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Welcome Brenna Bartlett to Advance CTE!

December 3rd, 2024

Hey y’all! My name is Brenna Bartlett, and I am beyond thrilled to join the Advance CTE team as the director of technical assistance. In this reimagined role, I’ll be working closely with members, states, and organizations to design and deliver tailored technical assistance that expands access to—and drives success in—high-quality Career Technical Education (CTE). As a lifelong advocate for CTE, I couldn’t be more excited about the opportunity to collaborate with passionate leaders and learners from all across the country, working together to achieve even greater outcomes for our communities. Let’s get started!

A true Midwesterner at heart, I was born and raised in Cincinnati, Ohio, before moving to Kentucky to pursue a degree in Public Administration. Although I had always sworn to my educator mother that I had no interest in teaching, I soon realized my passion for public service stemmed from a deep desire to help others succeed, thrive, and contribute to their communities. Early in my career, I worked with nonprofit organizations focused on workforce development and education, which ultimately granted me the opportunity to lead, teach, and discover in a variety of unique and traditional school settings, engaging with learners of all ages, backgrounds, and needs.

My diverse educational experiences ultimately led to nearly seven years at the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce, where I most recently served as assistant director of the Office of Career Technical Education. In this role, I led the development and implementation of Ohio’s work-based learning framework and co-founded the Ohio Equity Labs, a statewide initiative aimed at promoting data-driven strategies to enhance learner access, engagement, and outcomes. My team also expanded and reimagined Ohio’s regional support systems to ensure the success of local CTE programs during these recent times of rapid change and growth. I’m incredibly proud of the work we did to create greater opportunities for learners and build a brighter future for Ohio. I’m excited to carry this momentum forward in my new role, partnering with you to foster continued success and positive change in your states and across the country.

I currently live in Columbus, Ohio, and when I’m not immersed in my latest work project, I love to travel and seek out unique experiences – I’m currently planning a trip to Germany for Oktoberfest next year! At home, I enjoy volunteering, appreciating the arts, and exploring the city with my husband and our two dogs.

Brenna Bartlett, director of technical assistance

Tags: Access and Equity, Ohio
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Welcome Ada Ejiogu to Advance CTE!

September 6th, 2024

My name is Ada Ejiogu, and I am delighted to be joining Advance CTE as the senior director of operations. I will be leading the organization’s operations and financial strategies, ensuring they are efficient, effective, and grounded in principles of equity, inclusion, and compliance.

Over the past two decades I have worked in various roles in several organizations focused on global health and international development. I am committed to impacting lives positively and empowering people to maximize their potential. While most of my previous work has focused on international development, most of my functional experience has focused on developing clear strategies, efficient operations, and effective project management. I believe that the rich and extensive experiences I bring will be beneficial to Advance CTE, its members, and its work.

Prior to joining Advance CTE, I was a director of operations at the Population Council, leading a large complex global research project consortium, and had overseen large portfolios of funding and research activities ensuring timely completion on budget. When I worked with the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation, I led unique partnership development and management to build innovative partnerships and creative collaborations. At Columbia University’s ICAP, I managed the largest award with USG funding, designed and implemented project activities and operational systems, set up and expanded project offices, hired and trained staff, engaged with donors and partners, managed risk, and monitored compliance. Before that, I had worked at the Ford Foundation, managing a large portfolio with grantees across West Africa.

I am very passionate about education and providing access to opportunities for people to thrive and excel in their chosen careers. My mother was an educationist, and my parents instilled the importance of education and continuous learning. I took it to heart by getting a law degree, then a master’s in business administration, and subsequently, I returned to school to get a master’s in public administration and a master’s in public health from Columbia University, New York. While I was at Columbia University, as a graduate student leader, I initiated and led the implementation of the first two annual African Economic Forum bringing world leaders and experts to speak at Columbia University on how to improve various sectors including public health, education, and business. This annual forum has been successfully held at Columbia University for almost two decades now and continues to allow for effective education, access to career opportunities, and collaboration with leadership on important subjects.

I live in the DMV area and I love to travel and volunteer. I volunteered in building community leadership programs that helped professionals and learners from various walks of life acquire different skills that enable them to thrive in their career of choice. I also volunteered with Toastmasters International and successfully led a division of almost 40 clubs to excel in providing opportunities for learners to build communication and leadership skills.

Ada Ejiogu, senior director of operations

Tags: Access and Equity, New York
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Welcome Rob Young to Advance CTE!

August 9th, 2024

I am thrilled to join the Advance CTE team as a communications & advocacy associate. As part of the Communications Team, I will wear many hats, but my work will primarily be federal policy-focused. As part of this work, I will continue and support our weekly Legislative Updates and monthly member-only federal policy events, track federal legislation, and support resource development to connect our members to federal resources related to CTE.

Originally from the Washington DC metro area, I completed my undergraduate studies in western Pennsylvania at Indiana University of Pennsylvania and earned a bachelor’s degree in social studies education through the teacher preparation program. After graduation, I taught 7th grade modern U.S. History post-Civil War and 8th grade civics and economics at a middle school in northern Virginia. In my first year of teaching, I covered a unit on public policy development and its impacts with my 8th graders, facilitating class discussions about school funding, infrastructure, and how the many levels of government contribute to our lives. This unit ignited my interest in learning more about policy, and I began looking into graduate programs, with the coronavirus pandemic accelerating my return to school.

I enrolled in the University of Washington’s Evans School of Policy & Governance in the fall of 2021, seeking a deeper understanding of public systems and policies contributing to inequity in our nation’s public education. I loved the Pacific Northwest, spending my time camping, hiking, and exploring a new-to-me region of the country. Seattle became my home – particularly enjoying the summertime – and I learned much about the city through a position in the Seattle City Council President’s office. My work in this role led to advocacy for more school funding for school social workers and counselors and building a coalition with City leaders to maintain community college access and uplift certification programs in emerging technology on those campuses.

After graduation, I made the most of my summer in Seattle, backpacking in the Enchantments and Mt. Rainier National Park and taking a big road trip with my family around the Olympic Peninsula. At the end of the summer, I headed east, back to family and friends in the DC area, and began an earnest job search to join the education policy and advocacy community. After a year of substitute teaching, working at farmer’s markets, and networking, I am so excited to join Advance CTE to advocate for equitable investment of resources into learning communities with the long-term outcomes of learners in mind.

Located in Washington DC, I spend time with family, check out new restaurants or museums, and play the drums outside of work. A lifelong DC sports fan, I am a big professional basketball fan – go Wizards! – and love to play basketball and volleyball in my free time.

Rob Young, communications & advocacy associate

Tags: Access and Equity, Federal Policy, Virginia, Washington DC
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Welcome Jessica (Jessi) Maddox to Advance CTE!

March 7th, 2024

Hello! My name is Jessica (Jessi) Maddox, and I am ecstatic to be a part of the Advance CTE team as a senior policy associate. In this role I will be working directly with the upcoming cohorts of the Opportunity Gap Analysis providing customized technical assistance and peer learning opportunities to participating states. I will also collaborate with team members to enhance Advance CTE’s state policy, equity, and data and research strategies by supporting state and local sites in designing and advancing high-quality and equitable career pathways.

A lifelong learner, I was born and raised in Florida, and my family and I recently relocated to Richmond, VA for a change of pace. I began my career in the classroom as a middle school social studies teacher. Part of my position included career exploration with my eighth graders and this is where some of my first interactions with Career Technical Education (CTE) began. After six years in the classroom, I wanted to expand my horizons into educational research and returned to school to obtain a master’s degree in Information. In 2017, I joined the Florida office of the Nita M. Lowey 21st Century Community Learning Centers grant working as a grant manager. In this position I got to interact with a variety of organizations, from school districts to non-profits, working to provide academic and skills-based after-school experiences to students across Florida’s PreK-12 system. I had the opportunity to further explore CTE as part of a college and career readiness initiative and became interested in furthering my knowledge and experiences in this field.

After completing my master’s degree, I was offered a role as an educational policy analyst with the Division of Career and Adult Education within the Florida Department of Education. In this position I was immersed in all things career and adult education full time. From the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act (Perkins V) and the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA), to apprenticeship, credentials of value and integrated education and training (IET), I worked closely with each coordinating unit to ensure required data and policy provisions were followed. I helped to build out the business rules or data collection processes for outcomes reporting and program improvement.

In 2023, I began a new position as a work-based learning analyst at the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV) working directly with the Virginia Talent + Opportunity Partnership (V-TOP). In this position I created data collection processes and survey instruments to expand the view of the landscape of credit-bearing and paid work-based learning and internship opportunities across the Commonwealth. Outside of work I can be found spending time with my husband and two sons, playing roller derby, or exploring my new surroundings.

Tags: Access and Equity, afterschool programs, Data, Florida, Opportunity Gap, Perkins V, state policy, Virginia, WIOA, work-based learning
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Welcome Marie Falcone to Advance CTE!

November 21st, 2023

My name is Marie Falcone and I am incredibly excited to join the Advance CTE team as a Policy Associate. In my role on the Data and Research team, I will support and contribute to Advance CTE’s data quality and initiatives to promote data-driven decision-making among state Career Technical Education (CTE) leaders and within the organization.

I completed my undergraduate degree in political science from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas and participated in a public policy minor program in collaboration with the Washington, DC-based Brookings Institution. Through the program, I worked on policy advocacy and research relevant to the Mountain West region at my university’s think-tank, specifically in education policy. After interning at the Brown Center on Education Policy, I was confident that educational research and its impact on learner outcomes was the space I wanted to be in for years to come.

Emboldened and excited by the work, I moved to Washington, D.C. to complete a master’s in education policy studies at The George Washington University. Throughout this experience, I worked on a research evaluation team for a federal grant and in Fairfax County Public School’s Office of Research and Strategic Improvement, helping to produce the district’s annual Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) III data report. I am thrilled to continue my journey in educational research at Advance CTE to support learners in career and growth opportunities through CTE!

I was born and raised in Las Vegas, home to some of my favorite hikes and the best hockey team. I am a big reader, love running and always look for new places to eat in DC!

Tags: CTE Data, ESSER, Nevada, Public Policy, Washington DC
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Welcome Velie Sando to Advance CTE!

November 17th, 2023

I am super excited to join Advance CTE as a Policy Associate. I will be supporting the state policy team in a multitude of projects including the New Skills ready network and the state policy Year in Review. I have a keen interest in the intersection of policy and advocacy, and my experience serving marginalized populations in the fields of education and transportation drives my interest in Advance CTE’s mission.

Having understood that industry-recognized credentials are seldom enough to secure well-paying job opportunities in my home country, Cameroon, my parents migrated to the United States in 2005 to secure a brighter future for their children. This brave decision shaped my perspective from a young age, and has influenced my desire to support individuals in manifesting a stable and optimal quality of life.

I was immersed into the world of policy in 2017 as a Policy and Advocacy Fellow in San Antonio, Texas, where I researched methods to reduce recidivism in the region. I interviewed many Previously Incarcerated Individuals (PIIs) and created a framework to facilitate their access to reliable transportation and stable job opportunities. This experience exposed me to the varied components necessary for any individual to successfully engage in a society, and sparked my interest in education and transportation policy.

Upon the completion of my master’s degree, I began working as a Project & Policy Leader for Mobilify Southwestern Pennsylvania, a non-profit that promotes multi-modal transportation choices through advocacy, education, coalition-building and technical assistance services. I learned just how important it is to have the right people in the right positions who will do the right thing. Since then, my approach to policy and advocacy has been centered on utilizing innovative methods to encourage people in positions of power to promote policies that directly impact underserved populations. The membership lens through which Advance CTE advocates for equitable access to Career Technical Education speaks directly to my approach to this work, and I am thrilled to be part of the team!

Beyond my professional career, I wear many hats. I am a professional Afrobeats dancer, a self-proclaimed singer, a loving sister and a dear friend. My superpower is my adaptability, I thrive in fast-paced environments and a fun fact about me is that “je parle francais!”

I look forward to working with the Advance CTE staff, contributing to the work and soaking up the wealth of knowledge in the organization.

Velie Sando, Policy Associate

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Welcome Emily Passias to Advance CTE!

September 18th, 2023

I could not be more delighted to join the team here at Advance CTE! A self-proclaimed “Career Technical Education (CTE) evangelist,” I’ve spent much of my career designing, implementing and supporting policies and practices that create the conditions for high-quality CTE to flourish, and have had the pleasure to learn from and work alongside the Advance CTE team and members over those years. As a former State CTE Director and Advance CTE member, it is an honor to be able to give back to an organization that has given so much to me and to the field at large.

I am a Buckeye through and through, having spent nearly two decades either learning or teaching at The Ohio State University. As a sociologist by training, the driver at the heart of my work has always been reducing inequality. After many years of conducting research and teaching research methods, statistics, and substantive sociology courses at The Ohio State University, I became enthralled with the promise that CTE holds to prepare learners to achieve their aspirations.

That passion took me to the Ohio Department of Education where I spent seven years serving the learners of Ohio, designing state-level policy and practice solutions to strengthen and scale CTE in the state while simultaneously closing long-standing access and performance gaps across student groups. During my tenure at the Ohio Department of Education, I had the opportunity lead the development of the state’s CTE Report Card and CTE-focused pathways to high school graduation, as well as the state’s efforts to launch and scale middle-grade CTE and better align education and workforce by identifying and incentivizing credentials of value in CTE programs.

Immediately prior to joining the Advance CTE team, I served as the Vice President for Policy at the Linked Learning Alliance where I worked with states and communities to design and implement policies that support college and career pathways that intentionally integrate high-quality CTE, rigorous academics, early postsecondary opportunities, and work-based learning experiences. I also spent several years as the Director of Career Readiness at Education Strategy Group, where I led the firm’s work on credentials of value and worked with states and communities to plan, implement, and scale high-quality, industry-aligned pathways.

I am based in Columbus, Ohio where I live with my large blended family which includes four teenagers along with my 21-year old, five dogs, and my lovely husband Geoff. For the first time this school year, I get to play another role in the CTE system – that of a CTE parent. Outside of work, you can find me in the garden, cooking, or shuttling kids around to volleyball and basketball activities.

Tags: Access and Equity, career readiness, Education Strategy Group, linked learning, Middle Grades CTE, Ohio
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Welcome Dan Adams to Advance CTE!

July 12th, 2023

My name is Dan Adams, and I am very excited to lead Advance CTE’s Data & Research team where I’m responsible for Advance CTE’s data quality and initiatives to promote data-driven decision-making among state Career Technical Education (CTE) leaders and within Advance CTE.

My commitment to education in pursuit of equity and equity in pursuit of social justice was the reason I started my career as a middle school STEM teacher. Most recently, I served as the Oregon Higher Education Coordinating Commission’s Statewide Director of Career Pathways where I collaborated with stakeholders to promote the equity impacts of investments in career pathways. In 2022, based in part on a first-of-its-kind data system I helped build, the Oregon legislature passed and Governor Brown signed Future Ready Oregon into law. The law invested $200 million in education and training, including $17 million for career pathways in Oregon, a nearly tenfold increase.

As Accountability and Data Specialist at the Oregon Department of Education, I authored numerous research briefs and provided invited testimony before the Oregon House and Senate on the equity impact of investments in CTE. Based in part on my findings and testimony, in 2019 the Oregon legislature passed the Oregon School Success Act, which invested an additional $300M in interventions including secondary CTE.

Commitment to education equity and social justice informs my private life as well. As co-chair of Oregon Safe Schools and Communities Coalition, I was honored to be the first signatory to the state’s LGBTQ2SIA+ Student Success Plan which was signed into law in July 2021. As Co-Chair of Seaton Elementary School’s PTO Family Engagement Committee, I was honored to contribute to my family’s home school receiving the Human Rights Campaign’s Welcoming School Seal of Excellence in 2023.

I graduated from the University of Notre Dame twice, first with a Bachelor of Science in Science-Business and later with a Master of Education degree and a middle-level science license. I’ve called California, Oregon, Indiana, Texas, Alabama, Ireland, Oregon again, and now the District of Columbia (DC) home.

When I’m not working on more equitable education systems, I’m usually with my wife and son. We can be found on our bikes in and around our home in DC’s historic Shaw neighborhood. If you already checked there, you may also find our bikes locked outside any of DC’s bistros, coffee shops, brew pubs, or museums.

Dan Adams, Data & Research Manager

Tags: Data and Accountability, Equity, Oregon, STEM
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Welcome Layla Alagic to Advance CTE!

June 20th, 2023

Hi, I’m Layla, and I’m excited to join the Advance CTE team as a Digital Communications Associate! I will oversee digital media strategy and content in several areas, including the Advance CTE website, social media and organizational newsletters. I’m thrilled to be an advocate for Career Technical Education (CTE) and to be part of a team committed to supporting a more equitable education system across the country. This role on the communications team will allow me to combine my passion for both marketing and education while supporting CTE in its next chapter.

I was born in Bosnia and Herzegovina and grew up in Southwest Virginia. I completed my bachelor’s degree in Media Studies at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, and now live in Richmond, Virginia.

Before joining Advance CTE, I worked in marketing for an international B2B software company, and during my time in college, I interned at an equity-focused human resources startup. I also have experience in photography, videography, and video editing. In my personal life, I love reading, film, learning languages, home improvement, and traveling!

Layla Alagic, Digital Communications Associate

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Welcome Dr. Laura Maldonado to Advance CTE!

March 20th, 2023

Hello! I am excited to join the talented team at Advance CTE as a Senior Research Associate. I started in February 2023 and will be working on projects related to policy research, technical assistance and data quality initiatives. Some of these projects include state Career Technical Education (CTE) funding research, the New Skills ready network and the Advancing Postsecondary CTE Data Quality Initiative (PDI).

I am committed to applying a data lens to projects to support learners and systems. Before joining Advance CTE, I worked at the Belk Center for Community College Leadership and Research at North Carolina State University where I supported research and evaluation projects, provided writing and data coaching to future community college executive leaders and disseminated research to support evidence-based practice. I strengthened my CTE research experience by participating in the Postsecondary CTE Research Fellows Program at North Carolina State University – Sponsored by ECMC Foundation. Previous to this work, I spent over a decade as a career services practitioner in postsecondary settings, which makes me passionate about advocating for the career trajectories of all learners.

I have participated in lifelong learning through various formal and informal settings. I earned a Doctorate of Philosophy in Educational Leadership, Policy and Human Development from North Carolina State University (go Wolfpack!), a Master of Education in Counselor Education from Clemson University (go Tigers!), and a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from Muhlenberg College (go Mules!). Outside of work, I enjoy walking in my neighborhood, watching movies and attempting to keep plants alive. I am a native of Pennsylvania, but I have also lived in South Carolina and Virginia. I now reside in the City of Oaks – Raleigh, North Carolina – with my husband, a secondary CTE digital media teacher and our son.

Dr. Laura Maldonado, Senior Research Associate

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