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  • Melinda Fiscus

    Learning Technology Center of Illinois (Illinois State Board of Education)

    Chair

    Board Term Ends: 12/31/2025

    Melinda Fiscus is the Digital Access Coordinator for the Learning Technology Center of Illinois. In this role she provides networking opportunities, consulting services, professional development for school districts, and advocates for the advancement of educational technology across Illinois. She serves as one of the Illinois representatives to the State Education Technology Directors Association (SETDA) and also serves as a governing board member. She is one of the Illinois State E-rate Coordinators (SECA), and is a founding member of the Classroom Connectivity Project. Melinda is in her 21st year working in IL educational technology, and is currently excited about IL broadband opportunities and is passionate about creating immersive learning experiences for staff and students.

  • Brad Hagg Headshot

    Brad Hagg

    Indiana Department of Education

    Chair-Elect

    Board Term Ends: 12/31/2025

    Brad Hagg currently serves as the Director of Educational Technology in the Indiana Department of Education (IDOE) in the areas of E-Rate, Cybersecurity, Connectivity, and Ed-Fi Data Modernization. He has worked in Indiana schools for over 22 years, serving as Director of Technology and Chief Technology Officer for two public school districts.
    Hagg has served as a board member, chairman, and president of the Hoosier Educational Computer Coordinators (HECC) organization. He has also been an active member of the Consortium of School Networking (CoSN) organization as well as its Indiana CTO Council chapter. He has been selected as the Technology Coordinator of the Year in Indiana and was also recognized by National School Boards Association (NSBA) as part of its “20 to Watch” Educational Technology Leaders program.
    Hagg holds a teaching license in elementary education along with a Master’s Degree in Educational Leadership and is licensed as a school administrator. He is also a Certified Education Technology Leader (CETL) and maintains other technology certifications and specializations.

  • Rick Gaisford

    Utah Department of Education

    Past Chair

    Board Term Ends: 12/31/2024

    Rick Gaisford has 35 years in education and has been involved with educational technology for over 30 years at the classroom, school, district and state levels. He has been an elementary school teacher, school technology specialist, district technology specialist and trainer, state Internet specialist and state education technology specialist. In his current state responsibilities he works with districts, schools and the the state network, UETN, on how to effectively integrate technology tools and resources into teaching and learning. He helps oversee Utah’s Digital Teaching and Learning program implemented by the Utah State Legislature in 2016. This legislation has provided over $80 million to implement a comprehensive program to effectively bring technology into all classrooms in the state and to assist in personalizing education for each student. Away from technology and work Rick enjoys spending time puttering around in his yard and garden and being Grandpa to his 7 grandchildren.

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    Andréa (A.J.) Coté

    Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education

    Secretary

    Board Term Ends: 12/31/2026

    Andréa (A.J.) Coté, M.Ed., CETL, joins the SETDA Board eager to serve the SETDA community, to support edtech leaders nationwide, and to promote digital equity for all of our students. A.J. has more than 20 years of educational experience in the areas of digital learning, adult learning & professional development, assistive technology, and special education. A.J. dedicated the first 15 years of her career to serving in Massachusetts public school districts supporting students and educators as an Instructional Technology Specialist and nationally Certified Education Technology Leader (CETL). A.J. has been with the Massachusetts (MA) Department of Elementary and Secondary Education just shy of a decade, having worked as the Coordinator of Digital Learning and Accessibility in the Office of Digital Learning, as the Statewide Professional Development Programs Manager in the Office of Special Education Planning and Policy Development, and in her current role as the Assistant Director of Educational Technology. She has extensive experience teaching students as well as providing interactive and engaging adult professional development at the school, district, state, and national levels.  

    Outside of work, A.J. enjoys spending time with her husband and extended family, watching sports, and cuddling with her three dogs.

  • Dorann Avey Headshot

    Dorann Avey

    Nebraska Department of Education

    Treasurer

    Board Term Ends: 12/31/2024

    Dorann Avey is the Digital Learning Director for the Nebraska Department of Education, leading work across the state in Educational Technology and Digital Learning. In cooperation with the Future Ready Council, ESUCC and ESU’s, Dorann currently supports work to identify, develop, and share high-quality practices and strategies to build the capacity of educators, leaders, and organizations across Nebraska in all areas of technology.

    Prior to joining NDE, Dorann spent over a decade as a teacher and department chair with Lincoln Public Schools. Dorann brings a total of 17 years of teaching experience and has earned a Master’s degree in Educational Leadership from Doane University. The courses taught in those years were in the areas of computer science, technology and business which included several Dual-Credit and AP courses. In addition, she brings multiple years of experience with curriculum development and coaching for technology teachers and leaders.

  • Doug Casey Headshot

    Doug Casey

    Connecticut Commission for Educational Technology

    At-Large Member

    Board Term Ends: 12/31/2026

    Doug Casey serves as the Executive Director for the Connecticut State Commission for Educational Technology (CET). In that role, he designs and manages strategic plans that help ensure the successful integration of technology in Connecticut’s schools, libraries, universities, and towns. The CET has direct oversight of statewide programs including the Connecticut Education Network (CEN, the state’s research and education network), its digital library (researchIT, formerly iCONN), and other initiatives.

    Prior to joining the CET, Doug served for nearly 10 years as the Director of Technology for the Capitol Region Education Council (CREC) in Hartford. There he oversaw and implemented significant improvements in business processes, digital security, and information management for the agency’s 25 schools, 36 districts in the Hartford area, and schools statewide.

    Doug began his career as a middle school English teacher in Virginia after graduating from the College of William & Mary. He applied his classroom experience to educational publishing, managing communications for the Smithsonian Institution’s office of education. He later earned a master of arts degree in online communications from Georgetown University and a master of science in management information systems from George Washington University. His diverse background includes managing technology for marketing firms as well as security and systems engineering for national security agencies and the U.S. House of Representatives.

    Outside of work, Doug enjoys time with family, serving through missions, and triathlon.

  • DeLilahHeadshot

    DeLilah Collins

    Colorado Department of Education

    At-Large Member

    Board Term Ends: 12/31/2024

    DeLilah Collins is director of the Grants Program Administration office at the Colorado Department of Education. In this role, she leads the development and implementation of grant tools to help Colorado districts obtain equitable access to federal and state grant funds. Prior to this role, she was assistant director in the Elementary and Secondary Education Act office, where she developed and maintained the $180M Consolidated Application for funds as well as supported LEAs in the effective use of Title I, Part A, Title II, Part A, Title III and Title IV, Part A funds. Prior to the passage of Every Student Succeeds Act, she was the Title II Part D coordinator. DeLilah serves as the K-12 education representative for Colorado Broadband Initiatives and is the state E-rate coordinator. She has a bachelor of science in information technology and has been committed to supporting education technology initiatives for the Colorado Department of Education for the past 19 years.

  • John Chadwick

    John Chadwick

    New Mexico Public Education Department

    At-Large Member

    Board Term Ends: 12/31/2026

    John Chadwick is the Digital Equity Coordinator for the New Mexico Public Education Department. His duties include State E-Rate Coordinator, Educational Technology, working closely stakeholders in school districts, Regional Education Cooperatives – New Mexico’s version of Education Service Centers – and bureaus within the state education agency. When the Council of Chief State School Officers came out with their digital resources data collection elements, John made the case that the agency should include the data collection to track progress as schools worked to ensure 1:1 device initiatives and get students connected at home. Now, the data is being used to help the state broadband office identify areas in the state with unserved and underserved home connectivity for students. While working on his doctorate at the University of New Mexico, John took an interest in how technology can help people learn in museums and is working to see how technology can improve student outcomes.

    John worked at the New Mexico State Library and, prior to that, with the New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science. His dissertation was on how people navigate a museum web site. With technology in education, the line between informal education and formal education has been nearly erased. He looks forward to working with the research and evaluation group at his agency to understand any correlation between connectivity and devices in the home and student performance and outcomes. As the agency builds a longitudinal data system, this can help support continued legislative funding. During the 2023 legislative session, John, the agency CIO, the policy team, and the former and current cabinet secretary got the Digital Equity in Education Act passed and signed by the governor.

    Outside of the office, John can be found spending time with his two cats and on his road bike or gravel bike. He does a ride every year to help raise money for the American Diabetes Association Arizona and New Mexico chapter that helps pay for children with Type 1 diabetes attend summer camp.

  • Sean McDonough

    Sean McDonough

    NYSCATE

    Affiliate Position

    Board Term Ends: 12/31/2026

    Sean McDonough, CETL, is the Corporate & Member Engagement Coordinator for NYSCATE, New York’s premier educational technology member association and affiliate member to SETDA.  Sean works with members and partners on ways to enhance technology’s role in supporting teaching and learning.  He is a Certified Educational Technology Leader (CETL) and has over 30 years of educational technology leadership experience in the public and private sectors as a teacher, district, regional, and state technology administrator, and consultant.  Sean is an active leader in various educational technology organizations including CoSN, ISTE, and SETDA. He is the former Chief Technology Officer at the Allegheny Intermediate Unit in Pennsylvania, the former Bureau Director of Educational Technology for PA Department of Education and is Past President of the Pennsylvania Association for Educational Communications and Technology (PAECT), the ISTE and CoSN affiliate in PA.  Sean served on the PA Ed Tech Expo & Conference (PETE&C) board in PA from 2005-2011 and served as President of the conference twice.  Sean also served on the CoSN Board of Directors along with the Schools Interoperability Framework Association (SIFA) Board of Directors,  Sean holds a B.A. in Mass Communications and Government and a M.S. in Instructional Technology.  Sean lives in Hershey, PA, “the sweetest place on earth.”

  • Carla Wade Headshot

    Carla Wade

    CoSN; former state member (Oregon)

    Emeritus Position

    Board Term Ends: 12/31/2025

    Carla Wade is the Senior Director of External Relations at CoSN.  She is responsible for overseeing CoSN professional advancement, advocacy and partnerships, including sponsorships and engaging strategic partners.  Prior to joining CoSN, Carla served as the Digital Innovations Lead in the Office of Teaching, Learning and Assessment at the Oregon Department of Education (ODE).  During her 20+ years at ODE, she provided leadership in technology for learning in Oregon and nationally working with federal grants, STEM, online learning, professional development and creating state technology standards and strategic plans.  She also served as a technical advisor to the US Department of Education on digital learning, evaluation, data collection and analysis and EdFact reporting. Carla has been an active member of the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) serving on the Board of Directors 2006-08 and the State Educational Technology Directors Association (SETDA) where she served on the Board of Directors from 2002-2007, 2014-2020 and is now serving as the Emeritus Board member.  Carla works collaboratively with partners nationally and internationally to build and expand quality education environments where students have equitable access to technology tools, connectivity,  effective teachers and systems for learning.

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