Biography

Ms. Cherryl Arnold is a retired Executive TRIO Director and presently serves as Professional Development Consultant for the Council for Opportunity in Education (COE), Coach for McAllister & Quinn, as well as the sole proprietor of SMC Consulting. Ms. Arnold has 34 years of professional experience in working with individuals from diverse and social backgrounds including all TRIO Programs, as well as a Summer Bridge Program, Educational Opportunity Program (EOP), Title III and the College Preparation Program in California and Georgia. She also served as the Institute Coordinator/Special Assistant with the Southern Region Education Board. She has expertise and extensive knowledge of the Federal TRIO Program guidelines and regulations and has often been called upon to conduct workshops, site visits, program audits, on-boarding, proposal writings and edits to assist TRIO Program administrators in making sure their programs follow the U.S. Department of Education regulations that govern TRIO Programs. She has extensive knowledge of all aspects of the administration of successful TRIO Programs including record keeping and project performance, new directors training, budget management, assessment of student needs, student financial aid, college and universities admissions policies, and financial and economic literacy.

For over 30 years, Ms. Arnold has been responsible for writing successful grants. She has experience in reading and scoring grant proposals for the U.S. Department of Education as well as reading and critiquing TRIO proposals at the COE national proposal writing workshops.

Ms. Arnold has shared her knowledge of TRIO by serving in a various leadership positions with TRIO professional organizations. For the Western Association of Educational Opportunity Personnel (WESTOP), she served as the Chapter Coordinator for the Southern California State Chapter; President Elect; President; and Past President for the Regional Organization. She served for 8 years on the Board for COE and 2 years as its Annual Conference Chair. For the Southeastern Association of Educational Opportunity Program Personnel (SAEOPP), Ms. Arnold has served 10 years as a Board member, 2 years as Chair of the SAEOPP Annual Conference, and 8 years as Co-Chair for the SAEOPP McNair/SSS Research Conference. As a committed TRIO advocate, Ms. Arnold has been a participant in the annual Policy Seminar for 25 years. She is a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. and has traveled extensively in Europe, Southeast Asia, the Virgin Islands and Canada.

Education

• Jackson State University - (MS) Counseling and Guidance Psychology
• Xavier University - (BS) Speech Pathology/Psychology

Biography

Dr. Harold H. Campbell’s experience in higher education spans more than 30 years; serving as the director of Summer Bridge, and Student Affairs Programs at Cal State Hayward; working with TRIO as the director of Upward Bound, Student Support Services (SSS), the McNair program, and on the University of Nevada, TRIO Training faculty. Additionally, he has served in a variety of positions: President for the Western Association of Educational Opportunity Personnel (WESTOP), on the board of directors of The National Council of Educational Opportunity Associations (NCEOA), and community boards. Dr. Campbell has participated in the Council for Opportunity in Education (COE), Professional Development Program in the UK and the Netherlands. He has served on the national joint committee of the COE and The Council of Graduate Schools.

Dr. Campbell retired in July 2015 from the University of California, Berkeley (UCB) and the California State University, Eastbay (CSUEB), where he served 18 and 17 years, respectively. He retired from UCB as the Executive Director of the Academic Achievement Programs Center (AAPC). The AAPC provides scholarships, research opportunities, academic support services, and internships to over 1,300 UCB students annually. The AAPC provided support through private, state and federally funded programs. The federal programs included the SSS and McNair Programs. His McNair experience included providing leadership to the McNair California Scholars Symposium for fifteen years.

Dr. Campbell returned to teaching in the graduate program in Public Administration and Affairs (MPA) at CSUEB in January 2016, where he has been an adjunct faculty member since 1995. In 2000, he founded and is currently the Principal of Trinity Limited; a consulting firm providing services to TRIO Programs at public and private educational institutions, businesses, and governments.

Education

• University of California, Berkeley - (Ph.D.) Education: Policy, Organization, Management, and Evaluation
• California State University, Hayward - (MPA) Public Management
• Ohio State University - (BA) Social Science

Biography

William B. Clarke has over 40 years of experience in higher education with 25 years directing and supervising educational opportunity and equity programs at community college, state university and research university levels.

Mr. Clarke owns and operates a national education consultant firm based in California. Clarke & Associates has successfully assisted numerous non-profit agencies, school districts, colleges and universities across the country in acquiring and operating state, federal, foundation and private programs. Mr. Clarke has a wide range and depth of experience in program management, evaluation, grants development and management, and conducts program reviews and personnel trainings. Mr. Clarke possesses a keen knowledge of the federal TRIO programs’ policies and guidelines.

Mr. Clarke’s grant development experience includes numerous funded TRIO grants - Student Support Services, Upward Bound, Talent Search, and the McNair Programs. In addition to a wide variety of federal, state, and private foundations funding sources, Mr. Clarke has experience in the USDOE Institutional Services Program: Strengthening Institutions - Title III, Hispanic Serving Institutions - Title V, and Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-Serving Institutions (AANAPISI) - Title III.

Education

• Webster University - (MA) Management
• Southern Illinois University, Carbondale - (BA) Sociology

Biography

Dr. Mary L. Gonzalez recently retired as the Associate Vice President for Student Access at Texas A&M University-Kingsville (TAMUK). Dr. Gonzalez oversaw TAMUK’s Office of Student Access (OSA), which houses 11 projects funded through the U.S. Department of Education, including Upward Bound, Upward Bound Math and Science, Educational Opportunity Center, Ronald E. McNair Postbaccalaureate Achievement Program, Student Support Services (Regular and STEM), and Talent Search. Under Dr. Gonzalez’ stewardship, OSA added a Title V Teacher Prep project in 2017, and in 2015 added a GEAR UP Partnership providing services in the middle and high schools surrounding TAMUK’s rural campus as well as schools in Corpus Christi.

Dr. Gonzalez possesses a wealth of experience and expertise with initiatives funded through federal, state, and institutional resources - serving students at every point in the college-access-and-success pipeline. “Working in higher education for the past 29 years has provided extraordinary opportunities to engage with students and professionals,” reflects Gonzalez of her esteemed career. In recent years, Dr. Gonzalez has received several awards for her contributions to higher education, including the Rural South Texas Educator Award, LULAC Innovative Leadership, the National Organization for Women (NOW) TAMUK Chapter’s Person of the Year award, and the Texas A&M University-Kingsville President’s Distinguished Excellence award.

Currently, Dr. Gonzalez stays connected with TRIO students through her work with the Family Centered Educational Agency, Inc. in Corpus Christi, Texas. In December, 2018, Dr. Gonzalez established MLG Consulting to assist program directors with evaluations, compliance, and program visits, focusing on overall effectiveness of grant funded programs. In her free time, Dr. Gonzalez enjoys being a grandmother to her two grandchildren. She is also the proud mother to two sons, both of whom have followed in their mother’s footsteps with professional roles in TRIO and non-profit work.

Education

• Texas A&M College Station - (Ph.D.) Human Resource Development in Higher Education
• Texas A&M University-Kingsville - (MS) Psychology
• Texas A&M University-Kingsville - (BBA) Finance
• Texas A&M University-Kingsville - (BBA) Management

Biography

Michael L. Jeffries served as Associate Dean of Students at the University of Illinois for 25 years and retired in 2009 after providing leadership for TRIO programs and state support retention programs for 35 years. His department won the first Noel Levitz award for having an exemplary comprehensive retention model in 1990. He was responsible for providing programmatic leadership and planning, financial management, and personnel administration for the Office of Minority Student Affairs (OMSA), which serves more than 4500 undergraduates enrolled in eight colleges and nearly 100 academic departments. Mr. Jeffries served as director of McNair Scholars for 19 years. He served as National Chair of McNair Programs from 1998 to 2000.

Mr. Jeffries was honored in 2006 by the COE Board of Directors at the 25th Anniversary Annual Conference in New York City by becoming the recipient of the prestigious Walter O. Mason Award. Mr. Jeffries was the founder of McNair National Conferences in 1992 at Delavan, Wisconsin, and chaired the nation’s largest McNair Conference for seventeen years. Mr. Jeffries has served on several national and regional boards, including the GRE Board at Educational Testing Service, COE, MAEOPP, MASFAA, Vice President of the Illinois Federation of Teachers, Vice-Chair of the Illinois Committee on Black Concerns in Higher Education, NASPA Regional Board, and others.

For more than 20 years, Mr. Jeffries has been a TRIO trainer for various universities and the U.S. Department of Education. He has served as an educational consultant for many universities and agencies, including College Board and the USDE. Since retirement, he has joined the Council for Opportunity in Education as Special Assistant to the President for McNair Programs and he has established an educational consultancy company.

Education

• University of Illinois - Advanced Study in Program Evaluation
• Eastern Illinois University - (MS) Educational Administration and Supervision
• Eastern Illinois University - (BS) Industrial Arts and Technology

Biogrpahy

Lucy Jones, a native of Arkansas, possesses a wealth of knowledge of TRIO programs and has gained extensive educational experience throughout her professional career. She has worked in TRIO programs for 32 years and coordinated four TRIO projects (Upward Bound, Talent Search, Educational Opportunity Center, and Student Support Services), as well as a CCAMPIS grant, at the University of Arkansas, Rich Mountain in Mena, Arkansas. Ms. Jones retired in July 2009 and has been working with institutions of higher education on a nationwide basis as a grant writer, trainer, and evaluator since her retirement. She has served in state and regional TRIO associations as Secretary and President, and she was the 2006 chairperson of the board of the Council for Opportunity in Education (COE). Ms. Jones was the 2020 recipient of the Walter O. Mason Award, the highest award presented by COE.

Ms. Jones has over 40 years of experience in education in Arkansas. At state, regional, and national conferences, she has made many presentations on TRIO legislation and regulations, CAS standards, maintaining effective relationships with national legislators, and Grants.gov. She has also presented workshops dealing with writing successful grant proposals.

Ms. Jones is married to Thomas Jones, a retired rural mail carrier for the U.S. Postal Service, and they have a 30-year-old daughter, Paula.

Education

• Henderson State University - (MSE) Mildly Handicapped Education, Adult Education, and Educational Testing
• Henderson State University - (BSE) Elementary Education, Special Education, English

Biography

Dr. Jonathan McKenzie oversees all fiscal and administrative operations and grant programs at the Family Centered Educational Agency. He is also responsible for developing new initiatives and grant-proposal writing.

During his 31 plus years of financial aid experience and service to the TRIO community, Dr. McKenzie has served as board chair for the Council for Opportunity in Education and co-presented workshops with staff from the US Department of Education and the US Office of Inspector General. He is a Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Business Alumni and Vice President of Virtuous Business Services. Dr. McKenzie has received the Walter O. Mason Award as well as the United Negro College Fund’s Distinguished Leadership Award. He is an educational consultant and committed advocate for TRIO programs who has helped numerous colleges, universities, community-based organizations, and public schools to secure and maintain grant funding.

Education

• Northern Illinois University – (Ed.D.) Educational Administration
• Northern Illinois University – (Ed.S.) Higher Education Administration
• Northeastern Illinois University – (MA) Guidance and Counseling
• Illinois State University – (BS) Communications and Public Relations

Biography

Dr. Prince O. Teal is the CEO of Teal’s Consulting Services. The company was established in 1996 to provide educational consultancy services to the higher-education community. He continues to be actively involved in the TRIO Community as a workshop leader, program evaluator, and grant writer. He has also served as a trainer and facilitator for several TRIO Training projects.

Prior to his retirement in 1995, Dr. Teal served for more than 25 years in the U.S. Department of Education in various capacities within the Federal TRIO Programs Office, including Section Chief, Branch Chief, Special Advisor to the Deputy Assistant Secretary, and Special Assistant to the Division Director. He has also served as the Director of the Office of Post Secondary Education Monitoring Division and as Regional Representative for Higher-Education Programs.

Since 1972, Dr. Teal has been instrumental in writing the TRIO Regulations. He continues to provide leadership in this area and is frequently consulted regarding program regulations and policies. Additionally, he is known throughout the TRIO and higher-education communities as a no-nonsense evaluator of higher-education programs. In addition to TRIO programs, Dr. Teal is also known to be exceptionally knowledgeable about Title III and other higher-education programs.

Education

• Paul Quinn College - (D.H.L) Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters
• Prairie View A & M University - (M.Ed.) Counseling/Administration
• Paul Quinn College - (BS)

Biography

Dr. Kemberly Washington-Pearse is an educator, grant writer, program evaluator, motivational speaker, and former university counselor and administrator. She has dedicated her professional career to assisting low-income, first-generation college students, individuals with disabilities, and veterans of the armed forces in acquiring skills that will enable them to pursue their dreams of obtaining a baccalaureate degree. In her 26-year career span, Dr. Washington-Pearse has successfully directed four Federal TRIO pro- jects and two university student affairs’ programs. Dr. Washington-Pearse also super- vised more than 70 instructional, professional, clerical, and student staff.

Currently, Dr. Washington-Pearse serves as President and Principal Consultant to ŞÀNGÓLADÉ Educational Supportive Services (SESS), which is a one-stop-shop for consultation services focused on Title III, Title IV (TRIO), and Title V programs under the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended. Under the leadership of Dr. Washington -Pearse, SESS helps TRIO projects develop highly competitive grant proposals, pro- vides guidance through the intricacies of implementing a new project or re-tooling an existing one, conducts comprehensive compliance reviews of TRIO projects to ensure readiness for site visits or audits, provides thorough evaluations of TRIO projects, and supplies TRIO projects with knowledgeable and dynamic speakers for presentations on project management and service-delivery topics.

The consultancy’s main objectives, under the leadership of Dr. Washington-Pearse, have been to improve TRIO program functioning and accountability, as well as staff and student development in the higher-education arena. While building on the continuous knowledge of Dr. Washington-Pearse, SESS maintains the ability to produce accurate and quantitative results for its clients.

Dr. Washington-Pearse’s philosophy on leadership is simply put: “Only a life lived in the service of others is worth living. Great leadership means great service.” –Albert Einstein

Education

• Roosevelt University - (Ed.D.) Educational Administration and Supervision
• Chicago State University - (MS Ed.) School Guidance and Counseling
• Chicago State University - (BA, Cum Laude) Psychology
• MAEOPP Certificate, Emerging Leaders Institute