Center for Digital Education Experts and Senior Fellows

Cathilea Robinett is Executive Director of the Center for Digital Government and Center for Digital Education, national research and advisory institutes focused on information technology policy and best practices in state and local government and education. She is also Executive Vice President of e.Republic, the Center's parent company, where she regularly consults on editorial direction of its magazines (Government Technology, Public CIO, Emergency Management and Governing) and the major themes of its annual conferences held across the country.

Mary Noel

Senior Vice President of Research

Mary orchestrates and oversees all aspects of research and advisory services, including Digital Government Navigator, Digital Education Navigator, strategic advisory, custom research, contract vehicle review, and sales training. In addition to supervising the Senior Fellows program, she coordinates all custom publishing including Center thought leadership and white papers. She has been with the Centers for more than eight years. A graduate of Loyola Law School in Los Angeles, Noel practiced law for more than 25 years prior to joining the Center.

John Halpin

Vice President SLED Strategic Programs Center for Digital Government Center for Digital Education

John Halpin serves as the Vice President, SLED Strategic Programs for the Center for Digital Government and the Center for Digital Education. He has worked in the Public Sector information technology market for over 25 years

Halpin has contributed to industry and professional publications as a writer and speaker. He has written for various outlets, including the national Business Journal Group, the McClatchy Newspapers chain and various corporate industry publications. He has spoken on public sector technology issues before ACUTA, DELC, Washington State Leadership Council, Ohio State Education Association, California League of Rural Counties and others.

Halpin has managed a regional IT consulting practice with a primary emphasis in the public sector. He was also president of a long distance reselling company, president of a telecommunications software company, regional director of a national consulting company, national public sector sales director for a Fortune 1000 company and general manager of a regional telecommunications company. Prior to his time as a professional technologist, Halpin taught history and English for 10 years in the Princeton Regional Schools, New Jersey. For 14 years he taught various graduate telecommunications and IT management courses as an adjunct professor with Golden Gate University; most recently through their cyber campus.

Halpin holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in journalism from Rutgers College, New Jersey, as well as a Master of Education degree from Trenton State College, also in New Jersey.

LeiLani Cauthen

Publisher, ConvergeMag.com

LeiLani Cauthen is the Publisher of Converge Special Reports and ConvergeMag.com. LeiLani also manages sales for the Center for Digital Education, helping hundreds of IT companies with sales strategy, market reach, research and advisory.

Senior Fellows

Robert Jones

CDE Senior Fellow

Robert Jones is a writer and consultant based in Massachusetts. He has worked in education technology since the Internet began influencing student behavior and outcomes. Robert led the marketing effort at Blackboard as the company grew from 20 clients to 2,000 clients worldwide, and helped the company integrate the campus debit card division it acquired from AT&T. He has particular interest and expertise in emergency notification systems, student affairs automation, and the ever converging worlds of learning technology and content. Robert is a graduate of Cornell University with a degree in Communications.

Sharnell Jackson

CDE Senior Fellow

Sharnell S. Jackson, Ed.M., is the retired chief e-learning officer; state e-learning director; and former K-9 literacy, mathematics, science, and instructional technology educator for the Chicago Public Schools. She assembled and led a diverse district team of educators and technologists to identify and implement the most data-driven innovative and effective technology systems to improve assessment for learning, instructional practice, and customize learning for the individual needs, interests, and abilities of all students.

Kristin DeProspero

CDE Senior Fellow

Kristin has over twenty two years of strategic grants and funding consulting and management experience. She provides exceptional support to bridge the gap between eligible applicants and alternative funding, and demystifies the complex world of grants, including the uncharted waters of the recent ARRA. She has developed grant assistance programs and support tools for leading technology innovators and has been instrumental in securing more than $75 million in grants. Kristin is a Certified Grant Specialist, and a participant in the American Association of Grant Professionals.

Wilton Agatstein

CDE Senior Fellow

Executive Director, UC Davis Center for Entrepreneurship
Visiting Professor - UC Davis Graduate School of Management
Board Member, Inveneo

Formerly:
Senior Fellow, Winrock International
27 Years at Intel, including: VP & General Manager - Emerging Markets Platforms Group - Intel VP & GM - Reseller Products Group
Co-founder Golden Hills School - A Private K-8 school in El Dorado Hills, CA Soccer Coach for 14 years in EDYSL & Sac Mini Metro

Mark Gura

CDE Senior Fellow

Director, OUTREACH Program
Regional Educational Technology Center, Fordham University
Co-host of Podcast for Teachers (Weekly Radio Program)
Former Director, Office of Instructional Technology, New York City Board of Education