About Us

Kathy Dewsbury-White

Project Director

Kathy Dewsbury-White is a resource wrangler who is able to identify and combine people, organizations, and material resources to make things happen.
She is the designated border crosser – needing to understand the aspirations and opportunities, and protocols that originate from national organizations (National Endowment for the Arts), government (USDOE, State Education Agencies), and private companies (Data Recognition Corporation) to make shared agreements about specific projects/programs/initiatives happen.

Kathy is also an organization developer who develops non-profit corporations and then organizes project teams within public sector and private sector organizations to initiate, conduct and evaluate work.

Kathy provides the MAEIA project management team with the will and capacity to deliver a solution to a big vision. The big vision includes resources and tools developed and then used to improve quantity and quality of arts education programming in K-12 public schools in Michigan.

“The arts feed our souls; they are an essential component of a 21st century public education.”
Kathy Dewsbury-White (2011- )

Ed Roeber

Assessment Director

Currently, Ed is an independent consultant, mostly advising state education agencies and the national programs serving them. Prior to this, he was an adjunct professor of education in the MSU College of Education.

In the past, Ed served as assessment development consultant and coordinator (1972-76) and then directed the assessment and accountability program for the Michigan Department of Education (1976-91and 2003-07). He worked as a vice president for Measured Progress (1998-2003) and directed student assessment programs for the Council of Chief State School Officers (1991-98). He began his career working on the NAEP project for the Education Commission of the States (1969-72).

Ed’s contributions to the MAEIA project include the development of project plans and budgets. He assists the project in securing necessary funding and then to use that funding to successfully carry out the goals of the project. Ed serves the MAEIA project as assessment development director and editor of the MAEIA assessments.

“It is my hope that the MAEIA project that involves teacher selection and use of performance assessments embedded in their instruction will serve as a model for interim assessments in other content areas. Doing so will promote active learning on the part of students, and will facilitate performance-based educator demonstrations of their effectiveness, far better than simplistic test scores. I also hope that the project will permit teacher collaboration across the state in learning and using performance assessments in their instruction.”
Ed Roeber (2011- )

Heather Vaughan-Southard

Professional Learning Director and Website Support

Heather has a gift for connecting people, ideas, and contexts inside a functional arts education. She is skilled at taking complex ideas and making them digestible, without losing the sophistication. She crafts practical professional development that is tailored to the needs of the people in front of her. Heather has an understanding of pedagogy and project-based learning strategies for students, educators, and community partners and is highly skilled in community building.
Heather has covered the spectrum in professional experiences within the field of dance from teaching at the university/college level to all grades K-12. She has been a K-12 artist in residence, an arts-in-healthcare facilitator, a performer, choreographer, program consultant and writer.

Heather has represented Dance as the Team Lead with the MAEIA Blueprint, contributed to the Assessment Specifications document, contributed to the writing and review of the MAEIA Model assessments. Now, her goal is to inform arts educators how they may access and implement the assessment tools to make their lives easier and to elevate their instruction.

Seth Godin says, “Be personal. Be relevant. Be specific.” This is the strength of a quality arts education and the drive behind the creation of the MAEIA tools.
Heather Vaughan-Southard (2012- )

Linda Wacyk

Director of Communications

Career Highlights:

LKW Communications, Owner/Consultant, 2001-present; Michigan Association of School Administrators, Director of Communications, 2005-2015; Center for Educational Networking, Communications Specialist, 2001-2005; Partnership for Learning, Editor for publications and web; President, LKW Communications, LLC.

Educational Journey:

Graduate of Western Michigan University (B.A. Communications, with focus on education and community concerns). Graduate of the Education Policy Fellowship Program (EPFP). Ongoing continuing education in communications, education policy, and non-profit management.

Assessment Connections:

Michigan’s vision for creating equitable access to high-quality learning can only be achieved by ensuring that all students learn within a comprehensive system that balances assessment for learning and of learning. In addition, tenure reform initiatives compel school leaders to look for new solutions to measuring student and staff growth. Linda collaborates with state and local leaders on developing assessment literacy among educators and other stakeholders and communicating about assessment policy and best practices. She has served on evaluation and assessment work-groups since 2009 in the effort to shape and communicate education policy and practices regarding assessment, educator evaluation, and data metrics and analysis.  She serves as a communications consultant for clients that include the Michigan Department of Education, the Michigan Assessment Consortium, and the High Impact Leadership project."

Barb Whitney

MAEIA Engagement and Fund Development Strategist

Barb Whitney serves as MAEIA Engagement and Fund Development Strategist. Formerly, she was the Executive Director for Lansing Art Gallery & Education Center. She brings to MAEIA a wide range of professional experiences gained through exploration of career roles that include educator, administrator, visual artist, researcher, and arts advocate. Barb is an experienced nonprofit professional with an executive leadership background and a passion for bringing together arts education champions to share the value of the arts.

Barb has contributed to MAEIA in numerous roles—as a Fellow, consultant, presenter, partners coordinator, and now Engagement and Fund Development Strategist. She especially appreciates having interacted closely with MAEIA team members through the Americans for the Arts State Policy Pilot Program’s Gap Analysis project in arts education. MAEIA’s initiatives to support youth arts education resonate deeply with Barb as a former K-12 arts educator. She appreciates the alignment with MAEIA as she champions for access and equity in the arts, and engaging stakeholders regarding the arts and arts education locally, statewide, and nationally.

Barb’s artistic practice and museum visits are inspired by artist Mark Rothko’s creation of large-scale color field paintings. Rothko stated: “Art is an adventure into an unknown world, which can only be explored by those willing to take the risks.” Barb says: “Arts learning changes hearts and minds, giving voice to the voiceless and offering self-expression when needed most. It is truly invaluable in education and in our society.

Joni Starr

Blog Editor

Joni Starr serves as Independent Consultant with the Michigan Assessment Consortium and the Ingham Intermediate School District. She is also a Teaching Artist with Wharton Performing Arts Center, engaging with students in all age/grade levels in classrooms around the nation and the world. Joni holds a Master of Fine Arts in Theatre Education and brings to MAEIA additional training in Dance and demonstrated leadership in artistic and administrative work in Children's Theatre. As part of the Theatre and Education faculty at Michigan State University, she has experience in curriculum development and formative assessment work as well as teacher professional development in arts integration and creativity in the classroom.

Joni is one of MAEIA’s original assessment writers in the Theatre discipline. She currently serves as blog editor and researcher for assessment prompt material. She also serves as team lead for the development of the fine arts guide for the Formative Assessment for Michigan Educators (FAME) program. Joni considers MAEIA to be a strong, respected, and timely resource for all aspects of arts education in Michigan and beyond. She values its team of highly dedicated individuals working to support and celebrate arts educators. Joni says: “By inviting all to connect and converse across arts disciplines, MAEIA helps arts education in Michigan to thrive and grow.”

“It is the supreme art of the teacher to awaken joy in creative expression and knowledge.”
–Albert Einstein

Kathy Humphrey

Media/Website Director and PRT Coordinator

Kathy Humphrey is an educational consultant with expertise in survey design and analysis, focus groups, facilitation, project management, and writing. Over the past few years, her primary clients have been the Michigan Assessment Consortium (MAEIA Project) and the Michigan Department of Education (MDE).

Kathy was previously employed at Ingham Intermediate School District for 23 years. In that role she designed and managed evaluation projects for various educational initiatives. When Kathy retired from that role, she started her own consulting business. Having collaborated with Kathy Dewsbury-White (MAEIA Project Director) at Ingham ISD, she was delighted to join the MAEIA project. Her first task was to gather feedback about the tools and resources MAEIA was developing. She then continued on the project as the Assessment Field Test Coordinator.

Kathy’s contributions include project management and coordination for various components of MAEIA, technical services such as survey development, and assisting with writing and editing communications. She feels her most important contribution to MAEIA is being a life-long learner, willing to roll up her sleeves and dig in to learn whatever it takes to support the project.

“MAEIA is an exciting initiative focused on advancing arts programming and student assessment in Michigan. I’m proud to be a part of this wonderful group of educators and this worthy cause.”
Kathy Humphrey (2013- )

Jason O'Donnell

Business Operations Director

The skills that Jason O’Donnell brings to the MAEIA grant are communication, organization, systems thinking, technology and financial management.

Currently he serves as the Director of Business Operations for the Michigan Assessment Consortium, and also provides project support for both MAEIA and FAME grant work in Michigan.

In providing project support for the MAEIA grant, Jason has played a central role in assembling work teams and communicating details of tasks to those teams. He has also facilitated communication and archival of grant activity and documentation, as well as maintained the budget for the MAEIA grant.

Jason is a life-long lover and supporter of the arts, who is proud to support, in his small way, a Whole Child education for Michigan’s children through this important arts assessment project.

Karrie LaFave

Executive Assistant

Karrie LaFave is the Executive Assistant for the Michigan Assessment Consortium.

Karrie has a background in education with a bachelors degree from Eastern Michigan University in K-8 Special Education, with a focus on Emotional Impairments. Most of her career has been spent supporting  classroom and building teams that work with students with disabilities, specifically Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Karrie's contributions to the MAC include support to project teams as well as MAC Executive Director and Director of Business Operations. She enjoys learning about the multiple initiatives of the MAC, and continuing to enhance her knowledge about assessment practices.

Ana Luisa Cardona

Arts Education Consultant (2011-2019)

Ana served as the Michigan Department of Education’s Arts Education Consultant from 1998-2010 and as communications specialist with Michigan’s King-Chavez-Parks Initiative focused on equity in postsecondary education (1984-1998). She worked with state education colleagues in departments of education to found SEADAE – the State Education Agency Directors of Arts Education and served as founding president from 2004-2006.

Ana has non-profit experience which began with a Management Fellowship for the National Endowment for the Arts and was followed by serving as director of Casa de Unidad Cultural Arts and Media Center in Detroit (1980-83); and Community Relations Specialist with the Detroit Council for the Arts (1983-84).

Ana has had a consistent focus on quality arts education for all students throughout her career and her work with MAEIA. She brings a state and national perspective to the work of MAEIA that has allowed the team to learn from others and to share their work in Michigan and beyond.

“MAEIA is a unique partnership that has allowed a dedicated cross-disciplinary team to focus on the development of quality program improvement and learning resources for teachers and students throughout Michigan. I have always believed the arts should be a part of every student’s education preK-16. The arts are a source of inspiration, solace, and creativity for me. For these reasons, MAEIA represents a highpoint in my professional career.”
Ana Cardona

Cheryl Poole

Editor, Project and Website Support (2011-2017)

Cheryl Poole is a person who works best as a member of an innovative, motivated team. Her thinking and contributions are enhanced by collaborative dialogue. Seeing big ideas in the context of innovation and change toward improvement is what inspires her contributions. She finds satisfaction in taking large projects, tackling them piece-by-piece and ensuring their timely completion.

Cheryl’s professional path started with teaching high school visual arts. This led to a short project management at Kalamazoo Institute of Arts followed by 7 years as Registrar at the Grand Rapids Art Museum. After finishing a master’s degree in education she worked 9 years at Allegan Intermediate School District, 7 years at Michigan Department of Education as Consultant for Professional Development and Title II Coordinator. Four years at Eaton RESA transitioned to retirement in 2010 after which Cheryl was recruited for and has felt fortunate to serve as MAEIA’s Editor and Project Management Support.

In this role, Cheryl has worked with the team to conceptualize how MAEIA can best serve arts education in Michigan. Once the vision was translated into a work plan, she has been able to help usher the big ideas into individual realities that support arts education in schools, hard-working educators and quality arts learning for Michigan students.

“Michigan Arts Education Instruction and Assessment project (MAEIA) is the farthest reaching and most inspired set of resources for arts educators and the schools in which they work. I am proud to have been at the table when the resources were imagined and to help bring those imaginings alive with collegial collaboration and professional contributions.”
Cheryl Poole (2011- )

Barb Michelutti

PD and Media/Web Support Director (2011-2016)

Barb Michelutti is, first and foremost, a teacher. She is enthusiastic about technology and has the ability to envision how technology supports and enhances a project. Barb thrives in collaborative endeavors where the specific skills, knowledge, and gifts of each individual make the work of the group infinitely better.

Barb spent close to 30 years as a classroom teacher. Her last few years were spent teaching Visual Art and Literacy to 6-8th graders. After that she worked as an independent consultant at the county, state and national level. Throughout Barb’s career she developed and presented many workshops and training for teachers in innovative instructional strategies.

As the MAEIA PD and Media/Web Support Director, Barb has created and maintained the project’s web presence through a wiki space and a Facebook page. These sites have supported the work of the Project Management Team and the field expertise. Her ultimate goal is the creation of the MAEIA Arts Education Network website, where all the MAEIA resources and assessments will be housed and made available to all arts educators in Michigan. Barb’s hope is that this interactive website will become an important part of how arts education thrives and continues to grow in Michigan.

“The arts define who I am, at the very core of my being. I see my work on the MAEIA project as a natural extension of my personal and professional Journey."