Biography

I grew up in rural Mississippi and earned my BS and MEd. at Mississippi State University. After teaching junior math for two years serving as Director of Development at Blue Mountain College, I won the Phil Hardin Scholarship and went to Florida State University where I earned my PhD in Educational Statistics and Research Design. I returned to Mississippi State where I served as a faculty member for 10 years teaching statistics and research design. I also led a 501(c)3 group made up of the largest public schools in Mississippi called the Program for Research and Evaluation for Public Schools. That group paved the way for the 1982 Educational Reform Act in the state and provided research and training opportunities for the member schools. In 1985 I was selected Deputy State Superintendent of Education for the State of Mississippi and was tasked with implementing the 17 major reforms that were part of the reform act, including new testing and accountability programs. In 1990 I was selected as Vice President for Research at ACT in Iowa City, Iowa. During my time there I directed the research services for the company and led several major new program developments. The first was the WorkKeys program which powered the National Career Readiness Certificate. I also led the development of the ACT Assessment Centers which provided a location for the delivery of various computer delivered assessments. I also created the Workforce Development Division which focused on ACT's services to employers and adults in the workplace. In the 2010 I retired from ACT and moved to Florida.