Oklahoma Adult Education &
Literacy Conference
October 30-31, 2023
Meridian Technology Center, South Campus in Guthrie
3025 S Division St, Guthrie, OK 73044
Presenter Biographies
We are excited about the speakers we have lined up this year! Below you will find out more about the fantastic presenters you will see this year.
Krista Scammahorn is an author, trainer, speaker, & consultant of business training. She has 27 years of training development and delivery. She and her husband, Skip, are delighted empty nesters with five grown boys and six adorable grandchildren.
Krista has three main areas of training focus:
1. Personal Development – contains sessions such as: Reducing Stress, Conflict Recovery, Mastering Focus, and a dozen more.
2. Leadership Skills – contains sessions such as: Mindful Leadership, Leading through Change & Uncertainty, Contingency Plans & Crisis Communication, etc.
3. Productivity – contains sessions such as: Email Efficiency, Getting Things Done, and The 6 Types of Working Genius.
Krista has a passion for finding areas where people need skills and researching to reach that need. After training over 100 of her own Email Communication classes she may never get rid of the stigma of “Email Efficiency Queen”, and she is fine with that.
Jackie Aniebok
Her educational journey was unconventional and challenging but those challenges would later push her to receive two professional degrees, (M. ED & MBA) She has worked in all levels of education. From elementary to higher education, to an assistant principal at a charter school and a program facilitator at a maximum-security detention center. To her current position at OIC as an ESL coordinator and Student Movement Specialist. She is the epitome of what an educator should aspire to be.
Tina Aniebok
Tina Aniebok attended OU where she received a dual degree in with an emphasis in community health & a minor in Spanish. In 2011 she volunteered as a Medical Brigade in Honduras by providing medical aid and training community healthcare workers. She has worked in the fields of advocacy, medicine and social services. She started at OIC as an adult instructor and has not looked back. Her high rate of students passing is not what defines is her passion to educate and advocate for her students.
Dr. Steven Aragon
Dr. Steven Aragon is Student and Organizational Success Specialist at the Oklahoma Department of CareerTech focusing much of his time on mental health psychoeducation. Prior to joining the agency in 2019, he was a faculty member in the colleges of education at the University of Illinois and Texas State University. Dr. Aragon holds a Ph.D. in Educational Psychology from the University of New Mexico and a Master’s degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from the University of Oklahoma.
Mona Autry
Mona currently serves as the Adult Education and Family Literacy Coordinator at Meridian Technology Center in Stillwater. She had the opportunity to work with special needs students after college, then began a career with Computer Curriculum Corporation and Pearson Digital Learning/Pearson Education providing educational software training and implementation strategies to schools across the country.
Letha Bauter
Letha currently serves as the Federal Legislative Manager for the Oklahoma Department of Career and Technology Education. She serves as the Oklahoma Director of Adult Education and Family Literacy. She has spent her entire career in education from a special education teacher to a school principal. She worked at the OSDE for 16 years and worked for numerous local school districts as a consultant for federal programs. She has served on several state-wide task forces and committees.
Ann Beeson
Ann Beeson has worked with adult education and literacy programs in 7 states for over 22 years and presents at state & national conferences. She currently offers resources through New Readers Press. She has a Master’s degree in Curriculum & Instructional design from the University of Minnesota. Ann is a US History and American Studies geek and has current experience with local civics!
Kaitlyn Beck
I have a BA in English/TEFL from Oklahoma Christian University. This will be my second year teaching with the Community Literacy Centers (CLC) and The Spero Project. I currently teach Emergent Literacy ESL, Intermediate ESL, and High School Equivalency classes. This summer, CLC piloted a retention study which aimed to increase our adult student attendance.
Susan Bernard
Susan Bernard is the high school equivalency coordinator for the Oklahoma City Community College Adult Learning Center. She is also the author and publisher of the "I'm Not Afraid...Anymore!" series for high school equivalency preparation. Susan began writing in 2003 to provide a simple math book to help her struggling students and then moved on to write for other subjects. It has been her great pleasure over the years to lead students out of the land of fear and into the land of success.
Craig Boykin
Today, although Craig is in the trench's day in and day out, he continues to electrify audiences and delivers an incredibly inspiring and actionable presentation. Craig has coined the phrase GED to PhD. Craig is a master storyteller; people are drawn in immediately to Craig and the essence of his message. Craig has worked with a myriad of diverse companies including keynoting at Harvard University and the keynote for the 50th Anniversary of the civil rights in Washington D.C.
Bruce Caplinger
I have worked in business and have been a golf pro in the past. Currently, I teach ESL, ABE, and US Citizenship classes for Community Literacy Centers. I am one of the teachers who made the phone calls and adapted my instruction based on what the adult learners told me.
AJ Crowell
AJ Crowell is a fourth generation Oklahoma teacher with experience in special education, adult basic education distance learning, and career and technology education. As an Educator Support Specialist with Essential Education, he provides customized training and technical support to help adult education teachers and administrators implement a robust online learning system that gives all students the tools they need to learn and succeed in school, work, and life.
Jonna Forsyth
Jonna has worked in the field of high school equivalency for ten years. Prior to HSE, she worked to support ELL and K-12 students at risk of failure. It is in this experience she where she understood the real-world challenges of the adult learner. Jonna has prior experience in staff training and continues to support Educators with the knowledge and experience they need to help their students succeed. She works with Program Directors to prepare staff to use every resource available.
Natalie Garrison
I've been with the Metropolitan Library System for two years. I write press releases, design flyers, and social media for eight libraries within our System along with maintaining our website. I recently presented Brainfuse to the Literacy Director's Retreat for ODL. Brainfuse is an online tutoring database we promote at our area schools and home-school groups.
Leslie Gelders
Leslie Gelders has been a successful grant writer for more than 30 years. During that time grants were received from federal agencies, state agencies, foundations, and private funders. Not only does Leslie have grant writing experience, but she also administers grants funded by the Oklahoma Department of Libraries, including designing applications and report forms, scoring proposals, and reviewing contracts and claim forms.
Leah Gray
I am in my seventh year of teaching and have taught preschoolers through adults. I have also taught in overseas contexts as well as here in the US. During grad school, I really enjoyed a course I took on teaching reading and have been passionate about literacy education ever since. Recently, I have taught several digital literacy classes and want to help adult learners in this area and equip other teachers to do the same.
Tina Herndon
Tina Herndon began adulthood financially unprepared. In 2009, she realized the series of financial failures was not the path she chose to continue. That mindset change led her down a path of financial education and self-discovery.
Today, she holds a BA in business from St. Gregory's University, a financial counseling certification, 15 years of financial education experience, and 10 years of lending experience. When not working, she enjoys time with her friends, family, and cat, Jinxy.
Claudette Hixon
I am a retired math/stem teacher with a master's in curriculum and instruction. I have 27 years of experience as a high school math teacher and 4 years of experience as a Pre-Engineering teacher. Upon my retirement from Meridian Technology's Stem Academy in 2021, I was offered the opportunity to teach the daytime GED classes for Meridian's AEFL program. This has been the most rewarding opportunity and I am excited to share my experiences with you.
Katlyn Hudgins
Katlyn Hudgins is the Career Development Coordinator for Special Populations at the Oklahoma Department of Career and Technology Education in Stillwater. Her role includes providing professional development and technical assistance to ensure partnerships and programs are appropriate and accessible to individuals who are special populations including, individuals with disabilities, English learners, homeless students, those with a low socioeconomic status, etc.
Denise Hyche
Denise Hyche has over 20 years of experience with workforce development, outreach, & youth engagement. She currently serves as the Youth Coordinator/Outreach Specialist with the WIOA program. She uses her passion for helping others to support the team’s professional success and provide the best customer service to the clients served.
Denise also volunteers with a few social service organizations and serves as Job Fair Coordinator and Treasurer. Denise is a proud graduate of OU (Boomer Sooner!)
Brooke Istas
Brooke Istas is a Ph.D. candidate at the Simmons School of Education and Human Development at Southern Methodist University. Her research interests center on adult basic education math and numeracy. Brooke is a consultant, an adult education mathematics and science subject matter expert, a Cowley College Mathematics Faculty and instructs as needed for the local adult education program. She is also the Subject Matter Expert (SME) for the LINCS Math and Numeracy Community of Practice.
Marian Klutts
I am a High School Teacher at Okemah High School where I have been teaching Math for the past 17 years. In 2013, I began teaching Alternative Education mostly as a math teacher, but I was there to help/teach/assist in all high school subjects required for an Oklahoma High School Diploma. I began teaching with the GED program in the fall of 2021 and am still teaching all three disciplines at the present.
Vincent Lee
I am the author of the book “The One Game Changer to Boost your Business. Use the B.R.A.N.D. System to go Deeper so you can go Further.” For over ten years, I was an in-house marketing professional for several companies providing brand-driven design solutions. I have been doing the same as a solopreneur since 2015 for different clients in North & South America and Africa. I am passionate about helping leaders of organizations discover their brand without breaking their bank.
Traci Manseau
Traci Manseau is a Customer Representative with BurlingtonEnglish; she supports Adult Education providers, teachers, and students in Louisiana and Oklahoma. Traci has worked as a teacher in Oklahoma schools for over two decades and has a passion for helping teachers and students meet their English language and academic goals.
Dr. Amy McCready
Dr. Amy McCready currently serves as the Director of Union Adult Learning Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma. She is in her 31st year in education having previously held a number of roles. Dr. McCready has extensive experience in both and research and practical applications in student retention.
Susie McEachern-Lauer
I am a focused education professional with over 35 years of experience in comprehensive schools, higher education and now the Oklahoma Department of Career and Technology Education. My expertise is in teacher training and professional development. I come from a long line of educators. My grandfather was a Superintendent and both of my parents were educators and Principals. I enjoy public speaking and training those who make a difference. I believe in equity, not just equality in education.
Jesi McGhee
Jesi is a third-generation legacy graduate from Oklahoma State University with a BFA in studio art and an MS in educational leadership. She is currently pursuing her doctorate in education at the University of Oklahoma. She has worked in various roles in Adult Education including teacher, guidance specialist, and now associate director.
Gina McPherson
Gina McPherson serves as the Director of Special Programs for the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education where she provides oversight for two contracts with the Department of Human Services. She works with the Community College TANF Special Projects and the Scholars for Excellence in Child Care Program, which is a scholarship program for eligible childcare professionals pursing a credential, certificate or degree in early childhood development.
Tad Meyer
Tad Meyer is a Customer Partnership Manager with BurlingtonEnglish; he supports customers in Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma & Tyson Foods Upward Academy. Tad earned his Master’s Degree in Education, and has worked as a K-12/Adult teacher and administrator for over two-decades. He has a passion for supporting Adult Education providers, teachers, and students with all their English language learning and career readiness needs.
Carrie Miller
Carrie Miller has just started her 18th year in education. She has spoken on the state and national level about best practices in the classroom, running effective CTSOs, and technology integration tools to use as an effective teacher.
Christina Miller
Ms. Miller worked in Adult Education for over 30 years as an instructor and program director serving over 2,000 students annually. She served on the state level developing and implementing professional development programs. She has a master’s degree in counseling with experience in leading co-dependency, grief groups, and working as a marriage and family therapist. She now works as a national consultant providing training workshops, national webinars and state and national conferences.
Lyssa Prince
Lyssa Prince, MLIS, CPWA is the Information and Communication Technology Program Manager with Oklahoma ABLE Tech. Lyssa's goal is to ensure that all individuals can obtain the information and knowledge they need to live extraordinary lives. She gets to move toward this goal daily by working to promote, teach, and implement digital accessibility and inclusion in Oklahoma and beyond. Ask Lyssa a question about accessibility or Oklahoma ABLE Tech, and you'll likely get an earful!
Steven Reid
As the Program Manager for a Community-Based Literacy Organization, my chief goal is to provide my volunteer tutors with everything they need to be successful with their students. I have taken many of those presentations to other groups around Virginia and across the country. I have presented in Texas, Missouri, New Hampshire, and at the national ProLiteracy Conference. I am also one of the leads in ProLiteracy's Teacher Training Plus webinar series, reaching educators across the country.
Kelly Reynolds
Most recently I have been teaching citizenship classes for the last two years. In the mid 1990's I taught and supervised citizenship classes and ran a successful testing program under the Immigration and Naturalization Service (now USCIS). I have worked in adult education for approximately 25 years. Other careers include paralegal, insurance adjuster, and horticulturist. I have a graduate certificate in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) from Oklahoma City University.
Dr. Kyle Reynolds
Dr. Kyle Reynolds served as the superintendent of his alma mater, Woodward Schools, for 9 years, where he spent his entire 28-year education career as a classroom teacher, IT director, and administrator. Kyle is now an education consultant serving in various roles in Oklahoma, including as an education consultant for Coryell Roofing and working with the Potts Family Foundation as a NEAR Science Mentor Trainer. Kyle married his high school sweetheart, Stacy Oblander, and they have two children and four grandkids.
Susan Reynolds
Susan Reynolds has a master's degree in Adult Education and is a trained Color Vowel® coach. She teaches classes at Oklahoma City Community College. Online, she teaches English learners privately. She oversees classes at Northwest Baptist Church in Language Learning Fellowship. She began her teaching career as a high school Spanish teacher over 20 years ago, and soon transferred her love of language to ESL. Color Vowel® training has opened her eyes to many facets of pronunciation.
Marcus Ripp
Marcus Ripp is the Senior Director of Adult and Workforce Solutions at Data Recognition Corporation. Marcus manages the development, maintenance, and delivery of TABE and CLAS-E with the test development, research, and IT teams at DRC. In addition to his work at DRC, Marcus spent 14 years working in multiple roles in Adult Education, starting as an ESL teacher, local program administrator and ending as the State High School Equivalency Administrator for the State of Oklahoma.
Kara Robinson
I was honored to be a presenter last year for the Literacy conference, and your conference holds a place in my heart. The people attending my workshop were some of the best people I could have ever asked to join my workshop. They were passionate about learning more about financial wellness, and I was excited to share all my financial knowledge with them. Financial wellness is my passion, and I love to share my knowledge of the financial industry with everyone I meet.
Nancy Rodriguez
Nancy Rodriguez is a Professional Development Coordinator for the Oklahoma Department of Career and Technology Education. She plans, coordinates, and conducts trainings to empower Oklahoma educators. Nancy enjoys sharing knowledge and ideas through active trainings. She has been at CareerTech for 4 years and in education for much longer. Nancy hopes to inspire innovation and growth in people – as one of her strengths is Developer of others.
Dr. Jacqueline Scholl
Dr. Jacqueline R. Scholl serves as Executive Director for Soundwrx Inc, a 501(c)(3) organization and Head of Pediatrics for Tuned, an online teleaudiology platform. Previously Scholl was the founder and manager of The Scholl Center where she curated an impressive team of clinicians who changed the landscape for audiological, speech and balance care in Oklahoma. Scholl has been recognized nationally for exemplary practice as a clinician by being awarded numerous awards.
Lynn Swanda
Lynn Swanda has a master degree in ESL and has been teaching ESL for over 30 years in the US, Thailand, South Korea, Germany and Belgium. She is a certified Color Vowel® teacher trainer with English Language Training Solutions (ELTS) and a coach with Blue Canoe Learning. Lynn has also taught at OCCC with the adult ESL program. She credits Color Vowel® with transforming her teaching and broadening her ability to teach pronunciation and help students improve their spoken English.
Jessica Teszlewicz
I am currently a Financial Educator for Tinker Federal Credit Union, traveling the state of Oklahoma teaching groups of all ages personal finance lessons. Before this, I was a public education teacher and know the importance of literacy at any age, but also the value of financial literacy as well.
Charlie Weeks
Charlie Weeks got his start in adult education over fifteen years ago as an ESL and HSE math instructor. He has experience managing an adult education program and has worked for the State of Oklahoma’s Adult Education Division. He is now the Director of Client Success for Essential Education.
Kathryn Willhoite
Kathryn Willhoite is the Career Development Coordinator at the Oklahoma Department of Career and Technology Education in Stillwater, serving as the OKCareerGuide liaison for 6th grade – adults for school systems and tech centers. In her current role, Kathryn provides trainings on OKCareerGuide, a free online career development tool that assists in meeting state ICAP requirements and provides a holistic stance on career development for all populations.
Elizabeth (Liz) Willner
I've been an elementary teacher and professor of education and am now the Program Coordinator for a local adult literacy organization. Adult learners' class attendance is crucial, but it can be challenging to maintain professional boundaries when asking about their needs. Using current research/practice from LINCS, we developed a 3-step protocol for teacher phone calls to support adult learners and guide teacher instruction, with the goal being student retention and increased learning
Mark Woodward
Joined the OBN in 1995 overseeing Public Education and Outreach, Media and Legislative policy. Named the 2004 Regional Narcotics Officer of the Year, Graduate of the FBI Media and Public Relations Academy. Since joining OBN in 1995, I've taught more than 3,000 Drug Identification classes for law enforcement and the general public, and also helped draft and enact more than 200 drug, human trafficking, and money laundering laws in Title 63 of the Oklahoma State Statutes.
Natalie York
I've been an elementary school teacher and am now the Reading Program Coordinator for an adult learning center.
With a rise in low literacy skills, there is no surprise why pleasure reading is at an all-time low. Our Reading Partners Program embodies low-stakes pleasure reading that benefits our adult learners by engaging and empowering them for daily living.
Kathy Young
Kathy Young has been an educator for 25 years and a GED instructor for five years. She has an undergraduate degree in math from the University of Oklahoma and an M.S. with an emphasis on human behavior, trauma, and grief.
Tess Yurik
I am a 25 year adult education teacher and director from Ohio who has recently retired. I am now able to work with adult education programs across the US to assist with teaching/curriculum, PD, training, student success, and general HiSET information. I have worked extensively with ESL, IET/Workforce Training, HSE prep. and Basic Skills. I love working with adults in all stages of learning!
