Advisory Board
Daniel J. Cohen, Ph.D.
Dan is the Director of the Center for History and New Media (CHNM) and an Associate Professor in the Department of History and Art History at George Mason University. The sponsor of more than two dozen digital history projects, CHNM has received major awards and grants for its groundbreaking work in using digital media and computer technology to democratize history. Dan has developed software for scholars, teachers, and students, including the popular Zotero research tool. He has published articles and book chapters on the history of mathematics and religion, the teaching of history, and the future of history in a digital age. His books include Digital History: A Guide to Gathering, Preserving, and Presenting the Past on the Web (2005). Dan received his B.A. from Princeton University, his M.T.S. from Harvard University, and his Ph.D. from Yale University.
Gary M. Diamond
Gary is the Director of Educan Consultants (Ontario) Ltd. , a private education consortium that provides support services to schools, school districts, international schools, and senior administrators. Prior to founding Educan, he served in various leadership roles within the Ontario Ministry of Education. Before that, he worked for over two decades as a secondary teacher, department head, and principal in Ontario’s public and private schools. An expert in curriculum development, organizational change, and student assessment, Gary has worked with international schools in China, Hong Kong, Mongolia, India, Malaysia, Singapore, United Arab Emirates, Romania, Trinidad and Tobago, and various European countries. A teacher of History, English, and Economics, Gary earned a B.Ed. and M.A. from the University of Toronto.
Tracey K. Friedlander
A passionate children’s advocate, Tracey is a business and pro bono legal consultant with substantial experience advising nonprofit organizations with respect to strategic planning, operations, fundraising, marketing, finance, personnel, and governance. She previously served as General Counsel and Vice President of StarBand Communications Inc. and Associate General Counsel and Vice President of Teligent, Inc. Tracey earned her B.A. in Political Science and Spanish from Dickinson College and her J.D. from the American University Washington College of Law.
Jay P. Greene, Ph.D.
Jay is Endowed Chair and Head of the Department of Education Reform at the University of Arkansas. He is the author of Education Myths: What Special-Interest Groups Want You to Believe About Our Schools – and Why It Isn’t So (2005). His articles have appeared in policy journals such as The Public Interest and Education Next , in academic journals such as The Georgetown Public Policy Review and The British Journal of Political Science , and in major newspapers such as the Wall Street Journal and Washington Post . He has been a professor of government at the University of Texas at Austin and the University of Houston. He received his B.A. from Tufts University and his Ph.D. from Harvard University.
Ned Johnson
Ned is the founder and president of PrepMatters, Inc. , and one of the most sought-after tutors in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area. Co-author of Conquering the SAT: How Parents Can Help Teens Overcome the Pressure and Succeed (2006), Ned has devoted well over 20,000 hours to standardized test preparation, serving students of all ages and abilities from the D.C. area as well as those who have traveled from Pennsylvania, Delaware, New York, the New England states, England, and Belgium. In addition to his time with clients, he oversees instructor hiring and training, curriculum development, and businesss management. Ned received his B.A. from Williams College in Economics and Political Science.
Wendy Schaetzel Lesko
Wendy is the founder of the , a non-partisan organization that encourages young people to speak up and pursue lasting solutions to problems they care deeply about. She also founded Students Practicing and Respecting Knowledge (SPARK), a volunteer-run program that provides free one-on-one tutoring to public school students. A graduate of Rollins College, Wendy has presented over 1,000 keynote speeches and workshops in more than 30 states to audiences of all ages. Her books include Maximum Youth Involvement: The Complete Gameplan for Community Action (2003) and Youth! The 26% Solution (1998).
Phillip E. Nelson, Ph.D., C.S.C.
In his 25 years of government service and subsequent work as an independent consultant, Phil has amassed extensive experience and expertise in managing organizational change, team building, training, and coaching. A graduate of the United States Military Academy in West Point, Phil served in the Army in Korea and Vietnam and rose to the rank of Captain, Airborne Infantry. After receiving his Ph.D.focusing on Organization Development from the University of Wisconsin, Phil worked in the U.S. Office of Personnel Management Department of Training, where he developed several and taught 16 government-wide advanced management courses, and the U.S. Internal Revenue Service, where he helped to implement major new information systems. He is an active member of the Chesapeake Bay Organization Development Network, Mensa, and the World Future Society.
Linda Kern Pelzman, Ph.D.
Linda is the founder of Wonder Kids, an educational organization whose mission is to encourage children’s natural sense of wonder. Through hands-on art, science, and outdoor team building activities, Wonder Kids offers a unique summer enrichment experience for students entering kindergarten through eighth grade. Linda received two M.A.’s and a Ph.D. from Harvard University, where she also earned six Certificates for Distinction in Teaching. After a Fulbright Doctoral Fellowship to the University of Paris, she taught in the St. John’s College “Great Books Program” in Annapolis and Santa Fe as well as in the George Washington University Honors Program and Rutgers University. In recent years she also has been a math specialist at two Montgomery County (Maryland) private schools.
Jimmy Rhee
Jimmy is the founder of SmartCoach, a unique new program for children with ADHD that integrates coaching techniques, behavior modification exercises, and martial arts and fitness movements. He has over 20 years of entrepreneurial experience in enterprise creation and growth management, including as CEO of Cleverlearn, an Internet software company specializing in online language learning, and Global Technology Systems Consortium, Inc. (GTSC), a full service IT consulting firm. A 5th degree black belt, at one time Jimmy was Chief Instructor for the world-renowned Jhoon Rhee Tae Kwon Do Institute. He received his B.S. from the University of Maryland and M.B.A. from Johns Hopkins University.
Eugene H. Ridberg, Ph.D.
A clinical psychologist, Gene has been in private practice in Montgomery County (Maryland) for more than three decades, with a specialty in working with ADHD and LD children and adolescents. He previously served for 16 years as the Director of Psychological Services at the renowned Kingsbury Center, providing diagnostic testing and therapy for individuals with learning differences and consulting with various private schools. Gene received his B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin.
Candace Sahm
Candace is the founder of ADHD Coaching for LIFE, LLC and the founder and director of Positive Learning Experiences, LLC (PLE), a highly regarded tutoring center known for its ADHD expertise, coaching approach to tutoring, and SAT/ACT prep courses. Dynamic and innovative, Candace is an experienced ADHD coach and educator, and a tireless advocate for raising awareness about ADHD and its impact on people’s lives. Over the years she has taught in various public and private schools in Montgomery County (Maryland). Candace earned her B.S. in Special Education from the University of Maryland and her M.A. in Education/Human Development from The George Washington University.
Steven M. Schwartz, M.D.
Steve is the Associate Dean for Informatics at the Georgetown University School of Medicine , where he formerly served as the Director of Predoctoral Education in the Department of Family Medicine. He has received awards for his teaching and given presentations and lectures at professional conferences throughout the country. Steve also is in private practice with Potomac Physician Associates in Kensington, Maryland, where he provides primary care to newborns, children, and adults. Recognized as a Washingtonian 2008 Top Doctor, Steve’s special interests include alternative, integrative, and sports medicine. He received his undergraduate degree from Wesleyan University and his M.D. from Tufts University School of Medicine.
William R. Stixrud, Ph.D.
A clinical neuropsychologist in private practice since 1985, Bill is the Director of The Stixrud Group . He specializes in the evaluation of children, adolescents, and adults with learning difficulties, and he regularly lectures and leads workshops with respect to such topics as the neuropsychology of learning, learning differences, attention and executive functioning, stress, sleep, and self-regulation, emotional and social development in children and adolescents, and adolescent brain development. Prior to entering private practice, Bill served as a staff neuropsychologist at the Children’s National Medical Center (CNMC) and Georgetown University School of Medicine (GUSM). He has been an adjunct faculty member at CNMC since 1986, and he also holds faculty appointments at GUSM and the George Washington University School of Medicine. The recipient of many awards and academic honors, Bill earned his B.A. and M.Ed. from the University of Washington and his Ph.D. from the University of Minnesota.
Mahlon R. Straszheim, Ph.D.
Mahlon is a Professor of Economics at the University of Maryland in College Park. In his over three decades at Maryland, he has served as Associate Provost, the chair of the Department of Economics (from 1988 to 2005), and on numerous University committees. With research interests in urban economics, transportation economics, local labor markets, and regional models of the State of Maryland and its sub-regions, Mahlon served as an advisor to Maryland Governors Schaefer and Glendening (from 1992 to 1998) and has provided quarterly economic forecasts to the Maryland Comptroller since 1992. He has frequently appeared before committees of the Maryland General Assembly as well as other public and private sector groups. Mahlon received his A.B. from Purdue University and his Ph.D. from Harvard University.
Rich Weinfeld
A long-time advocate for quality education for all students, Rich is the Managing Member of Weinfeld Education Group, LLC . Twenty of his thirty years with the Montgomery County (Maryland) Public School System were spent in a variety of leadership roles in special education, including serving as the County’s first full-time coordinator of programs for students who are simultaneously gifted and learning disabled. An instructor at Johns Hopkins University, Rich has been selected to present at numerous national conferences. His books include Smart Kids with Learning Difficulties: Overcoming Obstacles and Realizing Potential (2006) and Helping Boys Succeed in School (2006). In addition to his advocacy work, Rich does extensive parent and staff training and consults with schools about appropriate programming for all students. He received his B.A. from American University and M.A. from Trinity College.
Jerry Whiddon
Jerry is a freelance artist who has worked in professional theatre in Washington, D.C. and New York City for almost four decades. He was co-founder and Artistic Director of Street 70 Theatre from 1970 until 1978, when he co-founded the Round House Theatre , for which he served as Producing Artistic Director from 1985 through 2005. Under Jerry’s leadership Round House grew into a major award-winning artistic force – with a keen focus on both performance and education as central to its mission. Since 2005 he has continued his acting and directing work – on stage, in film, on TV, and as a speech/presentation coach in the corporate and political sectors. Over the years Jerry has had the opportunity to work as a director, actor, and teacher with many outstanding artists, and he has taught extensively throughout the D.C. area and East Coast.