STEMscopes Leadership Team -- 100 years of cumulative experience.
CEO -- Dr. Vernon Johnson came to Accelerate Learning with a mission to provide America’s teachers with the most effective and affordable STEM programs and resources that will transform classrooms and improve student performance.
- Vernon served in public education for over 25 years before launching into the business of developing and providing effective learning programs to the nation’s schools.
- Prior, he was superintendent in several districts.
- Prior experience includes leading several education companies- Voyager and Epic Learning, and as EVP of American College of Education.
Vernon received his B.S. and M.S. in Speech Pathology and Psychology from Ball State University and earned his Ed.S. and Ed.D. in School Administration and Policy Studies from Indiana University, Bloomington.
Don Keeler is all about bringing solutions to educators that let them teach and provide students the opportunity to control their own learning while they are able to achieve more in a shorter amount of time.
- Prior to joining Accelerate Learning, Don spent his prior career developing innovative solutions: 14 years as Chief Innovation Officer for Lumen Touc,
-10 years as a project lead for State-Wide Systems, seven years as Executive Director of Technology for Blue Springs Missouri School District, and more.
-In this time Don has accomplished feats such as building an all-in-one district information and achievement system, engaging auto-scored assessment tools of rigor, data-driven special education management systems, and engineering many statewide and district technologies.
Don is an innovator through and through, always thinking ahead to “what’s next” for education. During his downtime he can be found looking for a beach, spending time with his family, writing, and playing tennis.
James B. (Jim) Walburg has over 25 years of experience in financial management and strategic planning, much of it outside of education. Believing that education is the most valuable gift we can give our children.
- Jim joined Archipelago Learning as CFO and is now at a company that shares his passion: Accelerate Learning.
While at Archipelago Learning, Inc., a leading subscription-based, software-as-a-service (SaaS) provider of supplemental education products used throughout the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom, Jim steered the company’s financial ship while it successfully completed its IPO in 2009.
-Jim's goal for Accelerate Learning and its customers is growth. He’s focused on ensuring the company makes the right financial decisions that will enable them to continue to deliver STEM resources for the classroom and home.
Reid Whitaker is the creator of STEMscopes, which led to his being named by EdTech Digest as one of the nations leading “Eduprenuers” or Education Entrepreneurs. Awards and titles are fine with him, but what’s most important is being an educator of science and an advocate and administrator of providing a high-quality education for our most underserved and underrepresented students.
- He began his teaching career with Teach For America as a 5th grade self-contained elementary science teacher, for which he was awarded the HEB Texas Excellence in Education Star Award.
- Reid returned to Port Houston Elementary as principal. In his three years as principal, he raised the accountability rating of the school from Academically Acceptable to Exemplary.
Reid returned to Rice University to create STEMscopesTM and joined Accelerate Learning to help solve the STEM crisis in the U.S. Reid received his undergraduate degree in Communications from the University of Texas. He earned his Ph.D. from his alma mater in Educational Administration.
STEMscopes Leadership Insight
- Depth and breadth of experience of the CEO, CTO, CFO and founder, offering about 100 years of cumulative experience,
- STEMscopes has a comprehensive skillset in its management team with key strategic and operations positions filled, delivering significant cumulative experience in STEM curricular education development, sales, marketing and development.
- Most importantly, I feel this company is poised for growth because of the fact that the founder has shifted his goal from leadership (not his domain of expertise) to content (his domain expertise).
- Bringing in CEO expertise shows the company is serious about growth.
- Leadership team has 'skin in the game' (likely have shares or options in company) so their upside is tied to overall company success.