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Meet NACCTEP's
Executive Board
Dr. Lennon Audrain -
President
R. Lennon Audrain has a PhD in educational policy and evaluation from Arizona State University. He is a former Latin and Spanish teacher, having taught in both Arizona and Massachusetts. Lennon is a community college teacher education program graduate; he earned his Associate of Arts in Elementary Education degree in January 2017 from Rio Salado College at age 17 - five months before he graduated from high school. He earned his undergraduate degree in Latin and his first Master's degree at age 19 from Arizona State University. Lennon earned his second Master's degree in technology, innovation, and education from Harvard University Graduate School of Education at age 21. He is the former 2017-18 National Student President of Educators Rising, a division of Phi Delta Kappa International - an organization composed of 44,000 high school and collegiate students interested in pursuing careers in the education profession. His personal and professional experiences drive his research interests in high-school based grow-your-own teacher programs, community college teacher education, and incorporating technology and high-quality clinical experiences in both.
Vice President - Dr. Karen Young
Karen Young, PhD has a robust background in educational leadership across higher education and K-12 settings. At the University of Michigan, Karen directed Marsal Online, within the Marsal Family School of Education, and was responsible for online curriculum, instruction, and continuous improvement. She currently teaches within the online Master’s Degree in Leading Educational Innovation and Transformation, working with future administrators. Karen also serves as an Adjunct Professor at Schoolcraft College, where she teaches foundational education courses and mentors intern teachers. She has previously served as the Associate Dean of Education at Schoolcraft College overseeing the alternative route to teacher certification, early childhood, and special education programs.
In the K-12 sector, Karen worked as an Assessment and Accountability Administrator at Highpoint Virtual Academy of Michigan, where she developed assessment frameworks and professional development programs as well as served as an Instructional Coach and Principal. As Principal of Niji-Iro Japanese Immersion Elementary School, she led the school's establishment and curriculum development. Karen has also taught in and served in additional leadership roles in schools in California, Ohio, and Michigan. Currently, Karen is an elementary principal with Lincoln Consolidated Schools.
Karen's mission is to create schools where every student thrives, supported by well-prepared, well-mentored teachers. Now back in K-12 leadership as an elementary principal, she works to provide teachers with robust training, mentoring, and resources, knowing that a stable, skilled teaching workforce directly shapes student learning. Her goal is to impact the leaders of tomorrow through the classrooms of today. Karen draws on 27 years of educational experience.
Dr. Jennifer Gresko - Treasurer
Jennifer Gresko brings more than 30 years of experience in education and education leadership, beginning as a second- and third-grade teacher in Phoenix. Always eager to learn, she says, she began mentoring other teachers on campus in the use of technology in education, and eventually took a position at the district level working with teachers and technology.
This experience opened up a new path at the college level, which led to her current position as Faculty Chair of Educator Preparation Programs at Rio Salado College which offers associate's, bachelor's, and post-baccalaureate teacher certification programs. She previously held positions as a school district technology trainer K – 3, and as a program specialist in curriculum and assessment. Jennifer holds a BS in Elementary Education from Grand Canyon University, and M.Ed in Elementary Education – Specialization in Educational Media and Computing and an Ed.D in Leadership and Innovation from Arizona State University.
Dr. Linda Gronberg-Quinn - Past President
Dr. Linda Gronberg-Quinn completed her Ph.D. in Educational Leadership for Changing Populations through Notre Dame University of Maryland and serves as the Director of Teacher Education at the Community College of Baltimore County where she has worked for 19 years. Linda has served on the NACCTEP Executive Board for the past seven years, starting as Member-at-Large through Secretary and Vice President to her current second year as President. As a first-generation college student who grew up in the area where she currently teaches, Linda feels she can reach those students on a more personal level.
Dr. Larry Johnson, Jr. - Presidential Representative
Dr. Larry D. Johnson, Jr. is an equity-minded student advocate with nearly 20 years of higher education experience. Selected by the CUNY Board of Trustees on February 1, 2021, to be the College’s second president, he assumed the presidency on July 1, 2021.
Johnson is a bold, creative, and experienced academic leader. In July 2018, he was appointed the sixth president of Phoenix College (a Maricopa Community College) and the first African-American in its 100-year history. The college served more than 20,000 credit and non-credit students. As President, he launched the President’s Promise, a comprehensive plan to reengage community and workforce leaders; improve employee satisfaction and engagement; implement best practices that will lead to an increase in student retention, completion, and transfer; and cultivate an environment that embraces diverse perspectives. Under Johnson’s leadership, Phoenix College increased enrollment by establishing the Neighborhood College, a partnership with the City of Phoenix that provides incumbent workers onsite educational opportunities that lead to associate degrees. The College has also received approximately $5M from the National Science Foundation (NSF) and a Title V Department of Education (DOE) grant to support initiatives that center on experiential learning programs and undergraduate research in STEM.
Johnson began his teaching career at Tallahassee Community College (2005-2007) where he taught developmental English and reading. During the period from 2007-2014, Johnson served as a humanities instructor and division chair at Georgia Piedmont Technical College. Under his leadership, the college increased student success by implementing developmental education redesign programs, which was supported by a $2.5M Title III Predominantly Black Institutions (PBI) grant from the Department of Education. Additionally, Johnson led the department in creating an inaugural conference that centered on pedagogical and high impact practices for faculty, staff, and administrators to increase student persistence and success in Gatekeeper math and English courses.
In addition to serving as faculty and chair, Johnson served as Associate Dean for English and Journalism at Broward College (2014-2016). During his tenure, the department implemented a first-ever festival entitled: “Music, Film, Literature, Art.” He also championed innovative strategies that increased student success in Gatekeeper English courses. As Broward was an Achieving the Dream (ATD) Leader College, Johnson contributed strategies that increased access and success for men of color. After service to Broward College, Johnson was tapped to serve as Campus Provost & Chief Academic Officer (2016-2018) at St. Louis Community College Forest-Park campus. His most noteworthy accomplishment was the development of Social Justice Week, Early College Academies, and overseeing the construction of the $41M Center for Healthcare Excellence.
Dr. Johnson is committed to amplifying the mission of community colleges, as represented by his participation on local and national boards and commissions. Johnson is one of 25 Fellows selected for the inaugural College Excellence Program, sponsored by the Aspen Institute. Additionally, he recently completed a three-year appointment on the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) Commission on College Readiness. On July 1, 2021, he was appointed to serve a three-year term as a representative for the Northern Region to the Presidents Academy Executive Committee (PAEC) of the AACC. Johnson is continuing his service on the board of the Phoenix Symphony.
Dr. Johnson is a proud alumnus of a Historically Black College and University (HBCU). He attended Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University (FAMU), where he earned his BA in English literature. He earned his MA in Humanities and a graduate certificate from Florida State University. Johnson holds a doctorate degree in Humanities, with an emphasis in English literature, from Clark Atlanta University.
Johnson is a bold, creative, and experienced academic leader. In July 2018, he was appointed the sixth president of Phoenix College (a Maricopa Community College) and the first African-American in its 100-year history. The college served more than 20,000 credit and non-credit students. As President, he launched the President’s Promise, a comprehensive plan to reengage community and workforce leaders; improve employee satisfaction and engagement; implement best practices that will lead to an increase in student retention, completion, and transfer; and cultivate an environment that embraces diverse perspectives. Under Johnson’s leadership, Phoenix College increased enrollment by establishing the Neighborhood College, a partnership with the City of Phoenix that provides incumbent workers onsite educational opportunities that lead to associate degrees. The College has also received approximately $5M from the National Science Foundation (NSF) and a Title V Department of Education (DOE) grant to support initiatives that center on experiential learning programs and undergraduate research in STEM.
Johnson began his teaching career at Tallahassee Community College (2005-2007) where he taught developmental English and reading. During the period from 2007-2014, Johnson served as a humanities instructor and division chair at Georgia Piedmont Technical College. Under his leadership, the college increased student success by implementing developmental education redesign programs, which was supported by a $2.5M Title III Predominantly Black Institutions (PBI) grant from the Department of Education. Additionally, Johnson led the department in creating an inaugural conference that centered on pedagogical and high impact practices for faculty, staff, and administrators to increase student persistence and success in Gatekeeper math and English courses.
In addition to serving as faculty and chair, Johnson served as Associate Dean for English and Journalism at Broward College (2014-2016). During his tenure, the department implemented a first-ever festival entitled: “Music, Film, Literature, Art.” He also championed innovative strategies that increased student success in Gatekeeper English courses. As Broward was an Achieving the Dream (ATD) Leader College, Johnson contributed strategies that increased access and success for men of color. After service to Broward College, Johnson was tapped to serve as Campus Provost & Chief Academic Officer (2016-2018) at St. Louis Community College Forest-Park campus. His most noteworthy accomplishment was the development of Social Justice Week, Early College Academies, and overseeing the construction of the $41M Center for Healthcare Excellence.
Dr. Johnson is committed to amplifying the mission of community colleges, as represented by his participation on local and national boards and commissions. Johnson is one of 25 Fellows selected for the inaugural College Excellence Program, sponsored by the Aspen Institute. Additionally, he recently completed a three-year appointment on the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) Commission on College Readiness. On July 1, 2021, he was appointed to serve a three-year term as a representative for the Northern Region to the Presidents Academy Executive Committee (PAEC) of the AACC. Johnson is continuing his service on the board of the Phoenix Symphony.
Dr. Johnson is a proud alumnus of a Historically Black College and University (HBCU). He attended Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University (FAMU), where he earned his BA in English literature. He earned his MA in Humanities and a graduate certificate from Florida State University. Johnson holds a doctorate degree in Humanities, with an emphasis in English literature, from Clark Atlanta University.
Sungti Hsu - Member-at-Large, Partnerships & Collaborations
Based on his professional experiences and personal conviction, Sungti Hsu co-founded the Association for Advancing Quality in Educator Preparation (AAQEP) in 2017. AAQEP is a quality assurance and improvement agency that accredits educator preparation providers. AAQEP currently provides its services to over 200 educator preparation providers in the US.
Prior to founding AAQEP, Sungti served as the Director for State Affiliates and Partnership Support at the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (AACTE); his portfolio included building state government relations (policymakers and state education authorities), providing programmatic and advocacy support for state affiliates, and transforming the association's data collection and utilization efforts. He expanded AACTE state affiliates’ reaches, involved state education authorities’ participation in the Association’s activities, and initiated AACTE’s first international collaboration effort.
Since the beginning of his career, Sungti has worked in various positions in state education agencies, as special assistant to the Executive Director at the Hawaii Teacher Standards Board, as a consultant at the Michigan Department of Education, as project coordinator in the Higher Education Office at the New York State Education Department, and lead higher education consultant and licensure consultant at Kansas State Department Education. He developed educator data systems, led state educator standard revision, and coordinated redevelopment and implementation of educator licensure assessments in addition to guiding and shaping the formation and operation of state educator preparation policies.
A native of Taiwan, he holds degrees from Brigham Young University (BS and MS) and completed doctoral coursework from the University of Kansas.
Prior to founding AAQEP, Sungti served as the Director for State Affiliates and Partnership Support at the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (AACTE); his portfolio included building state government relations (policymakers and state education authorities), providing programmatic and advocacy support for state affiliates, and transforming the association's data collection and utilization efforts. He expanded AACTE state affiliates’ reaches, involved state education authorities’ participation in the Association’s activities, and initiated AACTE’s first international collaboration effort.
Since the beginning of his career, Sungti has worked in various positions in state education agencies, as special assistant to the Executive Director at the Hawaii Teacher Standards Board, as a consultant at the Michigan Department of Education, as project coordinator in the Higher Education Office at the New York State Education Department, and lead higher education consultant and licensure consultant at Kansas State Department Education. He developed educator data systems, led state educator standard revision, and coordinated redevelopment and implementation of educator licensure assessments in addition to guiding and shaping the formation and operation of state educator preparation policies.
A native of Taiwan, he holds degrees from Brigham Young University (BS and MS) and completed doctoral coursework from the University of Kansas.
Tim Finklea, Member-at-Large, Partnerships & Collaborations
In his role as Vice President for Membership Engagement and Board Services, Tim will proactively engage educator preparation providers to develop resources and strategies to maintain and increase members and to meet current and future business needs. He joined CAEP in January 2019 and was previously the Director of Member Engagement and Support at the American Association of Colleges for Teachers Education. He has experience in higher education, nonprofits, and the private sector. He sits on his neighborhood school PTA and LSAT.
Dr. Marvin Lynn - 4-Year University Representative
Dr. Marvin Lynn, Dean of the School of Education & Human Development (SEHD) at the University of Colorado Denver, has enjoyed a robust career as a teacher, equity scholar, and public university administrator. SEHD is a statewide and national leader for education quality, access and equity across the education and human development lifespan. It is the largest graduate school of its kind in Colorado and is highly regarded for its high-quality academic programs that demonstrate evidence of a strong commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion. Before his arrival at CU Denver in June of 2022, he served as dean and professor of education at Portland State University as well as Dean and associate dean at public universities in the Midwest. In these leadership roles, Dean Lynn has worked to solidify and strengthen relationships with community colleges to advance teacher education.
Dean Lynn’s His research focuses on race, education, the work and lives of Black male educators, and best practices for advancing teacher diversity in the United States. He is one of the most highly cited researchers in the area of educational equity. His research has been recognized by the American Educational Research Association, the Critical Race Studies in Education Association, and the University of the Free State in South Africa.
Currently, he serves on the boards of the Carnegie Project for the Education Doctorate (AACTE) and the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (AACTE) where he also serves as a member of the Executive Board in the role of Secretary.
Contact Marvin at Marvin.Lynn@ucdenver.edu
Dean Lynn’s His research focuses on race, education, the work and lives of Black male educators, and best practices for advancing teacher diversity in the United States. He is one of the most highly cited researchers in the area of educational equity. His research has been recognized by the American Educational Research Association, the Critical Race Studies in Education Association, and the University of the Free State in South Africa.
Currently, he serves on the boards of the Carnegie Project for the Education Doctorate (AACTE) and the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (AACTE) where he also serves as a member of the Executive Board in the role of Secretary.
Contact Marvin at Marvin.Lynn@ucdenver.edu
Dr. Cecelia Monto - Dean-in-Residence
Dr. Cecelia Monto has served in postsecondary leadership for over 25 years and honed experience in program development, curriculum development, assessment and accreditation, articulation work, policy formation, and budget/grant development. Monto recently served as Vice President of Academic Affairs at Warner Pacific University, in Portland, Oregon. In that role, she oversaw educational programs, assessment, accreditation, and academic policy for the University. Prior to this role, Monto served as an academic dean and faculty at Chemeketa Community College.
Monto has been deeply engaged in promoting transfer agreements and policy throughout her tenure in higher education, first from the community college perspective and now from the university side. She pioneered the Guided Pathways initiative in Oregon, has been instrumental in building community college/university pathways into teacher education, and served as state co-chair for the first Major Transfer Map in Oregon. Monto’s ongoing service with NACCTEP has given her experience and knowledge of transfer policy on a national level, and she has represented the organization to DC legislators on four separate occasions. Monto’s faculty role has kept her administrative work grounded in faculty and student perspectives.
Dr. Monto is passionate about the transformative power of higher education and is committed to creating equitable access and student success outcomes. As an advocate for equity in the teaching field, she is actively working to diversify the teaching workforce in Oregon. Monto initiated a bilingual pathway for teacher education students, and brought the State Seal of Biliteracy to postsecondary education to honor bilingual student abilities. She served on the Oregon Governor’s Educator Equity Advisory Group to support policy and legislative work supporting equitable education and has several publications related to this topic. Monto also has significant cross-cultural education experience and is fluent in Spanish. She founded a rural adult literacy project in Oaxaca, Mexico in 2004 as a sabbatical project (which she continues to oversee) and participated in two Fulbright exchanges in Argentina (2008) and South Korea (2023).
Dr. Christie Calhoun - Member-at-Large
IDr. Christie Calhoun started as a K-6 teacher in Alabama and served in that capacity until moving into Higher Education in 2013, when she transitioned to Jacksonville State University from her 6th grade science classroom. At Jacksonville State, Dr. Calhoun continued to learn and grow as an educator for the next 8 years before moving into administration in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction. From there, Dr. Calhoun continued to grow in leadership and advocacy. In May 2024, Jacksonville State announced Alabama’s first registered teacher apprentice and later signed on three more apprentices for a start of Fall 2024. Those apprentices are now entering Year 2 of the FutureEd Apprenticeship Program, and Dr. Calhoun is working to grow and develop that program. In August 2024, the College of Education and Professional Studies introduced the newly established Center for Evaluation, Research, and Innovation (CERI) and named Dr. Calhoun Executive Director. In this role, she has been able to focus all of her time and energy on exploring innovative programs and partnerships to increase the teacher pipeline and close the gap on the teacher shortage faced by our nation. Dr. Calhoun has also supported faculty in pursuing grants and is currently planning and organizing some huge initiatives out of Jacksonville State's College of Education.
Dr. Erin Gravelle - Member-at-Large
Dr. Erin Gravelle is the Associate Dean of Technology, Applied Science, and Public Services at Clackamas Community College, where she leads strategic initiatives to ensure academic quality, student success, and operational efficiency. In this role, she manages grants supporting Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs, driving growth and innovation in key areas of workforce development.
With extensive leadership in teacher education preparation, Dr. Gravelle has over 14 years of experience in higher education, including roles as Undergraduate Chair and MAT Program Coordinator. She has led successful accreditation efforts and spearheaded initiatives to recruit and support diverse faculty and students. Dr. Gravelle was also an Associate Professor of Education at Southern Oregon University, where she taught in the Early Childhood Development (online), Elementary Education, and Literacy specialist programs.
Currently, Dr. Gravelle is leading a committee dedicated to evaluating and strengthening diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts among CTE faculty at Clackamas Community College. Her work reflects a strong dedication to ensuring equitable access and opportunities for all students in both academic and workforce settings.
Dr. Gravelle holds a Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership from Seattle University, where she also earned a Master of Teaching, with a concentration in K-6 Education. She began her teaching career as a Kindergarten teacher in Issaquah, WA, and continues to apply her passion for education to creating more inclusive and equitable learning environments.
Dr. Christina Puente - Member-at-Large
Dr. Christina C. Puente is an educational leader, instructional leadership expert, and architect of
innovative educator preparation systems whose work has influenced the preparation of educators
across Texas for more than two decades. Throughout her career, she has remained focused on
one purpose: strengthening the educators who shape the lives of students. Whether preparing
future principals, developing teacher candidates, coaching faculty, or designing educator
preparation programs, her work centers on creating meaningful learning experiences that
improve educator confidence, classroom effectiveness, and student success.
Today, as Department Chair of the Lone Star College (LSC) Educator Preparation Program and
Educational Architect for the Bachelor of Applied Science in Early Childhood Education and
Teaching (BAS-ECET), Dr. Puente is helping expand access to the teaching profession through
innovative community college pathways. The LSC BAS-ECET 2+2 program creates a pathway
for aspiring educators to earn a bachelor's degree with the opportunity to become a Texas
certified teacher through the LSC Educator Preparation Program. This path opens doors for first-
generation college students, paraprofessionals, career changers, and future teachers seeking
affordable, high-quality educator preparation. By expanding access to educator preparation and
emphasizing practice-based learning, the program strengthens the educator workforce while
preparing Classroom-Ready Teachers equipped to make an immediate impact in their classrooms
and a lasting difference in the lives of the students they serve.
Dr. Puente's leadership extends beyond program development to transforming the educator
preparation experience itself. She has helped design educator preparation systems that integrate
curriculum, instructional coaching, clinical practice, and certification readiness into a cohesive
learning journey that supports candidates from admission through professional practice. Her
work has strengthened faculty collaboration, elevated instructional quality, and created learning
environments where future educators receive meaningful feedback, authentic classroom
experiences, and the confidence to enter the profession prepared to succeed.
Prior to joining Lone Star College, Dr. Puente dedicated more than a decade to educator
preparation at Lamar University, in Beaumont, Texas, where she helped prepare thousands of
aspiring principals, instructional leaders, and educational administrators whose influence now
reaches schools and communities throughout Texas. Through instructional leadership, field
supervision, curriculum innovation, and certification readiness, she equipped educational leaders
to strengthen teaching, build collaborative school cultures, and support student achievement.
These experiences shaped her belief that investing in educators creates lasting benefits not only
for schools, but for every student those educators will serve throughout their careers.
Her career uniquely bridges educator preparation across the entire leadership continuum, from
preparing future principals and instructional leaders to redesigning innovative pathways that
prepare the next generation of Classroom-Ready Teachers.
Committed to advancing the profession beyond her own institution, Dr. Puente regularly shares
innovative educator preparation practices through scholarship, statewide partnerships, and national presentations. Her work encourages educator preparation programs to move beyond
compliance-driven models toward collaborative systems grounded in reflective practice,
instructional coaching, and continuous improvement. Most recently, she presented nationally at
the NACCTEP annual conference, leading a round table discussion with her team on the LSC
Glow, Grow, & Go coaching framework, demonstrating how meaningful feedback and reflective
conversations can strengthen clinical practice by moving from compliance driven to improving
educator development.
Dr. Puente believes community colleges are among the nation's most powerful asset for
strengthening the educator workforce because they expand opportunity, build local talent, and
prepare educators who understand the communities they serve. As a NACCTEP Member at
Large, she is committed to collaborating with colleagues across the country to share innovative
practices, strengthen educator preparation programs, and champion community colleges as
leaders in preparing the next generation of educators. She believes that every improvement made
in educator preparation ultimately reaches far beyond the college classroom creating stronger
teachers, stronger schools, and students whose lives those educators will influence far beyond the
classroom to positively impact generations to come.
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