs at several other institutions.  

He received his MA in International Education and Training from American University and BA in Spanish/Political Science from Christopher Newport University. Greg is originally from northern Virginia and is based in Washington, DC.

Lori A. Phipps, M.Ed.

Mrs. Lori A. Phipps is Director of the Department of the Air Force School Liaison Program at the Air Force Services Center (AFSVC), Air Force Installation and Mission Support Center (AFIMSC), Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, Texas. She is responsible for providing managerial and operational oversight of the Department of the Air Force School Liaison Program, which encompasses PreK-12 Education, Public Schools on Military Installations, and the Military & Family Life Counseling Program. In addition, she oversees the education, development, and training program for the School Liaison Program Managers, $2M Educational Community Outreach programs, for 91 locations. Her program provides support to over 770K military connected families, community educators and installation support services for Commanders, Schools and installation personnel across all Air Force Commands, U.S. Space Force, the Air Force Reserve, and the Air National Guard as well as all joint service component families.

Prior to her current position, Mrs. Phipps served as the Joint Base San Antonio – Lackland School Liaison Program Manager supporting over 35,000 military connected students in forty-two school districts. Her efforts resulted in legislation to ensure the state was in compliance with the Military Interstate Compact as well as early registration and homeschool student support. In addition, she has served as a Youth Specialist, providing youth development capabilities through a system of quality, available and affordable programs.

Prior to her Civilian positions, Mrs. Phipps served on active duty in the U.S. Air Force. During her active-duty career, she served as a Security Forces member, and was selected as the first Drug Abuse Resistance Education (D.A.R.E.) Instructor for the Air Force. She was appointed the Installation Crime Prevention Manager and held other leadership positions.

Kimberly Dickman, Ph.D.

Kimberly S. Dickman, Ph.D. serves as an assistant professor in the Department of Biology and assistant professor at the U.S. Air Force Academy Center for Character and Leadership Development (CCLD), where she leads the Healthy Relationship Education branch of the Development Division in the Center. CCLD’s mission is to advance the understanding, scholarship, practice, and integration of character and leadership development, resulting in cadets and permanent party prepared for service to the nation.

Dr. Dickman is a licensed clinical professional counselor and certified educator. She began her work in education for the Department of Defense in 1991. During her 20+ years of civilian service she has performed at the Wing and Headquarters Air Force level before coming to USAFA. Of note is her work in the Sexual Assault Prevention and Response program where she focused on education, analysis, and prevention science. Her extensive experience allows her to serve at USAFA as faculty and lead in topics such as healthy relationships, emotional intelligence, positive psychology, prevention science, human sexuality, and leadership development.

Dr. Dickman is widely recognized and is frequently requested to present across the DoD and on a national scale.

Education

• Bachelor of Arts degrees (Psychology with science emphasis), University of Colorado, Boulder, Colo. (1989)
• Master of Arts degree (Educational Psychology), University of Colorado, Boulder, Colo. (1991)
• Master of Science (Mental Health Counseling), Texas A&M Central Campus, Killeen, Texas (1998)
• Doctorate in Education (Educational Leadership), Argosy University, Honolulu, Hawaii (2011)
• Post Doctorate Studies (Human Sexuality and Relationships), University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Mich. (2015)

Professional Experience

• DoDEA School Teacher; Seoul American High School, Seoul, Korea (August 1991 – May 1996)
• Adjunct Faculty (Psychology), Central Texas Collage, Killeen, Texas (August 1996 – June 1998)
• Mental Health Counselor, Intern, Darnell Community Hospital, Fort Hood, Texas (October 1996 – June 1998)
• Mental Health Counselor, Turning Points Center, Fort Collins, Colo (August 1998 – May 2000)
• Adjunct Faculty (Psychology), Front Range Community College, Fort Collins, Colo. (August 1998 – May 2000)
• Mental Health Counselor, Malmstrom AFB, Great Falls, Mont. (August 2000 – June 2002)
• Lead School Counselor, Misawa High School, Misawa AFB, Misawa, Japan (August 2002 – June 2005)
• School Counselor, Anderson Elementary, Anderson AFB, Yigo, Guam (June 2005 – June 2007)
• Sexual Assault Response Coordinator, RAF Alconbury, United Kingdom (July 2007 – August 2009)
• Sexual Assault Response Coordinator, RAF Mildenhall, United Kingdom (August 2009 – August 2011)
• Sexual Assault Response Coordinator, Fort Meade, Maryland (August 2011 – October 2013)
• Director Training & Development, Headquarters AF, Pentagon, Washington D.C. (October 2013 – July 2015)
• Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Analyst, US Air Force Academy, Colo. (July 2015 – July 2019)
• Assistant Professor, Center for Character and Leadership Development, US Air Force Academy, Colo. (July 2019 – Present)

Honors & Awards

• USAFA Academy Educator of the Year for CCLD, 2020
• USAF Civilian Meritorious Service Medal, 2015
• Vice Chief of Staff Civilian of the Year (Cat II), 2014
• USAF Civilian recipient General Wilma Vaught Visionary Leadership Award, 2012
• USAF A1 in Wing Specialist of the Year for 2009
• USAFE Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Program of the Year for 2009
• 501 CSW Civilian of the Year (Cat II), 2009

Research and Scholarly Interests

• American Association of Sex Educators, Counselors, and Therapists
• Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor – Montana
• Department of Defense Certified Educator – Secondary Education
• Dare to Lead Facilitator
• Emotional Intelligence Certified Facilitator
• True Colors Facilitator
• Human Performance Institute Corporate Athlete Facilitator
• Arbinger Mindset Facilitator

Publications

• Inside Higher Education June 2019
• Sexual Harassment Handbook (contributor) March 2020

David Catrell, Ph.D.

David J. Cantrell, Ph.D., serves as the deputy director in the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) within the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services at the U.S. Department of Education (Department). In this role, he assists the OSEP director in overseeing administration of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), which authorizes formula grants to states under IDEA Part B and to lead agencies for the infants and families program under IDEA Part C. IDEA also authorizes discretionary grants under IDEA Part D to institutions of higher education and other non-profit organizations to support grants for state personnel development, technical assistance and dissemination, technology, and parent training and information centers.

Prior to joining OSEP, Cantrell worked as a director in the Department’s Office of Elementary and Secondary Education where he administered grants to states and local education agencies for the Rural Education Achievement Program and the Consolidated Grant to the Insular Areas. Additionally, he spearheaded technical assistance activities for states by leading the Office of Program and Grantee Support Services which oversees the Equity Assistance Centers and Comprehensive Centers.

Prior to working at the U.S. Department of Education, Cantrell worked at the U.S. Department of Defense Education Activity where he taught students with disabilities, served as a district coordinator, school administrator, and then as director of special education and student support services.

Cantrell holds a Bachelor of Arts in Spanish from the University of Louisville, a Master of Education in special education from North Carolina State University, and a Doctor of Philosophy in special education policy from the University of Maryland-College Park.

Al Jones, Ed.D.

Dr. Al Jones, Jr. is an educator who has spent more the 25 years working at the local, State, and federal levels to improve the lives of individuals with disabilities and their families.  His background includes research and writing in educational policy and regulations, academic outcomes, knowledge management, communications, and technology. Holding a Doctor of Education from George Washington University, Dr. Jones is an Associate Division Director at the Office of Special Education Programs within the U.S. Department of Education.

Justin P. Rowberry, M.D., Col., USAF, MC

Colonel Justin R. Rowberry is the Director of the Developmental and Behavioral Family Readiness Center (DBFRC), Defense Health Headquarters, Virginia. He is creating and leading an innovative health program designed to provide developmental, behavioral, and mental health care to remote or underserved locations across the Air Force. He has grown the DBFRC from a 4-provider pilot program in PACAF to now having 9 teams of physicians, nurses, speech therapists, and social workers across the globe. Col Rowberry ensures timely delivery of needed remote care through a combination of virtual video visits, specialty provider extender training, and provider TDYs. The DBFRC has proved crucial to readiness through strategic delivery of care where and when it is needed, decreasing EFMP denials, decreasing reassignments for medical reasons, and improving dependent healthcare outcomes.

Abigail Gewirtz, Ph.D.

Dr. Abigail Gewirtz is a child psychologist, mother of four, leading expert on helping families cope with trauma and the author of When the World Feels Like a Scary Place: Essential Conversations for Anxious Parents and Worried 

Children (Workman, 2020). She is Foundation Professor in the Psychology Department at Arizona State University. Dr. Gewirtz has worked as a clinician, researcher, program developer, and trainer of providers, and is the author of more than 100 publications. A fellow of the Association for Psychological Science and the American Psychological Association, Dr. Gewirtz has conducted research in the United States, Asia, the Middle East, and Africa, and has been invited to speak widely, in the U.S. and across the world, on parenting in times of stress. 

Amy Majerle

Amy knows that parenting is hard work. She, along with her husband, have raised two kids while they both served in the military. In her role as Senior Program Manager for ADAPT (Adaptive Parenting Tools), an evidence-based program for military families, Amy is able to bring her personal experience into her work with military parents.  When not directly working with families, Amy is overseeing the research, dissemination and implementation of ADAPT and traveling across the U.S. training service providers on the ADAPT model. Amy is a certified ADAPT facilitator and has her Master’s in Family Social Science with an emphasis on military families. 

Lindsey Dablow, MPA

Ms. Dablow has served as the Training and Operations Associate of the Military Interstate Children’s Compact Commission (MIC3) since 2018 and has over 19 years in state government, private and non-profit management.

In her role as Training and Operations Associate, she promotes “successful educational transitions” for military-connected students around the world providing training and new initiatives for the Commission. Born and raised in Kentucky, Lindsey graduated from Midway College with a Bachelor of Science in Equine Studies and a Master of Public Administration from Indiana Wesleyan University. She has performed a variety of roles with Baptist Health Foundation Lexington, Kentucky Legislative Research Commission, and within Kentucky’s thoroughbred industry. She and her husband Brian reside in Lawrenceburg, KY.

Alexandra Little, Esq.

Alexandra Little is the Exceptional Family Member Program Attorney for the US Navy, stationed at Region Legal Service Office Mid-Atlantic (RLSO MIDLANT) in Norfolk, Virginia. Prior to joining RLSO MIDLANT in 2020, Ms. Little served as a Senior Attorney with Virginia Legal Aid Society in Suffolk, Virginia (2019-2020), and as the Ethics Attorney for the Behavior Analyst Certification Board, based in Littleton, Colorado (2016-2019). From 2013-2016, she was a Deputy District Attorney in Breckenridge, Colorado, where she was awarded Attorney of the Year in 2015. 

Ms. Little is a graduate of Fairfield University and Villanova University School of Law. During law school, Ms. Little served as an intern for the District of Columbia Public Schools Office of General Counsel (2011) and as a law clerk for the US Department of Education Office for Civil Rights in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (2011-2012). Ms. Little has earned the Special Education Advocacy Certificate from the William and Mary Law School. In 2021, she was awarded Civilian of the Year by RLSO MIDLANT. 

Erica Swenson

Erica Swenson serves as the Regional Special Education Liaison for the Navy Region Mid-Atlantic pilot program to support military Exceptional Family Members. She is responsible for providing resources and support for the Special Education needs of military families. 

Mrs. Swenson graduated from East Carolina University with a Bachelors in History Education and a Bachelors in Political Science.  She received her Master’s Degree in Political Science from Miami University of Ohio.  She received her Special Education Endorsement from Old Dominion University. Prior to her current position, Mrs. Swenson served as a Special Education Teacher with Virginia Beach Public Schools.  She worked with students who had severe disabilities as a case manager and instructor.  She has over 15 years teaching experience, serving as a general education teacher in social studies for middle and high school students, then entering Special Education and instructing at the elementary level. She is also a parent of a child with diverse special needs, who is also a military child. 

Elizabeth Hisle-Gorman, MSW, Ph.D.

Dr. Hisle-Gorman is Director of the Military Family Research Division and Associate Professor in the Department of Pediatrics. She began her career as a social worker working in neighborhood development efforts in Washington, DC to support and strengthen families to prevent family violence and overcome hardship. However, a move to a military town with her active duty military spouse, re-focused her on work with military families. She served as a Child Protective Services officer in Onslow County, North Carolina and worked extensively with military families. After completing her Ph.D. in Social Work at the University of Maryland, Dr. Hisle-Gorman taught and worked in community development, and was the senior author on one of the first articles to document the clinical effects of military deployment on children. She subsequently moved to USUHS to expand its research portfolio exploring the effects of military life on children. Her research interests are focused the impact of past military deployment on military children, effects of parental injury and family violence on pediatric health and mental health, and healthcare usage trends in military pediatrics. However she has also worked on projects examining autism in children, indicators of immunization completion, neonatal health, care for transgender individuals, healthcare disparities, and the effects of medications on children. Dr. Hisle-Gorman has significant experience working with the Military Health System Data Repository and conducting retrospective research studies about military-connected children using the MDR. Dr. Hisle-Gorman most enjoys mentoring medical students, residents, and junior faculty on research projects, and teaching them the research process on an individual basis. 

Binny Chokshi, M.D., M.Ed.

Binny Chokshi is a general pediatrician, with a focus on adolescent and young adults. Dr. Chokshi’s research and education interests are focused on understanding the impact of early life stressors on health across the life course. To mitigate the effects of trauma and stress on children, Dr. Chokshi advocates for a trauma-informed approach to healthcare. She has developed web based e-modules to train outpatient pediatricians in responding to childhood adversity with a trauma informed care approach and has also trained medical students and residents at George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences. In a prior role at Children’s National Hospital, she also worked with hospital leadership to develop hospital wide trauma-informed practices. In her current role at USUHS, Dr. Chokshi examines how military specific factors may impact child and family health, with a current focus on how social determinants of health such as food security impact military child health.  Dr. Chokshi is also passionate on promoting positive childhood experiences, to mitigate the impact of stress on child health. Dr. Chokshi has a vested interest in medical education and completed Masters in Education at the George Washington University School of Education and Human Development. On a national level, Dr. Chokshi serves on the Expert Leadership Team for the American Academy of Pediatrics project “Building Capacity for Trauma-Informed Pediatric Care”.

Rachel Millstein, Ph.D., MHS

Rachel Millstein, Ph.D., MHS serves as the Clinical and Research Co-Director of Mind Body Health. Since 2020, Dr. Millstein has been providing program development and general oversight of Home Base Resiliency programming in collaboration with the MGH Benson Henry Institute for Mind Body Medicine. Her clinical skills as a SMART and Resilient Warrior/Family/Youth group leader along with her documented research and data analysis acumen are a backdrop to the leadership she has demonstrated over the past few years of programmatic growth. In the Co-Director role, Dr. Millstein provides clinical oversight and research management for the services provided at Home Base in the Mind Body Health Services directorate (Resiliency, Warrior Health & Fitness, and all other mind body medicine initiatives). Rachel works alongside the Medical Co-Director of Mind Body Health to provide MBH services and support to implement, evaluate and advance the MBH team at Home Base, while networking, building and overseeing all national and international Home Base MBH programming. 

Sarah Flowers, CPS

Sarah Flowers, CPS, is a Certified Prevention Specialist who works for Seven Counties Services Inc. as Kentucky’s Military Family Resiliency Specialist. She grew up in a military family outside the world’s largest naval base in Virginia Beach, Virginia.

As a Gold Star Sibling and military family member, Sarah brings unique perspectives gained from her personal experiences to prevention, empowering individuals and communities to create and promote healthy environments, lifestyles, and behaviors. 

She specializes in training and consultation on capacity building, community engagement and best practices working with military families. She works with local, state, and national agencies and community organizations to develop and coordinate evidence-based strategies to increase resilience within military and Veteran families.

Jenni Torres, Ed.D.

Jenni Torres, a visionary education leader, is Executive Vice President and Chief Academic Officer at Waterford.org, a national non-profit dedicated to ensuring equitable access to high-quality early learning. With over 25 years of experience, Dr. Torres leads teams to leverage the power of data-informed solutions, pioneering research, and equity-minded approaches to improve academic outcomes. As a passionate designer, she oversees the Waterford curriculum, spearheading the development of research-based learning experiences and resources. She was recognized as a Fulbright Exchange Teacher and a multi-level Teacher of the Year. Dr. Torres earned her master’s degree from the Harvard Graduate School of Education and her doctorate at American University in Educational Policy and Leadership, focusing on centering the voices of families in curriculum design. As a military spouse, she navigated fourteen moves in twenty-six years while supporting her three bilingual children through a variety of school systems and changes. She embodies the transformative potential of education and firmly believes in the power of literacy to change lives. 

Sonya Hunte, Ed.D.

Dr. Hunte serves as the Senior Director of Strategic Community Engagement for Waterford.org, a national education nonprofit dedicated to providing high-quality educational resources for children, families, communities, and partners. She has been the inaugural leader of two large school district offices: Anchorage (AK) School District’s Office Equity and Community Engagement and Atlanta (GA) Public School’s Office of Family Engagement. These offices have positively impacted access and opportunity for 44,000 and 52,000 students, respectively. Sonya takes pride in developing systems that 

promote inclusivity through voice. Her genuine love of people is both recognizable and contagious.  

Sonya’s civic leadership has included the board of directors for Alaska Public Media and National Association of Social Workers. Her distinctions include Unsung Heroine, National Coalition for 100 Black Women, Inc., Metropolitan Atlanta; and Georgia Trend Magazine and the Atlanta Business Chronicle, Forty Under Forty Awards. She is an active member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated and The Links, Incorporated.  

Sonya holds a Bachelor of Science in Sociology from the Pennsylvania State University; Master in Clinical Social Work from Boston College; and Doctor of Education in Policy and Leadership at the American University. 

Angie Melnyk, M.Ed.

Angie Melnyk is a Product Manager focusing on the caregiver platform at Waterford.org. Before Product Management, she helped Waterford.org’s Curriculum and Instruction department logistically plan and accomplish the creation of literacy, math, science, and social-emotional learning activities. She spent 9 years in public education teaching, supporting teachers, and training teachers to use educational technology. She believes in the power of a positive learning environment and strives to create successful educational experiences for children and their families so they grow to love learning together. As a proud military spouse, she also spends time connecting with her community when she’s not adventuring with her husband and dog.

Lisa Howard, MSW

Lisa Howard has been a military spouse for 28 years.  She served as both an enlisted Soldier and officer within the United States Army Reserve from 1986 to 1998.  Lisa earned a Master of Social Work in 1999 from Savannah State University.  She has two children: Lucas (23, adopted in 2002 from Baku, Azerbaijan) and Madeline (22, born in Germany).  Her family has relocated 13 times for Army assignments- twice to Germany.   

Currently, Lisa is the Vice President, Government Affairs & Community Engagement for The Barry Robinson Center where shares the mission of BRC with the military community through multiple formats.   

During the 28 years of active-duty service with her spouse, she has been an active member at the unit and community level.   Lisa has the honor and privilege of holding a volunteer position as an Army Arlington Lady at Arlington National Cemetery.   

Lisa loves to hike in the Shenandoah Valley, cheer for the Green Bay Packers, and bring the family together at the “Howard Hideaway”.