Consultant Biographical Sketches
The following is a roster of some
of the consultants who participate in SchoolMatch specialized projects.
Team members are selected for a particular project with
regard to experience in similar districts, knowledge of functions which
need to be performed in the analysis and specialized expertise.
Donna Maria Alvarado,
M.A. , former CEO of Quest
International, a multi-national educational publisher with sales in 30
countries, is the former director of ACTION, the US government's volunteer
agency. She was recognized by first lady Hillary Clinton and VISTA magazine as
one of nine Hispanic women in Fortune 500 corporate board governance and has
received the Distinguished Service Award from The Ohio State University. Ms.
Alvarado is founder and Managing Director of Aguila International, and serves
as Chair of the Board of the Central Ohio Technical College and is Board
President of the Par Excellence school. She holds BA and MA degrees from The
Ohio State University and completed coursework in business at The Wharton
School.
Dr. William L. Bainbridge, currently serves as
President and CEO of SchoolMatch, and as a Distinguished Research Professor at
The University of Dayton. He is the former superintendent of three school
districts in Ohio and Virginia, and former Assistant to the Ohio
Superintendent of Public Instruction. He was named Educator of the Year by the
Ohio PTA and has served as educational consultant to over 400 corporations and
hundreds of school systems. The Fellow of the American College of Forensic
Examiners is a Diplomate of the National Academy for School Executives. He has been featured on NBC's Today Show, ABC's Good Morning
America, CNN, NPR, CBS radio and over 400 national and local television and
radio programs. He earned his Ph.D. at The Ohio State University, and
completed post-doctoral studies at Columbia University.
Dr. Shirli M. Billings, Senior Executive
Consultant at SchoolMatch. She previously served as superintendent of
three school systems in Ohio, Minnesota and New Jersey, Director of
Secondary Schools for the Cleveland (OH) Public School District, Dean
at Ohio's Central State University College of Education, and Vice President
for Human Resource Development with Honeywell, Inc. She earned her Ph.D.
in educational leadership and business administration at The Ohio State
University.
Dr. G. Robert Bowers, Senior Executive Consultant at SchoolMatch®, is also part-time Director of Education for the National Council on Teacher Retirement. He previously served as Ohio’s Assistant Superintendent of Public Instruction for nearly two decades, as Superintendent of the Plain Local School District in Stark County, OH and as Deputy Executive Director of the State Teachers’ Retirement System of Ohio. As a science teacher in the Columbus Public Schools, he pioneered teaching science over television and became a nationally respected leader in instructional television and instructional management. He has taught at The University of Dayton, The Ohio State University, Bowling Green State University and Walsh College. The army officer veteran has received honorary doctorates in education, University of Dayton; in law from Ashland University; and in public service from Rio Grande College. He holds a Doctorate from The University of Akron.
Dr. Richard A. Boyd, is the former chairman of
the National Assessment of Educational Progress, former executive committee
member of the Council of Chief State School Officers, American Association of
School Administrators and Education Commission of the States. He is
past-president of the Buckeye Association of School Administrators and served
as State Superintendent of Education for the state of Mississippi. He was
Deputy State Superintendent of Schools in Cleveland (OH), Lakewood (OH), and
Warren (OH). He is former Executive Director of the Martha Holden Jennings
Foundation and holds a doctorate in educational administration from the
University of Akron.
George R. Fichter, M.A., Consultant for Special
Education Services at SchoolMatch, also consultant in private practice, Gifted
Programs and Policies, former Director of Programs for Gifted and Talented,
Ohio Department of Education, Past-Chairman, National Coalition for the
Advancement of Gifted Education. He holds a master's degree from Kent State
University.
Allan L. Forsythe, M.A., M.B.A., Vice President
for Private SchoolMatch, has more than 25 years experience in private schools.
After a five year term as teacher and head of the American School for Boys in
Talas-Kayseri, Turkey, Mr. Forsythe served as a teacher and administrator at
St. Albans School in Washington, D.C., assistant head and headmaster of the
Carroll School in Lincoln, MA and headmaster of the Marburn Academy in
Columbus, Ohio. The latter two schools were specialized schools for learning
disabled children. He is a Fellow of the Washington Academy of Science, the
American College of Forensic Examiners and a Diplomate of the American Board
of Forensic Examiners. He received a B.S. in chemical engineering, an M.S. in
physical chemistry from Case-Western University, and his M.B.A. from
Northeastern University.
William A.Guy, has over thirty years experience
in public-sector financial management. The former Chief Financial Officer for
the Columbus (OH) Public Schools also served as Deputy Treasurer for the State
of Ohio, treasurer for the Lockland (OH) City schools and Assistant Treasurer
for the Cincinnati (OH) Public Schools and has served as President of the
Central Ohio chapter of the Association of Government Accountants and
President of the Ohio School Employees Retirement System Board of Directors.
Mr. Guy holds the Certified Financial Government Manager Credential awarded by
the Association of Government Accountants.
Cameron M. Harris, MEd, Assistant State
Superintendent for Assessment and Reporting, and former Division Chief for
Information Systems, Virginia Department of Education, and former Executive
Director in the Hampton (VA) City Schools. She has served in administrative
positions managing program evaluation, curriculum development and supervision,
and special education in both urban and rural settings. She is currently
developing and managing all Virginia statewide assessments, including the new
Standards of Learning tests which serve as the foundation of Virginia's
educational reform efforts and the state's School Performance Report Card. She
holds a master's degree in curriculum and supervision from the College of
William and Mary and completed advanced graduate courses at institutions
including UCLA and VPI.
Faye O. Hunsinger, SchoolMatch® Educational Consultant, consultant and professional development trainer for Lightspan products and services for the south-central region of the nation, former regional director for Voyager Expanded Learning, and former personnel and human resources administrator for the Princeton, New Jersey, Regional Schools. Ms. Hunsinger excels in the private business sector as consultant, professional development trainer, and product and sales manager. Her public school career excellence includes personnel administration, recruitment and hiring, staff development, personnel evaluation, collective bargaining and labor relations. Ms. Hunsinger received her M.Ed. from the College of New Jersey and has completed post-graduate course work in administration and supervision.
Dr. Richard P. Koeppe, past president of the
Colorado Association of School Executives, has 22 years experience in
superintendency positions including the chief executive roles in both the
Denver (CO) and Cherry Creek (CO) Public Schools. He also has served on the
board of the Kent-Denver School, a private college preparatory school. He
served as Professor in Educational Administration at the University of
Colorado at Denver. The past-president of the Denver (CO) Rotary Club holds
his Ph.D. in testing and guidance from the University of Wisconsin, Madison.
Dr. Sherry A. Lahr, Associate Professor of
Education at Ashland University, former superintendent and administrator in
four school districts, former regional director for curriculum technology
integration for a major national curriculum software developer, and the first
and only female president of the Buckeye Association of School Administrators.
In 1998, she was named Rotarian of the Year by the Rotary Club of Columbus,
where she serves as Scholarship Committee Chair. Dr. Lahr earned her doctorate
from the University of Tennessee.
Dr. Frederic K. Lawrence, Senior Consultant for
Psychological and Special Education Services at SchoolMatch, American College
of Forensic Examiners qualified expert in psychology and education litigation
issues, former director of Pupil Services and Special Education in the
Grandview Heights (OH) City Schools and former NDEA Fellow in school
psychology. He holds a doctorate from The Ohio State University.
Dr. Peter W. Loehr is Associate Professor, Educational Leadership & Facilitation, State University of New York, College at Buffalo. Dr. Loehr has been an expert witness in Federal and state courts since 1987 on issues of administration, safety, discrimination, evaluation, sexual harassment, and other personnel issues. He previously served in administrative and teaching capacities in Oklahoma, North Carolina, Kentucky, Ohio, and Illinois, including superintendent of two school districts, director of personnel and labor relations, director of curriculum, and secondary and elementary school administrator. He has been an administrator in rural, suburban, and urban school districts. He was named Personnel Director of the Year in Ohio. He is a graduate of three year-long community leadership programs in New York and Ohio. Dr. Loehr’s research forte is facilitating site-specific school climate ("culture") articulations and methods for systematic assessment using student population perceptions for school improvement. His Ph.D. is from Kent State University in Educational Administration and Theoretical Linguistics.
Beverly M. Lowe, Registered Dietitian, DODG, CFE, is Past President of the American School Food Service Association and was the first female President of the International Food Service Executives. She has served as chair of the American Dietetic Practice Group for school food services and is a member of the National Advisory Council for the National Food Service Management Institute. She has served as the Director of Food Service of two systems including 19 years at Hampton City, VA, Schools, where there was never a year without a positive bottom line. She has managed on-site kitchens and food transported sites. The nationally known speaker is certified in both the "Healthy EDGE 2000" and "Target Your Market" programs. Ms. Lowe is the recipient of the Silver Plate Award from the International Food Manufacturers Association, the Ivy Award from Restaurant & Institutions Magazine, the Outstanding Civilian Service Medal from the United States Army, the Outstanding Alumni Award from James Madison University and American Dietetic Association "Excellence in Management Practice" award. She holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Institutional Management and is ASFSA certified.
Dr. Roger J. Lulow, Senior Executive Consultant for SchoolMatch®, is the recently retired Superintendent of the Greenwich, CT, Public Schools. The Past President of the Buckeye Association of School Administrators previously served as chief executive of schools systems in Cleveland, OH; Elyria, OH; and Willoughby-Eastlake, OH; He was both Assistant Ohio State Superintendent of Public Instruction and Executive Director of Administration for the Ohio Department of Education. The former Ohio Superintendent of the Year was also Ohio PTA Educator of the Year and one of Executive Educator magazine’s 100 Outstanding Administrators. The American Association of School Administrators’ Shankland Scholarship award winner was Chair of numerous North Central Association evaluation teams and state task forces on minimum competency, and school finance. He earned his doctorate at Kent State University.
William R. Mason, Jr. M.Ed., Vice President for
Consulting Services at SchoolMatch, American College of Forensic Examiners
qualified expert in school litigation issues, former assistant superintendents
of the Newark (OH) City Schools, principal, teacher, and two-time President of
the Ohio Association of School Personnel Administrators. He holds a Master's
Degree in educational leadership from Kent State University and continues to
serve as an NCAA basketball and Lacrosse official.
Dr. Bruce E. Mousa served as Chief Business
Officer for the Worthington (OH) City Schools for many years, where he also
served as Director of Business Services and Administrative Specialist for
Personnel. He chaired the Ohio Public Schools Committee for the All-Ohio
Safety Congress and was educational consultant to LINC Resource on the Market
Linkage Project in Special Education. The former Treasurer of the Ohio
Association of School Personnel Administrators was named Administrator of the
year by the Ohio Association of School Personnel Administrators, and holds
Certification in Strategic Planning from the AASA National Academy for School
Executives. He received his Ph.D. in educational leadership from The Ohio
State University.
Dr. Steven M. Sundre currently serves as
Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of SchoolMatch and as a
Distinguished Research Professor at The University of Dayton. He is a former
Executive Director of the Accrediting Commission on Education for Health
Services Administration, Washington, D.C., where he currently serves as the
elected public member of the Board. He has been a Kellogg Fellow and former
graduate faculty member, The Ohio State University College of Medicine. He
serves on the Board of Directors of Support for Talented Students, a
non-profit organization assisting low-income children with special gifts and
talents. He earned his Ph.D. in educational leadership and organizational
behavior at The Ohio State University, where he received the Thomas Holy Award
in educational research.
Dr. M. Donald Thomas, Chairman of the
SchoolMatch Advisory Board, former Superintendent of Schools in Salt Lake
City, Utah, previously educational accountability advisor to the governors of
South Carolina, Tennessee, and South Dakota. He has achieved national
recognition as a school administrator, education reformer, researcher, author
and speaker. The Horace Mann League honored him as "Educator of the Year"
1997. Thomas earned his doctorate at the University of Illinois.
Dr. Thomas S. Tocco, is Superintendent of the 79,000 student
Fort Worth Independent School District in Texas. Fort Worth is the seventh fastest growing
school system in the nation with an extremely diverse population. While in 1994,
the FWISD was projected under the Texas Education Agency system to have 74
low-performing schools, under Tocco's leadership FWISD now has 32 schools
rated exemplary or recognized and only two that receive less than an acceptable
performance rating. Tocco previously served as superintendent of the 70,000
student Cobb County School system in Georgia and the St. Charles Parish School
System in Louisiana. He has been twice selected by Executive Educator Magazine
as among the 100 best school executives in the nation. In 2002, the American
Association of School Administrators named him superintendent of the year in
Texas. Both Fort Worth and St. Charles Parish have participated in the Audit of
Educational Effectiveness. After graduating with honors in mathematics and
chemistry from the University of Florida, the Miami native received a fellowship
from the Gainesville campus, where he completed his doctorate.
Stephen M. Vargo, MA, Senior Executive School Operations Consultant at SchoolMatch®, served as Chief Operations Officer and administrator in the 70,000 student Columbus Ohio Public School District from 1990 to 1999. Previously he served as Director of the Department of Facility Management, Director of the Department of Facility Planning, Assistant Superintendent of Support Services and Supervisor in the Department of Facility Planning for that school system. The graduate of Western Michigan University completed advanced work at The Ohio State University. He holds a business manager’s license and educational administrators specialist license in Ohio. In addition to working with SchoolMatch®, he has served as consultant to two other educational consulting firms, Planning Advocates, Inc., and Conrath, Northrup & Rinehart.
Dorothy A. Zerger, M.A., Special Education Consultant at
SchoolMatch, former teacher and special education administrator, Newark (OH)
City Schools, past member of Executive Committee and present Governing Board
Member of Ohio Coalition for Education of Children with Disabilities. She is
the recipient of the Career Achievement Award from The Ohio State University
College of Education Alumni Society and the Professionally Recognized Special
Educator Certificate for Special Education Teaching and Special Education
Administration for the Council for Exceptional Children.
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