Educational Leadership Advisory Board

Under the leadership of Principal Jerenze Campbell, Whitehall Elementary School in Bowie was named a Blue Ribbon School in January, 2012 by the Maryland State Department of Education, one of only six schools in the state and the only school in Prince George’s County Public Schools. He has been the principal since 2005 and has a total of 15 years as an educator. 

Dr. James Earl Davis is the interim Dean of the College of Education at Temple University.  His research focuses on gender and schooling outcomes; men, boys and masculinity; sociology of higher education; and applied research methods. He is particularly interested in issues of access and equity in the educational pipeline as they are informed by gender, race, class, and the intersection of these social locations.

Dr. Kassie Freeman has recently been named as the first person to direct strategic innovation for Alcorn State University, to provide leadership to assist in positioning the campus futuristically. Prior to this role, she was elected by the Board to serve as Interim President of the Southern University System, the nation's only Historically Black College System. As System President, she provided oversight for the System's five campuses. Before being named to Interim President, she was the third and first woman System Vice President for Academic and Student Affairs for the Southern University and A & M College System and Professor of Education. Formerly, she served as the first Dean for Academic Advancement at Bowdoin College where she was a member of the President's senior cabinet and was responsible for assisting the College with developing programs to ensure that all students reached their academic potential.

Dr. Lisa Grillo has served as chief human resources officer with Baltimore County Public Schools since 2012. She previously served as assistant superintendent for special education services with Wake County Public School System. Dr. Grillo began her education career as a special education teacher in Prince George's County Public Schools in Bowie, Maryland, where she later served as a school administrator for special education students. She also served as a special education teacher and principal in the District of Columbia Public Schools in Washington, DC, and as assistant professor in the educational leadership program at the University of New Mexico. Dr. Grillo hold a bachelor's degree in Spanish and a master's degree in teaching from the University of Virginia. She holds a certificate of advanced graduate study and a doctorate in education from Howard University.

Mr. Quentin Lawson is the Chief Executive Officer of the largest network of African American educators in the United States, the National Alliance of Black School Educators.  He develops and manages professional development, research and policy programs, and additional duties for an annual conference attracting nearly 4,000 educators.

Dr. Cristóbal Rodriguez is an Assistant Professor of Educational Management & Development at New Mexico State University and the Associate Director of Graduate Student Development at the University Council for Education Administration.

Dr. Pamela Shetley is the Director of the Office of Talent Development at the Board of Education in Prince George’s Maryland. In addition, she is an adjunct professor at the University of Maryland, Trinity University and Coppin State University. Dr. Shetley is a national speaker for organizations such as Learning Forward (National Staff Development Council), the American Association of School Administrators, and the National Association of Black School Educators. In addition, she is a faculty member of the National Principal Leadership Institute and a certified principal mentor for the National Association of Elementary School Principals. Dr. Shetley, a former teacher, assistant principal and school principal, has served as an education administrator for over 20 years.

Dr. Theodore L. Thompson, III is Deputy Chief for the Office of School Turnaround, in the Office of the Chief of Schools for DC Public Schools.  Prior to taking the Deputy Chief position at DCPS, Dr. Thompson held the position of Deputy Chief Academic Officer for the School District of Philadelphia, managing the Office of Secondary School Reform.  He has also served as a K-12 principal in the Columbus City School District for one of the first public, African-centered schools in the country. 

Dr. Olga Welch began her role as dean of the School of Education at Duquesne University in July, 2005. Welch was a professor in the Department of Theory and Practice in Teacher Education at the University of Tennessee, where she also served as interim head of the Educational Administration and Policy Studies Department, and head of the Counseling, Deafness and Human Services Department. Her extensive research and publication record centers on executive mentoring, social justice, equity, and diversity.

Dr. George L. Wimberly is the Director of Social Justice and Professional Development at the American Educational Research Association (AERA). He manages the AERA dissertation and postdoctoral fellowship programs, provides national exposure to these fellowship opportunities, and works directly with grantees and their institutions. He is the Co-principal investigator on the National Science Foundation funded project, Advancing Knowledge and Building the Research Infrastructure in Education and STEM Learning. Much of his research focuses on educational transitions and educational attainment among African American students. As an adjunct instructor at Bowie State University in the College of Education and The Chicago School of Professional Psychology, Dr. Wimberly has taught graduate courses in group dynamics, research methods, and psychometrics. Wimberly earned his Ph.D. in sociology from the University of Chicago.