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

Corris P.A. Davis is the Director of the Office of Academic Opportunity Programs at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC). She hopes to impact college access through professional training and influencing education policy.

Corris has almost 25 years of experience as a TRIO Professional, starting her career as the Office Coordinator of the UMBC Upward Bound Project. In those 25 years, she moved from Office Coordinator to Director and is now the founding Director of the Office of Academic Opportunity Program (AOP). AOP houses UMBC’s TRIO Programs, the Louis Stokes Alliances for Minority Participation, and UMBC’s First Generation Student Initiatives. Corris has helped increase the number of TRIO programs at UMBC from 3 to 6 over the last 15 years.

Having been described as a visionary leader, Corris has served in leadership roles in her state and regional TRIO professional associations and on the board of the Council for Opportunity in Education (COE) from 2008 to 2013. She most recently served as chair of the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee for the Mid-Eastern Association of Educational Program Personnel.

Her background in STEM, her move to social sciences, and her love of technology provide unique insight into problem-solving, allowing Corris a unique lens to support the college access community in serving their students. She is vested in ensuring that college access and completion staff are well-trained. She has facilitated training for the TRIO community since 2010. She is the sole proprietor of Corris Davis & Associates, a college access and small business consulting group whose motto is “Beginning with the End in Mind.” She was raised to believe that “To whom much is given, much is expected,” and because of this belief, she is dedicated to providing the best she has to give.

Corris is an alumna of Western High School, the oldest all-female public school in the nation. She attended UMBC as a Meyerhoff Scholar and earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Biological Sciences. Because she believes “we learn not for the school, but for life,” she has completed graduate coursework in Molecular and Cellular Biology and Measurement, Statistics, and Evaluation. Corris is a Ph.D. Candidate in Public Policy with a concentration in Evaluation and Analytical Methods. Her dissertation examines the role of undergraduate research in graduate school choice using an integrated college choice model as a framework. Corris is a lifelong resident of Baltimore City, where she resides with her wife.

Education

• University of Maryland, Baltimore County – (MPP) Public Policy
• University of Maryland Global Campus – (MS) Information Technology
• University of Maryland, Baltimore County – (BS) Biological Sciences

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 Post-Baccalaureate 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

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 35 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 44 years of experience in education in Arkansas. At state, regional, and national conferences, she has made many presentations on TRIO legislation and regulations, evaluation methods, 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 one daughter, Paula, and a son-in-law, Logan.

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. Sidney K. Mitchell is a TRIO alumnus of the Student Support Services program at Nicholls State University. After graduating from Southern University and A&M College, he worked in the Talent Search and Veterans Upward Bound program for 18 years at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. He has been a national TRIO trainer with emphasis on veterans, post-traditional students, and other areas for 20 years. His research includes Educational Leadership, Human Capital Development, and STEM. Sidney has enjoyed his educational journey of leading and learning with others along the way.

Education

• University of Southern Mississippi – (Ph. D.) Human Capital Development
• Northwestern State University – (Ed.S.) Education Leadership and Instruction
• Southern University – (M.Ed) Education Administration and Supervision
• Nicholls State University – (BA) Sociology

Biography

Amy Verlanic serves as the Executive Director of the Institute for Educational Opportunities at Montana Technological University in Butte, MT, where she works to provide teachers and students with college-based programs that enrich statewide science, engineering, and technology education. The Institute currently houses five TRIO projects, SSS-STEM, UBMS, UB, and two Talent Search programs.

Amy is a lecturer on educational access issues, STEM education, grant writing, leadership, and data management; her work has been shared at the European Access Network and across the US. Ms. Verlanic provides training on topics ranging from strategic planning, organizational management, grant writing, federal compliance, best practices in student recruitment and retention, and effective governmental relations.

Ms. Verlanic has held elected office at the local, state, regional, and national levels. She was the Board Chair for the Council for Opportunity in Education in 2013. Ms. Verlanic served seven years on the Anaconda School Board, is the Governor’s Appointee on the Montana Board of Personnel Appeals and was most recently made a legislative appointee to the Office of Public Instruction’s K-12 Data Task Force.

Ms. Verlanic's list of accolades includes the Michael Schwerner National Activist Award Nominee, Anaconda Chamber of Commerce Spark Plug Award, Montana Tech’s Distinguished Alumni Award, the U.S. Army’s Most Influential Educators Award and the Montana Tech Grantor of the Decade Award. Verlanic has been acknowledged by both ASPIRE as the Art Quinn Lifetime Achievement Award recipient and COE as the Walter O Mason Lifetime Achievement Awardee.

Ms. Verlanic founded ALV Consulting business as a sole proprietorship. ALV Consulting offers project management, strategic planning, and grant writing services to nonprofit associations and educational institutions.

Education

• Professional and Technical Communication (MS)
• Organizational Management (BS)
• Finance (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 projects and two university student affairs’ programs. Dr. Washington-Pearse also supervised 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, provides 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