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SETDA Names Dr. Jennifer Fritschi as Director of Strategic Partnerships
Dr. Fritschi Brings Rich Background in Educational Technology to SETDA

November 1, 2011
(Washington, DC) – The State Educational Technology Directors Association (SETDA), the principal association representing U.S. state and territorial educational technology leaders, announced today that Dr. Jennifer Fritschi has joined the organization to serve as director of strategic partnerships. In this role, Dr. Fritschi will maintain and strengthen the association’s relationships with emerging and established educational technology companies on behalf of the SETDA membership and in support of the association’s mission.

Dr. Fritschi’s career has focused on the effective use of technology in education from the vantage point of an educator, state education agency educational technology leader, and – most recently – the private sector. Prior to joining SETDA, Dr. Fritschi served as director of professional development and state education partnerships with the Verizon Foundation where she directed the development and ongoing operations of a national professional development program and oversaw state and national partnerships related to Verizon Foundation’s flagship educational program, Thinkfinity.org.

“Jennifer brings deep experience and understanding of how best to broker public-private partnerships in support of education,” said Douglas A. Levin, executive director of SETDA.  “She understands the unique role of state educational technology leaders in driving positive change in support of improved teaching and learning and how corporate partners can help further the interests of states and students and teachers. We are excited to be able to add a person of such integrity and talent to our SETDA team.”

Prior to working with the Verizon Foundation, Dr. Fritschi served with the Alabama State Department of Education in the professional development and educational technology groups working with technology standards for teachers, Alabama’s educator web portal, ALEX, and as an assistive technology consultant. She also worked in numerous roles in the Jefferson and Shelby County School Districts, including as an elementary special education teacher.

Current SETDA corporate partners at the platinum level include Apple, CDW-G, Esri, GlobalScholar, HP, Intel, Oracle Education Foundation, Pearson, Polyvision, Riverside Publishing – Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, SMART Technologies, and Verizon Thinkfinity. Gold level partners include Blackboard Collaborate, BrainPOP, Cisco, Comcast, Desire2Learn, Edmodo, EdTech Leaders Online, Edvation, ENA, FTC Family of Companies, i>clicker, Learning.com, McGraw-Hill, Microsoft, Nettrekker, PBS Teacherline, Promethean, Sadlier, School Improvement Network, SunGuard K-12 Education, Texas Instruments and Turning Technologies.

About the State Educational Technology Directors Association:
Founded in 2001, the State Educational Technology Directors Association (SETDA) is the principal association representing the technology leadership of state departments of education. The SETDA membership includes educational technology directors from the state departments of education of all fifty states, the District of Columbia, Bureau of Indian Affairs, American Samoa and the US Virgin Islands. See www.setda.org for more information.