2009-2010 VAACE Board Officers

2009-2011 VAACE Board Officers

	Officers
	President: Don Finn, Ph.D. Regent University, Virginia Beach Don has been an adult educator since 1992 and has worked with students and administrators in ABE, GED, ESOL, and higher education settings. Currently, Don is an Assistant Professor of Adult Education and Professional Development at Regent University in Virginia Beach. In addition to his work as an adult educator, Don has served as a Middle and High School History and Social Studies teacher in Montgomery County. He is a lifetime VAACE member and is a member of AAACE, COABE, and other adult and higher education groups. Don's previous VAACE service includes treasurer, president-elect, and conference committee member. He has presented at a number of state, national, and international conferences including VAACE, VAILL, AAACE, COABE, and others. His presentations and published works center upon best instructional practices, technology integration, and strategies for working effectively with diverse adult learners. Don resides in Chesapeake with his wife Laurie Ann and their three children.
	President Elect:
	Secretary: Becky Spurlock George Mason University (retired) Becky Spurlock taught in the ABE/GED program in Fairfax County Public Schools before going to George Mason University where she served in the Office of Adult Learning and Professional Development, retiring as its Acting Director in 2004. While at GMU, she helped design and deliver instruction in their adult education master's program. She is currently a trainer with the Resource Center at VCU and facilitates online seminars in the University of Virginia's Adjunct Faculty Academy. She has also taught at the intermediate and high school levels and served as a high school guidance counselor.
	Treasurer: Buffy Allgood Southside Virginia Community College Buffy Allgood has been the Middle College and GED Instructor for Southside Virginia Community College for over 4 years. Prior to that she was a Regional Assessment Specialist and Education Support Specialist in the Adult Education offices. She has worked in Adult Education for over 9 years. She holds a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Counseling with a minor in Psychology and is currently working on her Master’s Degree in Counseling.
	Standing Committee Directors
	Director of Systems & Professional Development: Ron Jones TAP & Salem Regional Adult Education Ron Jones has been Program Manager for TAP and the Salem Regional Adult Education Program for the past 10 years. He also oversees two alternative education programs, and Project Discovery, a college access program. Mr. Jones has 20 years experience working in adult education. Formerly he was a continuing education instructor at Virginia Western Community College after which he taught adult basic education and GED classes for nine years including two years at the Roanoke County Jail.
	Director of Legislative & Policy Issues: Christine Hicks Mount Rogers Regional Adult Education Christine Hicks has worked with Mount Rogers Regional Adult Education Program since 1998 and is currently serving as the Regional Assessment Specialist. Christy’s career has lead her through Special Education, Ministry, Alternative Education, and into Adult Education. Her love for education brought her into the adult education community and she plans to stay within the community for many years. Christy serves as the Board Chairperson of Highlands Education Literacy Program and is committed to the success of Ecumenical Faith In Action, a community faith-based outreach program. Spending time with family is Christy’s favorite pastime.
	Director of Long-Term Conference Planning: Dale Temple Southside Programs for Adult Continuing Education, Prince George County Dale Temple has served as the Regional Program Manager for Southside Programs for Adult Continuing Education (Crater District) since 1989. She also serves as the Chairman for the Regional Literacy Coordinating Committee and has served on numerous state and local committees and been Legislative Chair for VAACE for numerous years.
	Director of Communications: Debbie Hamrick Franklin County Public Schools, Rocky Mount Debbie has worked with the Franklin County Adult Education Center for 13 years. Currently she is the program coordinator. Debbie has taught all levels of ABE, GED and ESOL students. Prior to adult education, she was a high school Government teacher. Debbie is a lifetime member of VAACE and has enjoyed giving several presentations at VAACE and VAILL over the years. Debbie currently lives in Rocky Mount with her husband Alan and her two children.
	Special Interest Group Directors
	Director of PSLA: Lori Baker Fairfax County Public Schools, Adult High School Completion Lori coordinates the Volunteer Learning Program (VLP), a volunteer tutoring program for adults seeking to obtain their high school credential or improve basic academic skills. Lori taught ESOL and Linguistics in Brazil for over 10 years, and volunteered as program coordinator for Literacy Volunteers of America-Prince William for nine years. She joined Fairfax County Public Schools in 2000 as a program specialist for the Adult Basic Education/GED program, and became VLP coordinator in May, 2007. Lori has participated in several VALRC initiatives and is the Lead Agent for the Northern Virginia RLCC. She is a graduate of Georgetown University, with a master’s degree in Curriculum and Instruction/Adult Education from George Mason University. She holds a post-graduate professional license in adult education.
	Director of PSLA:Ann Wyllie Fairfax County Public Schools Ann is the GED Chief Examiner/Outreach Learning Specialist Fairfax County Public Schools Department of Special Services/Adult High School in Fairfax, Virginia.
	Director of ESOL:Erin Finn Literacy Council of Northern Virginia Erin Finn has been with the Literacy Council of Northern Virginia (LCNV) since 2004. She first joined the Literacy Council staff as an AmeriCorps member after receiving her BA in Psychology from the University of Tennessee. During her service year as a full-time adult ESOL instructor teaching nine ESOL classes and managing several class sites, she quickly fell in love with the field of Adult Education and decided she was here to stay. In 2005, Finn joined the LCNV staff as the Family Learning Program Director for three years and since 2008 has served as the Director of Classroom Programs. Finn manages all operations of LCNV’s 14 class sites throughout Northern Virginia, reaching over 1,000 adult ESOL learners and 300 children a year. She also supervises the AmeriCorps Direct Service program which includes four AmeriCorps members at LCNV, two members at Loudoun Literacy Council and one member at BEACON for Adult Literacy. Finn develops and maintains partnerships with several organizations in Northern Virginia including Fairfax County’s public libraries, elementary schools, senior centers and community centers. As a member of the Northern Virginia Regional Literacy Coordinating Committee, she tries to keep a pulse what is current in the adult ESOL field and is currently working towards Program Manager Certification through the Virginia Adult Educator Certification Program offered by the state of Virginia. During her tenure at LCNV, Finn has presented at the National Conference on Family Literacy, the ProLiteracy Worldwide annual conference, and the Virginia Literacy Leadership Council conference. Erin was a member of the nationally ranked Lady Volunteers rowing team at the University of Tennessee. S
	Director of Program Managers: Bette Sneed Prince William County Public Schools Adult Education Since 1989, Bette Sneed has been the Adult Education Coordinator for Prince William County Public Schools. She holds a Bachelors in Nursing from George Mason University and a Masters in Adult and Continuing Education from Virginia Tech. She is a member of the Northern Virginia Workforce Investment Board as well as a member of the Leadership Team and the Quality Assurance Committee. She has been a member of VAACE for the past twenty years and has served as Secretary, Director of Systems and Professional Development, and Development Fund Co-Chair.
	Director of Workforce and Continuing Education: Betsy Mathias Rappahannock Area Regional Adult Education Betsy Mathias has been involved with education for over thirty years, starting as a ninth grade science teacher. She began her tenure in adult education as a GED instructor and moved on to association and business training. She has worked with many clients in the areas of team building, customer service, and strategic planning. She is currently program manager for Rappahannock Area Regional Adult Education, serving the counties of Caroline, King George, Spotsylvania, and Stafford, and the city of Fredericksburg. She also designs and conducts training programs for Germanna Community College, VA Adult Learning Resource Center, and various employers and community agencies.

Copyright 2010 Virginia Association for Adult & Continuing Education