About Us

States Helping States

Working in partnership with the Board of Directors and SETDA staff, standing SETDA membership committees are vital to the success of the association and among the best ways for members to contribute to and learn from their peers in other states. The Board of Directors has authorized four standing committees, each of which are aligned to the association’s strategic plan:

Membership Engagement
Professional Learning
State Action
Strategic Partnerships

Standing committee membership is open to representatives of every state and affiliate (many delegate committee participation responsibilities to different individuals within their agency) and time commitments are flexible.

Committee leaders, selected from among the membership by the Board of Directors, are charged with fulfilling the committee’s charter and doing so in close coordination with the SETDA staff, the leadership of other standing committees, and the Board of Directors. In addition, committee leadership representatives participate in annual leadership retreats with the Board of Directors. Given their important leadership role, committee leaders also are bound by the same organizational conflict of interest provisions as Board members and staff to ensure that the broader interests of SETDA and the states always remain central to committee work.

Professional Learning

Professional Learning Committee

Leadership: Bre Urness-Straight, Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI)

Bre Urness-Straight, the Director of Education Technology with the Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI), is a dynamic leader at the forefront of educational technology innovation. With a passion for fostering inclusive and equitable digital learning environments, Bre leads an innovative team dedicated to supporting all school districts in Washington state. As SETDA’s Professional Learning Committee Chair, Bre plays a pivotal role in shaping the professional development opportunities for the SETDA community. Her vision and dedication make her a driving force in advancing educational technology initiatives, ensuring that educators and districts are equipped with the tools and knowledge necessary for transformative learning experiences in the digital age.

Staff Liaison: Julia Fallon

The Professional Learning Committee exists to provide relevant, high-quality professional learning opportunities and to facilitate the development and advancement of job-related skills and knowledge of members. In particular, the committee will focus on opportunities designed to build stronger and more effective state leaders and to develop future SETDA leaders. The committee will review, identify, develop, and provide professional learning opportunities on an ongoing basis to meet emerging needs of the SETDA membership. Focus areas for the committee include:

Planning for and providing a range of professional learning topics and formats for members, ensuring unique experiences that members view as high quality and relevant to their needs over time.
Fostering informal networking and relationship building among members, state colleagues, strategic partners, and others.
Leveraging the SETDA online learning community to facilitate valuable opportunities for professional learning and networking across states and territories during and in-between formal professional learning activities.
Planning the agenda and content for national gatherings of SETDA members.
Evaluating the success of the professional learning events, soliciting input from the membership regarding professional learning needs, and revising professional learning activities based on member input.

State Action

State Action Committee

Leadership: Erich Grauke, Educational Technology Principal Consultant, llinois State Board of Education

Erich Grauke currently serves as the Educational Technology Principal Consultant at the Illinois State Board of Education where he supports school districts with educational technology initiatives, digital equity and inclusion, cybersecurity, E-Rate, and state and federal funding support. He has worked in Illinois schools for over 25 years, serving as Director of Technology for three school districts as well as serving as an assistant principal and middle school social studies and language arts teacher. He is also an active member of the Illinois Digital Educators Alliance.
Grauke holds a teaching license in secondary education and educational leadership along with a B.A. in English and History, a Masters Degree in Educational Technology and a Masters Degree in Educational Leadership. He is also a Certified Education Technology Leader (CETL).

Staff Liaison: Ji Soo Song

The State Action Committee exists to inspire and assist states to act collaboratively to advance education through technology policy and practice. It will develop and implement processes to align SETDA initiatives and projects with member priorities for collaboration, and assist states to improve learning by addressing relevant issues and national needs. Focus areas for the committee include:

Developing and implementing an iterative process to align SETDA initiatives and projects with member priorities for collaboration.
Identifying and prioritizing key topics, needs, best practices, issues, and concerns related to SETDA’s mission and vision suitable for collaborative state action.
Creating and operating a “rapid response” process to identify and respond to new or urgent developments that affect states and members. The Board may request responses for urgent matters, and/or the State Action Committee may suggest actions to be taken by the other groups.
Creating products and/or services that address topics that advance education through technology policy and practice and identifying how strategic partners or other entities should be involved in the creation or dissemination of the products and services.
Providing advice on the dissemination, curation, and updating of SETDA products and services so that they are easy to locate and use.
Gathering and disseminating data and information related to state educational technology policies and practices, including maintaining SETDA’s DMAPS.setda.org.

Membership Strategy

Membership Strategy Committee

Leadership: Stan Silverman, New York State Teacher Centers

Stan Silverman specializes in the application of instructional technologies to enhance teaching and learning in K–12 settings. He currently serves as the chair of the NYS Teacher Center Technology Committee, as a member of the NYS Board of Regents Technology Council, with the Professor Garfield Foundation, and is serving as a mentor in the Intel Education Accelerator. Silverman also runs the Technology Based Learning System Department that supports numerous grants and contracts supporting K–12 education throughout the United States, as well as coordinating the establishment of public/private partnerships in New York State. He received his degree in Physics from SUNY Stony Brook and his administrative degree from C.W. Post (LIU).

Staff Liaison: Trish Stevens

The Membership Strategy Committee (formerly the Membership Engagement & Strategic Partnerships Committee) exists to strengthen member commitment, foster collaborations, and guide impactful initiatives that enhance SETDA’s mission and member experience. This committee plays a critical role in developing and sustaining partnerships, engaging members, and ensuring that SETDA remains a hub for innovation and collaboration within the K-12 educational technology community. Focus areas for the committee include:

Strengthen Member Engagement: Develop activities and programs to welcome, orient, and sustain the engagement of all members, including new and emeritus members.
Enhance Collaboration & Partnerships: Cultivate relationships with national organizations, private sector partners, and state leaders to align with SETDA’s strategic goals.
Guide Sponsorship & Partnership Strategies: Develop sponsorship opportunities, evaluate partnership effectiveness, and foster mutually beneficial relationships.
Support Policy & Advocacy Efforts: Inform members about key federal and state EdTech policies, providing timely insights and opportunities for engagement.
Advance Innovation & Thought Leadership: Showcase cutting-edge technology solutions, product development initiatives, and emerging trends in education technology.
Strengthen SETDA’s Digital Presence: Cultivate an active online and social media presence that fosters dialogue among members, partners, and key stakeholders.