Aim Hire 2024
Breakout Session
Round 1
1:40 pm – 2:25 pm
Harnessing AI for Education: Ohio’s Vision for AI in Education & Innovative District Approaches
Explore Ohio’s AI in Education Plan and discover how districts are using AI to enhance learning.
Location: Pheoris West C, Floor 3
Speaker Biographies & Slides:
Lisa Gray’s career has been dedicated to improving the educational outcomes of ALL of Ohio’s students. Prior to leading Ohio Excels, Gray had her own consulting practice specializing in public policy development, government relations, advocacy, strategic planning, and project management with an emphasis on public education. Her clients included the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Achieve, Inc., Philanthropy Ohio, Battelle for Kids, Ohio Business Roundtable, Teach for America, Jobs for the Future and the Office of Governor Taft, among others. Prior to starting her consulting practice, Gray was the Director of Policy and Communications at Battelle for Kids from 2001-2005. In 2000, Gray served as the Project Director of the Governor’s Commission for Student Success. The bi-partisan commission, appointed by Governor Taft, developed recommendations for improving Ohio’s K-12 public education system. Gray also served as the Deputy Executive Assistant to Columbus Mayor Greg Lashutka. Prior to joining the Mayor’s office, Gray served in a number of positions at the Greater Columbus Chamber of Commerce. Gray graduated from Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana, with a BS in Elementary Education. At the start of her career, she served as an elementary school teacher. She and her husband have four wonderful sons, all of whom have been educated in Ohio’s public schools.
Dawn Scott brings a wide range of experience to the Director of Curriculum and Instruction position. Prior to this role, she was a high school Social Studies teacher and Department Chair at New Albany High School where she was recognized as an influential district teacher and leader. Dawn’s approach to curriculum design, assessment, and rigor led to increased student achievement. Her focus on building trust, maintaining high expectations, and creating innovative processes demonstrates a commitment to empower others toward enhanced achievement. Dawn has utilized research-based practices to implement and enhance professional learning communities, resulting in the utilization of data to drive instructional practice and student growth. Mrs. Scott earned her Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Miami University; she also holds a Master of Education from The Ohio State University and a Master of Educational Leadership from Ashland University.
William Sprankles currently serves as the Assistant Superintendent of Innovation, Teaching & Learning for Butler Technology Career & Development Campuses just north of Cincinnati, Ohio. William oversees the instructional culture for Butler Tech’s 4 campuses, 11 associate school districts and over 250 teachers. He collaborates with others to lead the district with strategic planning, development of coaching and instructional models, strategic resourcing, and emerging best practices. Prior to Butler Tech, Sprankles served as Executive Coach and Partnership Manager for the Center for Transformative Teacher Training (CT3), where he worked with school districts in major cities providing strategic guidance on strengthening school culture, leadership, classroom management and teaching methods. He previously served as Executive Director of Teaching and Learning at Princeton City Schools, where he oversaw comprehensive school improvement processes for more than 300 educators and 3,000 students. This includes de-tracking and desegregation efforts of students in the mainstream curriculum, resulting in a 98% graduation rate for all students in one of Ohio’s most diverse school districts. Prior to earning his EdD from Miami University in April of 2021, Sprankles earned his bachelor’s degree in English education at Northern Kentucky University and his master’s in Educational Leadership at Xavier University. In 2010, the Cincinnati Human Relations Commission presented him with the Merlin G. Pope, Jr. Diversity Leadership Award.
The Power of Partnerships: Building Pathways from Classrooms to Careers
Creating opportunities for collaboration between businesses and educators to create real-life pathways to employment for students in the energy, semiconductor, and other high-demand career areas.
Location: Gina Knee, Floor 4
Speaker Biographies & Slides:
Jessica leads workforce strategy for The Ohio Manufacturers’ Association (OMA), representing Ohio’s largest economic sector. Ohio manufacturers employ nearly 700,000 Ohioans and contribute more than $134 billion annually to the state’s economy. At the OMA, Jessica orchestrated efforts to rally key leaders and stakeholders across the state to create alignment around a demand-driven workforce agenda. This resulted in a network of 19 OMA-endorsed Industry Sector Partnerships as the operational backbone for statewide execution of a common strategy. Jessica provides strategic direction for a variety of initiatives, including overseeing the $23.5 million Good Jobs Challenge grant and Ohio’s Statewide Auto and Advanced Mobility Workforce Strategy. Currently, she’s leading the launch of the Ohio Manufacturing Competency Model, aimed at establishing a standardized language and framework for industry leaders to express their skill demands and increase alignment with education and workforce partners. Before joining the OMA, Jessica served as the inaugural Executive Director of the Mahoning Valley Manufacturers Coalition, an industry sector partnership in the Youngstown area, and served in Chief Operating Officer roles at a national workforce consulting firm and public workforce system. Jessica holds a BS from the E. W. Scripps School of Journalism and an MBA from Kent State University.
Lindsay LaSala serves as the Talent Relationship Partner for IGS Energy. In this role, she nurtures relationships with educational institutions and community organizations to advance education access and equitable career pathways for all members of our local community. Lindsay has built her career on developing meaningful, mutually beneficial relationships between businesses and the community. Prior to IGS Energy, Lindsay worked with The Scotts Miracle-Gro Company where she led the creation of programs which helped to connect millions of children and families across America to the life-altering benefits of gardens. With a background in strategic partnerships, program management and communications, she finds fulfillment in personal connections and helping people and organizations reach their fullest potential.
Cassandra Palsgrove is the Director of K-12 Education Policy at Ohio Excels. She is dedicated to public policy development, state advocacy, and research efforts at the critical intersection of education and workforce development with the goal of improving educational outcomes for all K-12 Ohio students.
Cassie brings more than 15 years of experience in education, most recently with the Ohio Department of Education where she led the Office of Graduate Success. In this role, she focused on projects that engage stakeholders and partners from higher education, business & industry, workforce and other state agencies to help support school and district leaders to develop and implement systemic K-12 strategies to help students consider their post-high school paths and ensure they are well prepared to pursue them. The Office of Graduate Success team coordinates efforts to support schools in systemic K-12 career advising, graduation requirements, early career & college programming and business-education partnerships. As a classroom agriculture educator prior to her work at the Ohio Department of Education, she engaged students in meaningful experiential learning and career exploration opportunities. Cassie holds a Bachelor’s of Science in Agriculture and a Masters of Arts in Educational Administration from the Ohio State University. She and her husband Brent reside on a small farm in Fairfield County Ohio with their two children Carter and McKinley.
Shaun C. Yoder holds a unique 25-year career in architecting and advancing education-related policies, practices, and programs and building partnerships in positions that have spanned Ohio’s education continuum, from early learning to college and career. Yoder launched SYC Strategies in 2024 to transform education opportunities by engaging and co-designing with leaders across government, advocacy organizations, and business and industry interested in blurring the lines unnecessarily separating high school from postsecondary education and the world of work. Previously, Yoder served as Chief Strategy Officer and Director of External Partnerships at the Ohio Department of Education & Workforce. In that role, he led the creation of the state’s strategic plan for education and established innovative public-private partnerships to help implement the plan. Yoder was instrumental in stewarding a collaboration with the Cleveland Browns, which resulted in the Stay in the Game! Attendance Network. A first-generation college student, Yoder regards education as the great equalizer and has dedicated his life to increasing learner access to high-quality, transformative education opportunities.
Beyond Career Day: Empowering Future Leaders through Innovative Career Exploration Experiences
Go beyond the traditional career day model to energize and excite students for their future careers! Join us for an interactive session that showcases how schools and partner organizations are empowering students to explore and prepare students for their futures.
Location: Pheoris West A, Floor 3
Speaker Biographies & Slides:
Kristy Fairfax is an independent consultant with over 15 years of experience in workforce development, focusing on talent pipeline and career pathways. She began her career as Director of the Corpus Christi Industry Outreach Program and later founded KMF Workforce Consulting. Kristy is currently working with Learn to Earn Dayton to design and pilot the PACCE program in the Dayton region. She resides in Dayton, Ohio, with her family.
David Giesige, Director of Career Pathways at the Greater Cleveland Career Consortium. Since joining the GCCC, David has overseen the implementation and improvement of the PACE Framework alongside the GCCC’s partner organizations. This work includes bringing PACE to five additional school districts and working with local employers to create and/or align PACE-related Work-Based Learning opportunities. David has over five years of experience in the education and education nonprofit spaces, including his time as a classroom teacher, as a Fulbright Scholar in The Netherlands, and as the Director of Program Design at Trendlines Colorado. He earned his Bachelor’s of Integrated Language Arts and English Education from Ohio State University.
Tasha Werry is the Executive Director of Building Bridges to Careers (BB2C), an organization she helped found to connect students, teachers, and parents with business and community leaders. Tasha has a background in education and completed her Educational Doctorate in 2016, focusing on BB2C. Under her leadership, BB2C has expanded its community and career-connected learning initiatives across Southeast Ohio.
Unlocking Educational Flexibility: Navigating State Policies for Creative Learning Opportunites
Explore innovative state policies and the flexibility they offer. Gain insights from state leaders and a school district that has successfully implemented these opportunities to enhance creative learning.
Location: Charles Massey AB, Floor 3
Speaker Biographies & Slides:
Taylor Porter became principal of Sycamore High School in 2022, building on his success as principal of Gamble Montessori High School in Cincinnati from 2019. Under his leadership, Sycamore has maintained exceptional academic performance, achieving a 5-star rating from the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce and a school record-breaking performance index of 105.1. At Gamble, Porter’s achievements included earning the U.S. Department of Education’s Green Ribbon Award, increasing enrollment by 90%, and overseeing $17 million in construction projects. His career spans roles as assistant principal in Westerville and Dayton, as well as positions in social services and business analysis. Porter holds an MBA from OSU and a Bachelor’s in Criminal Justice from the University of Cincinnati. He is currently pursuing a doctorate in Education Leadership.
Graham Wood leads the Office of Graduate Success at the Department of Education and Workforce. He started his career as a Teach For America corps member in Dayton, Ohio, before joining the Department in 2017. Graham is deeply invested in supporting students’ success through effective career advising and planning.
Leveling Up the High School Experience
Explore how Ohio is preparing students for high school experiences that include credential attainment, work-based learning, and seamless transitions to college and career. Learn strategies to help ensure students have the information and agency to succeed in a high-quality pathway.
Location: Pheoris West B, Floor 3
Speaker Biographies & Slides:
Quentin Suffren is Senior Advisor at ExcelinEd, where he leads the organization’s policy and research efforts to strengthen education to career pathways in states. These efforts have included its policy framework Pathways Matter and the first-of-its-kind research into student credentialing, Credentials Matter. Quentin and the Pathways team engage with governor’s offices, system leaders and state partners to develop policy and programmatic solutions to support high-demand, high-skill and high-wage pathways for learners of all ages. Before joining ExcelinEd, Quentin was executive director of the college, career and military preparation division at the Texas Education Agency. Prior to that, he served as Executive Director of Amplify’s consulting services, working with state agencies and consortia on major technology and implementation contracts. He has also held roles at TNTP and The Learning Institute.
Throughout his career, Jeremy Varner has worked to open more avenues for students to achieve in postsecondary education, succeed in the workforce, and be competitive in the global economy. In June 2024, the Ohio Senate confirmed Jeremy’s appointment to the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce as Deputy Director of the Division of Career-Technical Education and Workforce. With nearly 20 years working in state education, he is passionate about expanding workforce readiness experiences for students.
Throughout his time at the Iowa Department of Education, Deputy Director Varner led transformative efforts to redesign career and technical education, expand opportunities for high school students to earn college credit, overhaul processes for community college accreditation and program approval, enhance data and accountability systems, and develop a portfolio of new programs to prepare a skilled workforce. During his time as the administrator of the Division of Community Colleges and Workforce Preparation at the Iowa Department of Education, Deputy Director Varner oversaw the state’s community colleges, secondary and postsecondary career and technical education, adult education and literacy, veterans’ education, industry sector partnerships, adult job training programs, and large data and accountability systems. He worked to advance career and academic planning opportunities for students, facilitated pathways development, and expanded high-demand technical programs. He also served as acting administrator of the Division of Learning and Results and as a consultant for the Division of Community Colleges. He has served on a number of state education and workforce boards. Deputy Director Varner has an advanced degree in public policy and is currently working to complete a doctorate in educational leadership. Deputy Director Varner’s wife, Min, works in investment banking and they have two sons, Lance and Lucas.
Ohio Semiconductor Collaboration Network (OSCN): Pathways & Upskilling
Delve into the Ohio Semiconductor Collaboration Network (OSCN) and discover how this initiative is aligning education with industry needs. Learn about pathways, upskilling opportunities, and how you can get involved at multiple levels to support Ohio’s semiconductor industry.
Location: Roman Johnson, Floor 3
Speaker Biographies & Slides:
Scot McLemore is the Executive in Residence at Columbus State Community College, where he leverages his experience as a workforce expert at American Honda Motor Company to cultivate relevant career pathways. Scot has over 30 years of experience in workforce development and has served on several advisory committees. He is passionate about connecting young people with career opportunities in manufacturing.
Terri Burgess Sandu is Director of Talent and Business Innovation for Lorain County Community College (LCCC). In this role, Sandu leads a team of professionals whose work advances the College’s commitment to student success and business growth. Her team’s contributions have supported the College’s recognition in 2023 by the Harvard University Project on Workforce in a book published by Harvard Education Press that features Lorain County Community College (LCCC) as one of five exemplar community colleges contributing to regional economic growth and opportunity, and to Lorain County Community College’s 2024 designation as the first Education and Workforce Development Innovation Center by NextFlex, America’s Flexible Hybrid Electronics Institute. Sandu also serves as Director of the Ohio Technical Skills Innovation Network, or Ohio TechNet (OTN), a statewide consortium of over 45 community colleges, universities and technical centers focused on accelerating innovation to meet manufacturing workforce needs, facilitated by Lorain County Community College since 2014. Ohio TechNet serves as an effective front door for those seeking to pilot or scale replicable solutions. Built over 10+ years through an expanding collaborative framework, private-public partnerships have been at the heart of Ohio TechNet’s work since the beginning, as has the expansion of innovative earn and learn models.
A spirit of collaboration and innovation combined with expert management has led Ohio TechNet to successfully generate over $65M investment for its members in manufacturing and technology workforce investment. Those initiatives, supported by numerous federal agencies including US Department of Labor, Department of Defense, National Science Foundation, Intel Foundation and others, has enabled OTN member schools to serve over 15,000 adults and youth and partner with over 1,200 companies in manufacturing and tech workforce projects. OTN partners closely with the Ohio Manufacturers’ Association (OMA), regional Industry Sector Partnerships, SEMI Foundation, the Ohio Defense Manufacturing Community, and other state and national partners, including several Manufacturing USA Institutes.
In 2018, Sandu was recognized as a NextFlex Fellow and in 2019, was elected to serve as a Board member of the National Coalition of Advanced Technology Centers. Before joining Lorain County Community College, Sandu served as the Executive Director of HHW Ohio, a community-based organization dedicated to accelerating women’s advancement as workplace and community leaders, with a focus on skilled technical and STEM careers.
Dr. Richard N. Woodfield is the Chief Academic Officer at the Ohio Association of Community Colleges. He began his higher education career as a faculty member at Rhodes State and held various positions as, chair, dean, AVP and Vice President for Academic Affairs. He also served as the Provost at Zane State College and interim VPAA at Clark State College. In addition to his work at OACC, he serves in the Higher Learning Commission Peer Corp and is a Leadership Coach with Achieving the Dream. He holds a AAS in Medical Laboratory Science from SUNY Alfred, a B.S. in Cardiorespiratory Science from SUNY Stony Brook, a M.S. in Education from SUNY Stony Brook, and Doctor of Management in Community College Policy and Administration from University of Maryland University College.
Mentorship Networking Sessions
Personalized 15-minute sessions with experts. Pre-registration was required for this session. Please see your emailed personalized mentoring schedule if you registered.
Location: Alfred Tibor, Floor 3
Aim Hire 2024 hosted by:
Lunch Sponor:
