Our Advisory Committee of Educators and Parents
Deborah Becker, English language development teacher coach, Montgomery County Public Schools
Jennifer Bowser, M.Ed., Senior Project Manager for Education Programs in Developing Countries
Leeann Burdick, Assistant Director, R.J. Call Children's Center at Northeastern University, Boston, MA
Cynthia Davis, Media Relations Executive, Former publicist for Spike Lee, Martin Scorsese and other celebrity clients
Monica Evans, M. Ed., Former Elementary School Teacher, Washington, DC Public Schools
Stephanie Smith Hawkins, M.Ed., NBCT, Teacher, Montgomery County, MD Public Schools
Natasha Lopez, M.Ed., Teacher, Arlington County, VA Public Schools
Lisa Ward, M.Ed., Early Childhood Education, Washington, DC
Jennifer Bowser, M.Ed., Senior Project Manager for Education Programs in Developing Countries
Leeann Burdick, Assistant Director, R.J. Call Children's Center at Northeastern University, Boston, MA
Cynthia Davis, Media Relations Executive, Former publicist for Spike Lee, Martin Scorsese and other celebrity clients
Monica Evans, M. Ed., Former Elementary School Teacher, Washington, DC Public Schools
Stephanie Smith Hawkins, M.Ed., NBCT, Teacher, Montgomery County, MD Public Schools
Natasha Lopez, M.Ed., Teacher, Arlington County, VA Public Schools
Lisa Ward, M.Ed., Early Childhood Education, Washington, DC
Advisory Committee Biographies
Deborah Becker is an English language development teacher coach for Montgomery County Public Schools. In this role, she focuses on empowering secondary teachers and school teams to develop strategies that fully engage and raise the achievement of English language learners in all academic content areas, and ultimately to close the achievement gap among diverse groups of learners.
Jennifer Bowser is an international education specialist with more than 15 years of experience in developing and supervising teacher education reform, adult literacy, vocational training and education evaluation programs throughout the Africa and Eurasia region. She currently oversees several education grant programs at Millennium Challenge Corporation. Jennifer started her career as an adult basic education and general equivalency diploma teacher and program coordinator. Jennifer holds a B.A. in Urban Planning and M.S. in Continuing and Vocational Education.
Lee Ann Burdick has 27 years of classroom experience in early childhood education. She is Assistant Director of The R.J. Call Children's Center at Northeastern University in Boston, MA. Her passion is to facilitate learning for students of all ages,from preschoolers to college students. She holds a B.A. in Education from Framinghan State University.
Cyn Davis is a communication, earned media outreach, and partnership expert with nearly two decades of experience in developing and executing communications strategies and plans for corporations, government, and thought leaders. Her background is in media relations, social marketing, advertising, and brand management. She specializes in coordinating innovative outreach programs, design and implementation of public awareness/education and social marketing campaigns, public relations management, organization supervision, media market analysis, and planning. She develops and coordinates interorganizational and public/private partnerships. She has worked as a publicist for various high-profile celebrities such as Spike Lee, Martin Scorsese, and has worked with Walter Cronkite, Tom Joyner, and Marc Morial. Her government clients include: CDC, NIH, FEMA, DAV, EPA, Bay Area Regional Energy Network, National Responsible Fatherhood Clearinghouse, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, and Office of Women’s Health.
Monica Evans is currently a managing partner in Odyssey Construction, LLC. Ms. Evans has a M. Ed in Administration and Curriculum Development, and a BS in Middle School Education with a focus on language arts and history from Lesley University (formerly Lesley College). She has taught elementary, adult education and English as a Second Language for 7 years. Ms. Evans designed and taught a curriculum to build 5th and 6th grade self-esteem while teaching in DC Public Schools, developed and instructed a public speaking curriculum as part of GED program for juvenile offenders exiting the system -- and created and taught a curriculum for five and six year olds to learn English while teaching in Madrid, Spain. Although she no longer teaches in the public school system, Ms. Evans continues to enrich the lives of young girls through the Girl Scouts in Washington DC.
Stephanie Smith Hawkins is a National Board Certified Teacher. She has more than 17 years of teaching experience with children with special needs such as social emotional challenges, autism, and developmental delays. She currently serves as a preschool special educator and parent educator in Montgomery County public schools. Mrs. Smith Hawkins holds a Master’s in Special Education for mild to moderate disabilities from Johns Hopkins University, and her B.A. in developmental psychology from the University of Maryland.
Natasha Lopez has been in the field of education as a teacher and researcher for the past twenty years. She received her ME.d degree from the University of Pittsburgh, and currently teaches Spanish in Arlington Public Schools in Arlington County, Virginia. Ms. Lopez resides in Arlington, VA with her husband, Robert -- and their three children: Alexander, Sebastian and Isabella.
Lisa Ward currently works as the Client Management Lead for the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) Planning and Coordination at Educational Testing Service (ETS). Prior to working at ETS, Lisa worked for ACT where she directed Association Relations and Strategic Communications. And for 10 years prior to ACT, Lisa worked at the U.S. Department of Education (ED). During her later years at ED, she served as the Special Assistant for the Associate Commissioner at the National Center for Education Statistics. She has degrees from Howard University (B.S., Consumer Science) and University of Pennsylvania (M.S. Education, Early Childhood).
Jennifer Bowser is an international education specialist with more than 15 years of experience in developing and supervising teacher education reform, adult literacy, vocational training and education evaluation programs throughout the Africa and Eurasia region. She currently oversees several education grant programs at Millennium Challenge Corporation. Jennifer started her career as an adult basic education and general equivalency diploma teacher and program coordinator. Jennifer holds a B.A. in Urban Planning and M.S. in Continuing and Vocational Education.
Lee Ann Burdick has 27 years of classroom experience in early childhood education. She is Assistant Director of The R.J. Call Children's Center at Northeastern University in Boston, MA. Her passion is to facilitate learning for students of all ages,from preschoolers to college students. She holds a B.A. in Education from Framinghan State University.
Cyn Davis is a communication, earned media outreach, and partnership expert with nearly two decades of experience in developing and executing communications strategies and plans for corporations, government, and thought leaders. Her background is in media relations, social marketing, advertising, and brand management. She specializes in coordinating innovative outreach programs, design and implementation of public awareness/education and social marketing campaigns, public relations management, organization supervision, media market analysis, and planning. She develops and coordinates interorganizational and public/private partnerships. She has worked as a publicist for various high-profile celebrities such as Spike Lee, Martin Scorsese, and has worked with Walter Cronkite, Tom Joyner, and Marc Morial. Her government clients include: CDC, NIH, FEMA, DAV, EPA, Bay Area Regional Energy Network, National Responsible Fatherhood Clearinghouse, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, and Office of Women’s Health.
Monica Evans is currently a managing partner in Odyssey Construction, LLC. Ms. Evans has a M. Ed in Administration and Curriculum Development, and a BS in Middle School Education with a focus on language arts and history from Lesley University (formerly Lesley College). She has taught elementary, adult education and English as a Second Language for 7 years. Ms. Evans designed and taught a curriculum to build 5th and 6th grade self-esteem while teaching in DC Public Schools, developed and instructed a public speaking curriculum as part of GED program for juvenile offenders exiting the system -- and created and taught a curriculum for five and six year olds to learn English while teaching in Madrid, Spain. Although she no longer teaches in the public school system, Ms. Evans continues to enrich the lives of young girls through the Girl Scouts in Washington DC.
Stephanie Smith Hawkins is a National Board Certified Teacher. She has more than 17 years of teaching experience with children with special needs such as social emotional challenges, autism, and developmental delays. She currently serves as a preschool special educator and parent educator in Montgomery County public schools. Mrs. Smith Hawkins holds a Master’s in Special Education for mild to moderate disabilities from Johns Hopkins University, and her B.A. in developmental psychology from the University of Maryland.
Natasha Lopez has been in the field of education as a teacher and researcher for the past twenty years. She received her ME.d degree from the University of Pittsburgh, and currently teaches Spanish in Arlington Public Schools in Arlington County, Virginia. Ms. Lopez resides in Arlington, VA with her husband, Robert -- and their three children: Alexander, Sebastian and Isabella.
Lisa Ward currently works as the Client Management Lead for the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) Planning and Coordination at Educational Testing Service (ETS). Prior to working at ETS, Lisa worked for ACT where she directed Association Relations and Strategic Communications. And for 10 years prior to ACT, Lisa worked at the U.S. Department of Education (ED). During her later years at ED, she served as the Special Assistant for the Associate Commissioner at the National Center for Education Statistics. She has degrees from Howard University (B.S., Consumer Science) and University of Pennsylvania (M.S. Education, Early Childhood).
