NAPE Executive Committee

The NAPE Executive Committee is the leadership and representative body of the NAPE membership, leadership of NAPE’s Board of Directors (i.e., State Members), and it provides strategic direction for the organization. 

The Executive Committee is focused on NAPE membership, public policy, and programming (which includes technical assistance, highlighting NAPE services and professional development, webinars, and support for the annual National Summit for Educational Equity (NSEE). It discharges this duty by setting an annual Program of Work. Eleven members serve staggered terms between 1 and  3 years. New members are elected annually by the Board of Directors. Executive Committee members get an unique opportunity to represent their community and states through being advocates for equity by:

  • Leading the Program of Work for NAPE
  • Engaging advocates for equity through Public Policy, Professional Development opportunities, and member to member best practices and sharing
  • Supporting equity, diversity, and inclusion growth and knowledge of each advocate


Most of the Committee’s work is done through seven subcommittees: Awards, Bylaws, Finance, Public Policy, Summit Planning, Nominations, and Member Services.

2023-2024 Executive Committee Members

Michael Tinsley (President), Assistant Vice Chancellor for Student Services, Tennessee Board of Regents

Educating students has been a large part of Michael’s existence as far back as his elementary school days where he assisted lower performing students grasp and apply educational concepts to their everyday lives.

As a secondary educator for nearly two decades, Michael was an instructor, assistant principal, principal, and district leader responsible for closing achievement gaps while ensuring students had opportunities to realize their dreams through educational pathways. He transitioned to working with adults who needed differentiated learning in the area of math to fulfill high school requirements in order to move on to postsecondary education.

As the Assistant Vice Chancellor for Student Success at the Tennessee Board of Regents Michael’s role has encompassed working with over fifty institutions of higher learning and more than 200,000 students annually. The overarching goal has been to increase degree attainment among students whatever their race, color, national origin, gender, disability status, or additional qualities and characteristics. He has led faculty through statewide efforts in articulating credit from high schools to associate degrees on through bachelor’s degrees. His communication and leadership have been effectively utilized through speaking engagements and tours while leading diverse groups of stakeholders during innovative programs: Tennessee Promise, Tennessee Reconnect, High Impact Practices, Tennessee Statewide Dual Credit, Prior Learning Assessments, Curriculum Pathways, Co-requisite Courses, Gateway Coursework, Academic Mindset, 9 hours in Academic Focus, 30 hours in first year, SAILS etc. while maintaining a focus on data to drive student-based decisions.

Michael has been recognized with national awards and currently serves as an active member in multiple non-profit organizations while actively participating on various non-profit boards/executive committees: one as the President, another as Program Chair, along with NAPE’s Executive Committee and Chair of the Public Policy Committee.

The National Association for Partnerships in Equity, NAPE, drew Michael’s attention with its history rooted in sex (gender) equity in 1979, which grew to include vocational education (now – career and technical education) and the legislative advocacy of each.  The incorporation of NAPE’s four pillars: “Public Policy and Advocacy, Technical Assistance, Professional Development, and Research and Evaluation” were important magnets. In Michael’s words, “The core of what I do daily, is to fight for those whose voices can’t be heard above the noise. NAPE is an organization, from within its very name, ‘equity’, provides for those same individuals through advocating legislative policies, while researching and evaluating effective practices and programs, to provide technical assistance and professional development to benefit those who otherwise would not be heard. It is an honor to partner with such an organization to make a difference in students’ lives.”

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Joseph Green III (Past President), Performance Accountability Coordinator Government of the District of Columbia

Serving Washington DC’s public and public charter schools in support of Career Technical Education (CTE) funding and programming, Joe works with several workforce development District agencies, corporate and civic leaders who are also committed to preparing DC youth for high-wage, in-demand careers. His primary work also ensures high schools and local education agencies (LEAs) provide equal access and enforce non-discriminatory policies, so that all students are given full consideration and accessibility to career pathway opportunities without prejudice or bias. At the Office of the State Superintendent of Education, Joe drafts and disseminates Perkins V local applications, coordinates civil rights Perkins V monitoring reviews.

Joe is a docent volunteer at the Smithsonian Museum of African Art and docent in training at the National Museum of African American History. His primary interests in museum curation include painting and sculptures depicted in African divination, the Transatlantic Slave Trade and gender roles among enslaved Africans in the Antebellum South.

In 2015, Joe was an Education Pioneers’ alum, and served as the Title II Math Science project manager for the Tennessee Department of Education and an alumni consultant for the Eastside and Family Foundations charter schools in Wilmington, DE. He has also served as the Director of Institutional Giving at the Ellington Fund (Duke Ellington School of the Arts) and Director of Development at IDEA Public Charter High School in Washington, DC from 2009-2014.

Joe is a Returned Peace Corps Volunteer (RPCV) for Swaziland (eSwatini) and was an adult education coordinator, Fellow and former Associate Director for Jamaica in youth development.
Joe received his master’s degree in International Business from Roosevelt University and holds a combined bachelor’s degree in Sociology-Anthropology and International Studies from Lawrence University.

Aimee Julian, PhD (Treasurer), Director, Illinois Center for Specialized Professional Support, Illinois State University

Dr. Aime’e Julian is the Director of the Illinois Center for Specialized Professional Support (ICSPS) at Illinois State University. ICSPS provides technical assistance, develops publications, and facilitates program improvement strategies for our partners as they relate to equity, transition, recruitment, retention, and completion – encouraging achievement of special populations learners. The Center focuses on access, equity and support for all learners with attention on students pursuing nontraditional fields, students with ASD transitioning to postsecondary and the workplace, and equity for under-represented learners. Dr. Julian creates, supports, and delivers professional development for career, technical, adult education and workforce professionals across Illinois. She has 20-year experience working extensively with the implementation of the Perkins legislation in coordination with the Illinois Community College Board and the Illinois State Board of Education. Aime´e collaborates with the Adult Education professional development providers in Illinois to develop and deliver the Illinois Transitions Academy – Illinois’ scalability of ICAPS/IET programs. Dr. Julian also leads the professional development efforts for the WIOA system in Illinois which concentrates on service integration. Aime´e is an experienced lecturer and facilitator, a certified DACCUM trainer and has taught for fifteen years as an Instructional Professor in the Educational, Administration and Foundations department at Illinois State University.

Sara Baird (State Member at Large), Assistant Director, Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction, CTE

Sara currently serves as the Assistant Director of Career and Technical Education in Wisconsin. Her background in CTE includes her previous positions as the Career Pathways Consultant at the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction (DPI) where she focused on career pathways development, data definitions and collection, and growing career readiness awareness statewide. She started her work at DPI in Marketing, Management and Entrepreneurship in 2006. Prior to DPI, Sara taught Marketing Education for ten years in southeastern Wisconsin. Sara has a bachelor’s degree in Marketing Education and a master’s degree in Training and Development both from the University of Wisconsin-Stout.

Jonathan Wickert (State Member at Large), Delaware Department of Education

Kathy Albin (Affiliate Member at Large), Spokane Falls Community College

Kathy currently serves as the Director of Learning Support at Spokane Falls Community College where she is responsible for providing leadership, coordination, and evaluation of critical Spokane Falls Community College learner support programs including: Workforce Transitions (Basic Food, Employment and Training, WorkFirst, Worker Retraining, Opportunity Grant, Passport to College, Supporting Students Experiencing Homelessness, WorkSource Affiliate Programs), along with Library Administration, Office of Career Education, Instructional Support, Peer-Tutoring, and the Copy Center services. Kathy also works in close partnership with the Financial Aid Office, Counseling, Disability Access Services, the Center for Engaged Teaching and Learning, Allied Health and other Career and Technical Education Pathways, as well as Concurrent Enrollment programs. Additionally, Kathy is an active member for the United Way of North Idaho’s Asset Limited Income Constrained Employed (ALICE) Task Force.

Prior to her current role, Kathy served as Director of Adult Education at North Idaho College in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho where she provided leadership and management to the Adult Education Center (AEC) and General Equivalency Diploma (GED) program for Region 1-Idaho. Kathy was also a community educator where she taught Workplace Development Skills, and Computer Applications at North Idaho College Workforce Training and Community Education Center. Also in her time at North Idaho College, Kathy Coordinated for the Center for New Directions were she assisted single parents, displaced homemakers, and gender nontraditional students in accessing community resources and exploration of CTE career and educations paths. Preceding her tenure at NIC, Kathy spent a decade managing a Native American Career and Technical Education (NACTEP) grant for the Coeur d’Alene Tribe. She also spent several years as a K-12 classroom teacher in rural Idaho.

Kathy has presented at numerous local, state, and national conferences sharing her knowledge in working with vulnerable and underserved populations.  Kathy holds an undergraduate degree from Gonzaga University in Education, a master’s degree in Adult Learning and Leadership from the University of Idaho and is currently working towards completion of her doctoral degree in Educational Leadership from Idaho State University.

Lesley Keeling-Olson (Affiliate Member at Large), Director of Perkins Grants & Professor, Criminal Justice, Temple College

Dr. Lesley Keeling-Olson first came to Temple College as the Department Chair of Criminal Justice and currently serves as the Director of Perkins Grants and as a Professor of Criminal Justice. She has been involved in Career and Technical Education (CTE) since 1989 as a practitioner and in CTE education for 20 years. Lesley first completed a Bachelor’s from Baylor University before coming back to Temple College to obtain two Associates in Criminal Justice. She later completed a Master’s Degree in Criminal Justice from Tarleton State University and a Doctorate in Educational Administration from the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor. One of her passions is working with Perkins, helping people understand and improve their Perkins Core Indictors, and continuing to work as a practitioner serving Belton Police Department. She is an advocate for non-traditional genders in CTE and comes to the table with hands-on experience of working with Perkins Special Populations.

Gina McPherson (CTEEC Representative), Special Programs Manager, Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education

Gina McPherson is a devoted wife to her husband of 22 years, and a mother to two wonderful sons. She currently serves as the Special Programs Manager for the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education where she provides oversight for two contracts with the Department of Human Services. She works with the Community College TANF Special Projects and the Scholars for Excellence in Child Care Program. She holds a Bachelor’s of Science in Human Environmental Sciences from Oklahoma State University, and a Masters of Administrative Leadership from the University of Oklahoma. In her spare time, she enjoys going to band events with her youngest son who is a percussionist at Norman North High School. Her oldest son is a college student pursuing a Bachelors of Business Administration in Accounting.  

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Brittany Brady, NAPE CEO (non-voting)

Brittany H. Brady, Ed.M., CAP® is a lifelong learner and educator who has worked in the education space for over 10 years. Brittany has committed herself to equitable access for education and fulfillment of potential for all.

An opportunity to be community liaison at W.E. Greiner Exploratory Arts Academy within the Dallas Independent School District brought Brittany to Dallas from Washington, D.C. While at Greiner, Brady worked to increase parental engagement and student achievement by creating parenting workshops and mentoring truant students. Brittany also served as Executive Director of the Brewer Foundation Future Leaders Program assisting high achieving students from Dallas ISD on their journey to attaining a college degree. She was most recently Chief Development Officer at Lumin Education.

Brittany received her bachelor’s degree in English from the University of Maryland and also holds a master’s degree from the Harvard Graduate School of Education in Prevention Science and Practice. While at the University of Maryland, she was named a Banneker/Key and Ronald E. McNair Scholar. She received her Chartered Advisor in Philanthropy Designation from the American College of Financial Services in Winter 2021. She plans to apply her knowledge and experience to improving outcomes for the varied student experiences across the country.

Program Committees

  • Awards
  • Bylaws
  • Finance, Aime’e Julian, Chair
  • Member Services, Kathy Albin, Chair
  • Nominating
  • Professional Development, Joe Green and Michael Tinsley, Co-Chairs
  • Public Policy and Advocacy, Michael Tinsley (TN), Chair
  • Summit Planning: Joe Green, Chair