JILL ABBOTT
Learning Strategist
Schools Interoperability Framework Association
Ms. Abbott is the Schools Interoperability Framework Association's (SIFA) Learning Strategist. Her primary role includes expanding the current specification to support and enable the teaching and learning process and developing strategic partnerships that advocate interoperability to support learning. Jill's experience includes classroom teaching, curriculum and professional development, virtual education and eLearning in the vendor and state policy space. Jill is well known to all state and federal associations and government agencies that are involved in effectively utilizing technology to impact the teaching and learning process.

TOM ADAMS
Executive Director, Curriculum Frameworks & Instructional Resources Division
California Department of Education
Thomas "Tom" Adams is the executive director of the Curriculum Frameworks Instructional Resources Division. He is Superintendent O'Connell's designee as Executive Secretary of the Curriculum Development and Supplemental Materials Commission (better known as the Curriculum Commission) and in May 2003 the Commission appointed him as its Executive Director. He oversees the department staff who work with the Commission in the areas of curriculum frameworks and instructional resources. In addition, he is in charge of CDE Press, the publications operation of the department, and the Clearinghouse for Specialized Media and Technology, the unit responsible for the production of Braille and large-print resources and other specialized media.

JULIE EVANS
Chief Executive Officer
Project Tomorrow- NetDay
Prior to joining NetDay in 1999, Ms. Evans worked for 17 years in the technology for-profit sector, including 12 years in regional sales and marketing management with Unisys and for two startups. The first, BrightIdeas, helped parents and teachers select high quality software for children. When Pearson Learning acquired BrightIdeas, Ms. Evans assumed a new position on the management team as the National Sales Director. Ms. Evans' strong interest in the effective uses of technology in the classroom led her to become a founding member of the management team of the Educational Resource Network, a startup company developing a productivity website for teachers. Her responsibilities as Vice President at ERN included all content design, development and acquisition, corporate partnership development as well as the creation of a new brand identity for the product and the company. Ms. Evans is a graduate of Brown University. Ms. Evans is also a mother of three school-age children and a passionate volunteer in her children's schools. Ms. Evans is using her belief in the need for strong collaboration and partnership models between for-profit and non-profit organizations to guide NetDay into a new era of effectiveness and impact.

DENEEN FRAZIER
Actress and Educator
The road to being a professional actress was not a direct one as it took Ms. Frazier a decade to fully commit herself to being a professional actress. During that time, she forged a career in education, working with schools and teachers to better leverage new technologies as learning tools. Now an experienced and versatile actress, Ms. Frazier earned a 2003 B. Iden Payne award nomination for "Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama" for her portrayal of Annie Lou Holsom in Waiting for MacArthur. Other premiere stage roles include Darcy Snelgrave in the intense and erotic, One Flea Spare; the title role of a dog in Sylvia; and, Sissy in the West Texas Classic, Come Back to the Five and Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean. Currently, she is collaborating on a new one-woman show, Head Over Heels. On film, Ms. Frazier can be seen in several independent features: an undercover cop in the independent feature "Manhood is Dead" and a corporate go-getter in the film "Severance." Her work in short films includes the enthusiastically narcissistic newscaster in "The Last Race" and the confident woman in "Love in 3 Minutes." In addition to dramatic acting, Ms. Frazier is also well versed in industrial films, commercials and voiceovers. She studies Alexander Technique with Sumi Komo and has worked with a wide variety of teachers. In her free time, Ms. Frazier loves to snowboard or backpack in the mountains with her husband.

JEANINE GENDRON
Director, Instructional Technology
School Board of Broward County, Florida
Dr. Jeanine Gendron is the Director of Instructional Technology for Broward County Public Schools, Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. She has been an educator of over 22 years in both New York State and Florida. Dr. Gendron specializes in the integration of technology into the curriculum and oversees the implementation of the district's Instructional Technology Plan. Some of the initiatives she is responsible for include the implementation of a teacher and student instructional portal, a one to one digital learning environment study, a professional development partnership with Florida Atlantic University called the Digital Education Teacher Academy program and a project based learning approach called the Global Learning Initiative for Digital Students (GLIDES). Dr. Gendron has presented at many national, state and local educational technology conferences. Dr. Gendron was recently the recipient of the 2006 Florida Association for Computers in Education (FACE) leader of the year award.

ANITA GIVENS
Director of Instructional Materials and Educational Technology
Texas Education Agency
Givens' division is responsible for expanding opportunities for electronic instructional materials as well as traditional textbooks for Texas schools. Anita has led the educational technology efforts in Texas for over twelve years. She provides leadership for the integration, utilization, evaluation and expansion of educational technologies through the on-going implementation of the State Board of Education's Long-Range Plan for Technology. Anita is on the Board of Directors of the State Educational Technology Directors Association (SETDA), and held the position of Chair for three years. Anita also serves on the Board of Directors of the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) and serves as an Education Advisor to the Partnership for 21st Century Skills. Anita received the 2002 NCTET Community Builder Award, was named one of the 25 "Doers, Dreamers, and Drivers of Information Technology for 2002 by Government Technology Magazine and the Center for Digital Government, and in June 2004, was presented the Pioneer Award by SETDA. Anita has taught Kindergarten and 2nd grade and educational technology classes from elementary through graduate school. She received a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Early Childhood Education from Houston Baptist University and a Master of Science Degree in Educational Management from the University of Houston - Clear Lake.

L. MICHAEL GOLDEN
Deputy Secretary for the Office of Information & Educational Technology
Pennsylvania Department of Education
L. Michael Golden is Deputy Secretary of the Office of Information and Educational Technology in the Pennsylvania Department of Education, where he leads efforts to utilize educational technology as a tool to help students learn. He is also responsible for statewide initiatives to increase productivity and effectiveness throughout the Pennsylvania educational enterprise by establishing centralized, streamlined, and comprehensive managed systems. His oversight includes improvement of planning, operations, and reporting to enhance information and communications that drive data based decision making as the basis for policy making, assessment, and ultimately student achievement. Mr. Golden is also chairman of the Federal and State Policy Committee of the State Educational Technology Directors Association (SETDA). He is a member of the Board of Directors of the Consortium for School Networking (CoSN) and serves as a commissioner for the Pennsylvania Public Television Network. Mr. Golden received the national SETDA State Leader of the Year Award for 2005-06.

TOM GREAVES
Chairman
The Greaves Group, LLC
Mr. Greaves has 41 years experience in the computer industry, including 26 years at IBM. In 1996, he co-founded NetSchools Corporation, a pioneer in the field of comprehensive curriculum-integrated 1:1 laptop solutions. Mr. Greaves is recognized as a visionary in the conceptualization, design, engineering, and marketing of 1:1 technologies for schools. He has been involved in hundreds of 1:1 projects at the district, state, and federal levels. He holds multiple patents and patent disclosures for student computing technologies. Mr. Greaves' most recent project is America's Digital Schools 2006, a syndicated study of the top 2,500 U.S. school districts. The survey provides numerous insights into the future of the digital school from the perspective of superintendents, curriculum directors, and technology directors over a five-year horizon. More information is available at www.ads2006.org.

JEANNE HAYES
President
The Hayes Connection
Since 2005 "The Hayes Connection" has providing consulting for both established and start-up education market companies. Hayes' 30 years of strategic insights gained from building a business, creating databases, analyzing market trends and helping clients market to schools enable her to connect her clients to the education market. Hayes founded Quality Education Data, (QED) in 1981. Her vision was to create the highest-quality education database possible. After she facilitated the sale of QED to Scholastic Inc. in 1999, she served as VP of Marketing Development at Scholastic through 2004. Hayes is a former educator and debate coach. Hayes served as one of the founding members of the CEO Forum on Education and Technology, as a corporate member and treasurer of the Consortium for School Networking (CoSN), and as a board member of the Education Section of the Software Information Industry Association (SIIA). Hayes was recognized as CoSN's Private Sector Champion for 2002, as well as Converge Magazine's 'Those Who Make a Difference 2000' and the eSchool News' Impact 30 for 2001. In December 2002, she was inducted into the Association of Educational Publishers' Hall of Fame. In 2005, she was recognized at the National School Boards Association's annual technology conference as a recipient of the 'Making It Happen' award.

JIM HIRSCH
Associate Superintendent for Technology and Academic Services
Plano Independent School District
Jim Hirsch is in his 32nd year serving public education and has worked with thousands of teachers and administrators to integrate technology into their daily classroom teaching and learning activities in addition to hundreds of school districts on strategic technology planning and curriculum design. Hirsch spent the first 21 years of his career with the Anoka-Hennepin School District in Minnesota, leading a variety of technology implementations. Since joining Plano ISD in 1996, he has led the district in a series of intensive technology improvements. These include the development of a digital user interface (DUI) and an 81-mile long fiber-optic network. Hirsch has also been involved in the development of an award-winning elementary school curriculum project that integrated technology in every classroom and led the development of district standards for hardware, software, staff development and support to provide more efficiency. Most recently, Jim has been a lead designer in the Plano ISD eSchool effort to provide a comprehensive online curriculum and the only pilot site for a new student portal technology coming from Australia. His current focus is on personal, ubiquitous computing and open technologies.

SHARNELL JACKSON
Chief eLearning Officer
Chicago Public Schools
Since 2003, Sharnell has supported Chicago's educational technology goals through collaboration and alignment of technical resources and human capital to improve teaching, learning, leadership, and communication of 47,000 employees. She in charge of the Area VII Learning Technology Center for the Illinois State Board of Education where she has served as an educator and administrator for the past thirty-two years. Mrs. Jackson leads a dynamic team of eLearning experts who design on-line learning and professional development solutions, implement deployment strategies and provide end user support for the district's web-based student information and curriculum instruction management portals. She serves on Mayor Daley's Advisory Council on Closing the Digital Divide, was elected to the CoSN Board, received the NSTA Presidential Award for Science Teaching, and is Past President of the Illinois Computing Educators. Sharnell earned an Administrative Master's degree from Lewis University, a Masters of Education in Curriculum and Instruction and a Masters of Education in Mathematics, Science, and Instructional Technology from Wheeling Jesuit University.

KATE KEMKER
Bureau Chief, Instruction and Innovation
Florida Department of Education
Kate works with Florida's 67 school districts, helping them develop technology plans on the integration of technology as a tool for the classroom. Her projects include consulting with districts on professional development for teachers and providing hands-on training for teachers. Part of her work includes developing distance learning for the Office of Educational Technology. Before entering the field of educational technology, Kate was involved in K-12 music education. She was an assistant marching band director, elementary band director, and winter guard instructor. She has been a Macromedia Education Leader and Apple Distinguished Educator.

DON KNEZEK
Chief Executive Officer
International Society for Technology in Education
Don Knezek, CEO of the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE), is recognized internationally as a leader in transforming education with technology. He has led innovation in the classroom, from the district-level perspective, and through large multi-state projects. Don is Co-Chair of the Educational Technology Advisory Committee to the Texas State Board of Education, Co-Director for the National Educational Technology Standards (NETS) Project -- an important ISTE initiative, and he recently directed the National (USA) Center for Preparing Tomorrows Teachers to Use Technology (NCPT3). Don is providing consulting services to ministries of education around the world sharing his valued expertise in preparing education leaders and teachers to thrive in an increasingly digital world.

TIM MAGNER
Director, Office of Educational Technology
U.S. Department of Education
Tim Magner is responsible for coordinating the development and implementation of the Department's educational technology policies. The Office's main goal is to maximize technology's contribution to improving education through developing national educational technology policy and implementing that policy department-wide, to support the goals of NCLB. Mr. Magner's work experience includes serving as the Deputy Executive Director for the Council of Chief State School Officers, the Deputy Director for the Office of Educational Technology, the Executive Director K12 Education for the Microsoft Corporation and the Director of the Schools Interoperability Framework (SIF). He also served as the Director of Technology for the Framingham, MA Public Schools and taught graduate courses in educational technology at Framingham State College and George Mason University. Mr. Magner began his career as a social studies and theater teacher in the US and Europe. Mr. Magner received his bachelor of arts from the College of William & Mary and a Masters Degree in Education from Harvard University.

CARMEL MARTIN
General Counsel and Chief Education Advisor
Senator Kennedy
Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee
Prior to joining Senator Kennedy's HELP Committee staff, Carmel worked as the Associate Director for Domestic Policy at the Center for American Progress. She previously worked in the Senate as Chief Counsel and Senior Policy Advisor to Senator Jeff Bingaman and special counsel to Senator Tom Daschle. Through her years working in Congress, Carmel has worked on legislation related to education, welfare, and other issues important to children and families. Earlier, she practiced as a trial attorney for the Civil Rights Division, Educational Opportunities Section at the Department of Justice as well as in the private sector as a member of the Education Practice of Hogan & Hartson. There she counseled and represented school districts and Institutions of Higher Education from all over the country. In addition to her undergraduate degree from Manhattan College, she graduated with a J.D. and Masters in Public Policy from the University of Texas School of Law and the LBJ School of Public Affairs. After graduate school, Carmel was a law clerk to the Honorable Thomas Reavley, United States Judge for the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals.

ANN MCMULLAN
Executive Director, Educational Technology
Klein Independent School District, Texas
Located just outside of Houston, Texas, Klein ISD is a rapid growth district with over 41,000 students, 4500 employees on 35 campuses. Ann heads a team whose primary goal is to transform teaching and learning through technology and to assure that all students have access to 21st century resources and teachers who are prepared and skilled to use technology effectively to assure the academic success of all students. Ann currently serves as co-chair of the Texas Educational Technology Advisory Committee (ETAC), charged by the Texas commissioner of education to develop a state long range plan for technology. The American Women in Computing, Houston Chapter, recognized Ann McMullan for her leadership in technology in 2005 by naming her one its outstanding women in technology. This award, typically given to IT professionals in the business community, was the first and only time that it was presented to someone from K-12 education.

SUSAN PATRICK
President & Chief Executive Officer
North American Council for Online Learning (NACOL)
Prior to coming to NACOL in September 2005, Susan Patrick was Director of the Office of Educational Technology at the U.S. Department of Education. As Director, she published the National Education Technology Plan in January 2005, managed the federal government's educational technology policies and produced two Secretary's Technology Leadership Summits. Before that, Patrick served Governor Jane Dee Hull of the State of Arizona as Strategic Communications Manager and legislative liaison where she managed legislative technology policy, media and strategic communications for the Government Information Technology Agency. She received the 2001 Governor's Spirit of Excellence Recognition Award for the Telecommunications Open Partnerships for Arizona (TOPAZ) initiative. In the late 1990s, Patrick was Site Director for Old Dominion University's TELETECHNET program, managing a distance learning campus in Richmond, Virginia and opened the first site in Arizona. She taught as an Adjunct Faculty. Patrick holds a master's degree from the University of Southern California's Annenberg School for Communication in Los Angeles and a bachelor's degree from the Colorado College.