Condensed Resumes

Andrew Adelmann, Project Coordinator

 A member of the Designs for Learning team since 1993, Andrew’s work the past several years has focused mainly on charter schools. He has authored thirteen successful charter proposals. Andrew has taken part in all aspects of start-up for several new charter schools, including drafting charter proposals, obtaining 501(c)3 status, grant administration, promotion/publicity, recruiting and hiring staff, and coordinating the start-up effort. As part of Designs’ school services contracts, Andrew does evaluation work, assistance with mandatory government reporting, board support, and planning/coordination of services.

He has made presentations to charter school groups on topics such as writing a charter school proposal and applying for federal nonprofit status and has co-authored publications on school vouchers, on charter school laws across the states, and on parent involvement in charter schools. Andrew is currently pursuing a Masters in Evaluation Studies at the University of Minnesota, and serves on the Minnesota Council for Quality’s Board of Evaluators which evaluates organizations based on the Malcolm Baldrige quality criteria.

 

Susan Airhart, Director of Finance

Susan joins brings to DL clients significant experience in school finance. She worked with Edison Schools, Inc. for the last 5 years in Business Services and Financial Management. Her most recent position was serving as Manager of Area Financial Management, Site Implementation. This position required Susan to oversee Financial Management for the Midwest, manage client relationships, as well as operations management. In addition to working for Edison Schools, Inc., Susan has experience in working at a legal and accounting firm, small businesses and schools.

As Director of Finance for Designs for Learning, Susan oversees Financial Management for all of our Finance & Accounting clients. Managing and cultivating client relationships, as well as internal and external operations management are primary roles. She works closely with Directors and Boards and monitors “pulse points” monthly at the sites to foresee any issues and help find solutions as problem arise.

 

David Alley , President

David serves as managing partner of Designs for Learning’s extraordinary team of education consultants and managers. He guides Designs’ development of new programs and services and provides leadership for its consulting work. He serves on the Higher Ground Academy Building Board. He is a member of the Education Industry Association and was a founding member of the national Education Industry Leadership Board. Clients include: more than 25 charter schools in Minnesota, Minnesota Department of Education, St. Paul Public Schools (High School of Tomorrow and Area Learning Center), Migizi Communications, Minnesota Association of Charter Schools, Charter Friends National Network, Seward Learning Systems (SBIR project), MN Agricultural Education Leadership Council, San Diego (CA) Children’s Museum charter schools.

David has a doctorate in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Memphis. He was Project Coordinator for the Community Learning Centers project funded by a five million dollar grant from the New American Schools initiative to reinvent American education. Before joining Designs for Learning, David gained extensive experience as an administrator in rural post-secondary education, serving as director of institutional evaluation and planning, associate academic dean, and vice president for student services at a small private college in Arkansas. He was a systems engineer at IBM and has extensive knowledge of educational technology.

 

Linda Bergum, Accounting Assistant

Linda will be working with accounts payable, accounts receivable, account reconciliations, 1099's and special education billings for a number of our schools. She comes to Designs for Learning with 22 years of trust operations and accounting experience.

Her organizational, reconciliation and computer skills make her an important part of the finance team. Other work experience includes coordinating computer conversions and training programs for trust departments; planning workshops, conferences and conventions for two non profit organizations; 3 years experience with payroll and tax reporting.

Linda attended St. Cloud State College, University of Minnesota, American Institute of Banking, New York Institute of Finance and Prosource Real Estate School.

 

Steve Bosacker, Systems Development and Project Coordinator

Steve Bosacker works from a base of over 15 years of experience in organizational development in education and non-profit sectors, as well as an extensive background in project management to Designs for Learning. Most recently, Steve has worked with PACT Charter School managing an $11.5 million facility and school expansion project. Expansion included improving the school’s organization, processes and policies. Steve’s work experience includes Director of Community and Organizational Development at the University of the Nations in Hawaii, Project manager for PCS Systems and Regional Coordinator of Volunteer Development for American Field Service in St. Paul, Minnesota.

Steve completed his Bachelor of Arts at Macalester College, received a Master of Science degree and a Master of Education in Human Resource Development from the University of Minnesota. His expertise serves our clients in organizational development, technical support for management systems, facilities development and facilitating projects.

 

Lynn Dahlgren, Accounting Assistant

Lynn Dahlgren comes to Designs for Learning with 16 years of experience in school finance. She worked for many years in a large public school system as a financial assistant and has brought that knowledge into the Charter School environment serving Charters School’s unique demands for the last two years. She has provided services to Charter Schools in their start up year and first year of operations in the areas of financial reporting, budget preparation and federal and local grant tracking and reporting. In addition, she has experience in School Nutrition Services with coordinating the implementation of a computerized food service record keeping and reporting system.

Lynn has an Associate Arts Degree in Business, specializing in accounting. Her skills will be used at Designs for Learning in the areas of School Nutrition Services, Financial Management and School Start Up activities for our clients.

 

Tracy Hoffman, Technology Support Manager

As Technology Support Manager, Tracy provides a vision for using technology to advance education. Tracy brings excellent credentials to this job -- she is a Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer and Certified Cisco Network Associate! Ms. Hoffman has previously worked as a LAN manager and specialist for the Minnesota Department of Labor & Industry and the Minnesota Community College System. She has also worked as a technology consultant and trainer for the past 12 years.

Tracy is responsible for keeping the computer networks operational at Designs for Learning and at more than ten independent school sites, managing more than ten servers and hundreds of users and desktops. In addition to her substantial technical skills, Tracy communicates well with non-"technical" staff, and facilitates technology training sessions for many schools on a regular basis.

Tracy brings further school technology experience to us with her role in tech support for her daughter’s private school. Tracy is currently working toward a Bachelor of Arts degree in MIS from Metro State University.

 

Mark Huggins, Technology Support Manager

Mark has expertise in Networking, Programming, and Technology support. Mark is an A+ Certified Professional as well as MCP Certified (Microsoft Certified Professional), also he has an Associates Degree in Network Engineering from St Paul Tech.

With his resourceful knowledge on new technology and well as an interest in increasing network performance, Mark makes a great addition to our Tech Team.

Mark has skills in configuration and management in Windows, Linux/Unix Servers and Desktops, also database management and web application development.

 

Mary Hunn, Director of School Nutrition Services

Mary brings to the DL team over 15 years of experience in the administration and operations of child nutrition programs and services. She has comprehensive knowledge and expertise in all areas of government programs administration, including agreements, reimbursements, training, compliance, policies, and legislation. In addition, Mary has extensive project management experience using business-oriented, customer-driven approaches to developing improved nutrition programs processes and systems. Her work experience includes a wide range of leadership, management, supervision, and specialist roles with the Minnesota Department of Education.

Mary has a Bachelor of Science in Nutrition from the University of Minnesota. She is also a Registered Dietitian and has held a variety of community and clinical positions.

The extensive experience that Mary brings to DL will provide clients with school food service consulting services including school nutrition programs administration, systems development and implementation, training and technical assistance, compliance review/audit coordination, new requirements and/or initiatives coordination, and funding opportunities research and development.

 

Kyle Kehrberg, School Psychologist

Kyle Kehrberg began his graduate work in Educational Measurement and Statistics at the University of Iowa, prior to moving on to the School Psychology program at the University of Wisconsin-Stout. He has worked for 8 years as a school psychologist in a variety of settings: from inner city schools in Las Vegas, NV, to serving a 3 county area in Oregon that included college towns and small mill towns. Kyle enjoys his work with students from all backgrounds and the multicultural experiences that charter schools provide. Most recently, Kyle was a school psychologist in Cannon Falls, MN.

At Designs for Learning, Kyle works within our Comprehensive Special Education Services to provide School Psychology services to charter schools. Kyle’s current, primary interests in school psychology include:

• Issues in Multicultural Assessment
• Response to Intervention and Curriculum Based Assessment
• Systems-Level Positive Behavior Supports and Interventions

 

Claudine Knoblauch, Director of Special Education Services

Claudine has over 30 years of experience in special education. For ten years, Claudine was the Director of Special Education for a suburban school district. While in that position, she provided leadership, policy development, supervision, program management, and staffing of special education programs.

Claudine received her Bachelors Degree in Special Education from Moorhead State University, and went on to earn a Masters Degree in Education specializing in Deaf/Hard-of-Hearing and Multi-handicapped at Western Oregon State University. She completed her Administration license at the University of St. Thomas. Currently she is completing her Superintendent license.

Claudine’s professional activities include:

• Minnesota Council for Exceptional Children (past President, Board of Directors and multiple officer positions including three time representative in Washington D.C.)
• National liaison for Minnesota Administrators of Special Education (MASE) to the Council of Administrators of Special Education (CASE)
• Adjunct Instructor for the University of St. Thomas in the Special Education and Education Administration departments and is a member of the University of St. Thomas Special Education Advisory Board

Her expertise for clients includes recruiting, interviewing, employing, supervising and evaluating special education staff; providing professional development opportunities; coordinating contracts and tuition agreements with school districts, agencies, and individual providers; providing oversight of pre-referral activities, assessment procedures, individual program plans and instructional strategies for students with disabilities; and assuring that all mandates are followed and best practices are employed.

 

Pamela Meade , Director of Client Services

Pamela Meade ’s expertise helps to coordinate Designs for Learning operations, spearhead strategic initiatives, and create systems and procedures for DL’s core services. She has been a Business Manager for three Charter Schools, most recently at Partnership Academy. At Partnership Academy, she was one of the founding staff members and helped the school to be financially sound, quality focused, and systems oriented. She assists schools with customized training aimed to build charter school internal capacity and self sufficiency.

Pamela has an MBA from Westminster College in Professional Communications. She has worked in the fields of legal compliance, contract negotiation, project coordination, grant management and school finance.

 

Julie Morin, E-Rate Project Manager

Julie manages client schools and Libraries Program of the Universal Service Fund, commonly known as "E-Rate." She finished and received her certification as a Federal Grants Administrator in 2000. She is experienced in project management and grant review.

Julie has completed her MBA with an emphasis in non-profit marketing. She has also completed extensive training regarding Federal regulatory compliance related to grants.

 

Kimberly Paduveris, Human Resources Manager

Kimberly manages the human resource functions for Designs for Learning's clients. Her experience includes recruitment and retention, employment measurement, employment law, benefit administration, compensation, workforce planning, performance management, and employee training.

Prior to joining Design for Learning, Kimberly performed Human Resource services in both the public and private sector, and served several years as a certified middle school teacher. She has a Masters in Business Administration from Webster University in Arizona and a Masters in Education from North Central College in Illinois. She has also earned the Professional in Human Resources (PHR) designation from the Society of Human Resources Management (SHRM).

 

George Sand, Systems Development & Project Coordinator

For the past fifteen years, George has been focused on creating new educational programs that increase the effectiveness of teaching and learning. He has worked with charter schools, school districts and nonprofit organizations across the nation in the areas of education program development, implementing innovative funding mechanisms, and ensuring program accountability. George has considerable experience in financial administration and reporting, school governance, staff and board training, acquisition of facilities and equipment and academic program development. He has particular expertise in project-based learning and developing integrated arts programming.

George was a founder and the first Director of El Colegio Charter School, a school focused on increasing the graduation rates of Latino students, now in its eighth year of operation. He has also served as a technical consultant for EdVisions Inc. where he was involved in the start-up of charter schools throughout the state of Minnesota as well as the lead person in the development of a start-up training program for new EdVisions schools.

George feels educational opportunity for all youth remains one of the critical issues facing us today. He continuously seeks innovative ways to nourish new educational programs in order to ensure access, support, and academic relevancy for students and their families.

George received his B.A. (with honors) from the University of Minnesota and additional training at Harvard University; School of Education, Change Leadership Group and St. Thomas University’s Institute for Renewing Community Leadership.

 

Jesse White, Technology Manager

Jesse has experience with Hennepin County as a Database Architect and with the Generations: Community Support Services organization as Network Administrator. He has a rich background working with Microsoft Access databases, tables, forms and queries to meet data tracking and reporting needs and to provide effective data management. Jesse also has expertise in planning, purchasing, configuring and managing complex information technology systems.

He has Microsoft Network + certification and computer science training from Portland State University and Saint Paul College.

Jesse is “tri-lingual” with skills and experience in Mac, Windows and Linux and is able to address both the technical and aesthetic sides of website development for DL clients.

 

Pam Young , Director of Finance

Pam has over eight years experience in charter school business management and accounting. Pam’s work with charter schools has extended into other areas including capacity building with boards and staff and developing best practices for school finance functions. Her background also includes 25 years experience in administrative, operations and personnel management in nonprofit organizations and the University of Minnesota.

She received a Master of Business Administration from the College of St. Thomas, an Accounting II Certificate from the University of Minnesota and a BA in Sociology from the University of Colorado.

Pam provides clients with financial and business management services and capacity building.

 

Sue Zabilla , Senior Accountant

Sue is responsible for accounts payable, accounts receivable, and account reconciliations for the charter schools which contract with Designs for Learning. She also ensures accurate recording of transactions and payments are made in a timely manner.

Sue has a B.S. in accounting from the University of Illinois and 25 years of accounting experience in a manufacturing environment as well as in the construction business. Most recently, she worked as an accounting assistant in an urban charter high school in St. Paul.