Summit Guest Speakers
AMY HEITZMAN, PH.D.
Deputy CEO & CLO, UPCEA
As Deputy CEO + CLO for UPCEA, the online and professional education association, Heitzman manages a growing team, stewards cross-divisional projects, and isinvolved with strategic planning, as well as oversees budget development, content delivery, and member engagement for the association’s events and programming portfolios, its professional certificates, and foundational outreach. Prior to joining UPCEA, Amy served as the inaugural Executive Director of Continuing and Professional Education at SMU.
ELIZABETH CREAMER
Vice President of Workforce Development, Community College Workforce Alliance (CCWA)
Creamer is VP of Workforce Development, Community College Workforce Alliance (CCWA), a shared division of Reynolds and Brightpoint Community Colleges. CCWA offers sector strategies, occupational training and credentialing, apprenticeship instruction, and career coaching. Previously, she served as Workforce Advisor in Governors Terence R. McAuliffe’s and Bob McDonnell’s administrations, as well as administrative positions at Virginia Community College System (VCCS), and Virginia Peninsula and Camp Community Colleges.
JACK MILLS
Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, Council of Adult and Experiential Education (CAEL)
Mills leads alignment of the organization’s research, impact, resource development, and budget with its vision and Theory of Change, so that all adults have an equitable opportunity for and success in obtaining credentials and skills that lead to well-paying, good quality jobs, increase earnings and economic mobility, and improve quality of life.
CARLO SALERNO
Managing Director, Burning Glass Institute
Salerno currently oversees Burning Glass Institute's education-related portfolio. As a veteran education economist, he focuses on building data-driven analyses that help universities, foundations and government bodies identify labor market mismatches, but also training and career pathway solutions for workers capable of filling those needs. Carlo is both a frequent writer and speaker on the economics of college access, affordability and completion.
ANTON KORINEK
Associate Professor of Business Administration, Darden School of Business and UVA Dept of Economics
An expert in macroeconomics, artificial intelligence, financial stability and international finance, Korinek currently researches the implications of AI for business, the economy and the future of work. He is also a Research Associate at the NBER, at the CEPR and at the Oxford Centre for the Governance of AI, and is an editor of the Oxford Handbook of AI Governance. Korinek's work has been featured in top journals and media, including The Economist, The Wall Street Journal and Bloomberg.
ROSHNI RAVEENDHRAN
Assistant Professor of Business Administration, Darden School of Business
Raveendhran’s research focuses on the future of work: how technological advancements influence organizational actors and business practices, the integration of novel technologies into the workplace and how organizations can increase the effectiveness of their human resource management practices to address the changing nature of work. Her work has been published in leading journals and top practitioner outlets such as the Harvard Business Review and MIT Sloan Management Review.
STUART ANDREASON
Executive Director of Programs, Burning Glass Institute
Andreason leads research and engagement on workforce innovation, higher education, and economic mobility. At BGI, he has helped to lead the development of Jobs that Mobilize, an initiative that builds data strategies to align talent development and economic development. He’s also developed measures of skill-based hiring, skills to drive the green economy, and non-degree credential quality in the Education Quality Outcomes Standards (EQOS) initiative, and educational strategies.
BRYAN HANCOCK
Partner, McKinsey and Company
Hancock is one of the leaders of McKinsey’s talent practice and a leading researcher on talent and the workplace. He serves a wide-range of talent-intensive businesses, including leading employers in retail, healthcare, financial services, advanced industries, and staffing, as well as a variety of public and social sector clients – including those focused on education and workforce development. Hancock is also the co-author of the book, Power to the Middle: Why Managers Hold the Keys to the Future of Work.
RYAN CRAIG
Managing Director, Achieve Partners
Craig is the author of three books that delve into the evolution of education and workforce, College Disrupted, A New U: Faster + Cheaper Alternatives to College, and Apprentice Nation: How the “Earn and Learn” Alternative to Higher Education Will Create a Stronger and Fairer America. He serves as Managing Director at Achieve Partners, an organization dedicated to investing in the future of learning and earning.
MELISSA LUBIN
Dean, University of Virginia School of Continuing and Professional Studies
Lubin has a proven track record for promoting student success and developing programs that respond to both student and workforce demand. She is passionate about empowering individuals to expand their own body of knowledge throughout adulthood to positively impact the well-being of our society. Prior to UVA, Lubin served as Dean of Professional & Continuing Education and Chief Economic Engagement Officer at James Madison University.
DR JAMES EDWARDS
Special Assistant to the Provost, Virginia State University
Edwards primary goal is student success. His contributions have advanced campus culture, organizational structure, and student achievement. Edwards is a leader and strategist who demonstrates care and concern while maximizing opportunities for all involved. His expertise includes the areas of student learning outcomes; student retention; assessment; strategic planning; and strategies for assisting first time in college as well as adult learners.
DR. KEVIN RATLIFF
Dean of Workforce and Continuing Education, Blue Ridge Community College
Dr. Ratliff has held appointments at Blue Ridge Community College for the last 24 years, including mathematics faculty member and multiple administrative positions overseeing credit and non-credit programs. He has expertise in academic affairs and internal governance, including recent work with accreditation matters, credential tracking, and faculty qualification.
DAVID SOO
Vice President of Strategic Engagements, Jobs for the Future (JFF)
Soo leads key initiatives across JFF and JFFLabs as part of JFF’s executive team, with a particular focus on building external engagement and influence, including through JFF’s Horizons summit and in-person and virtual engagements. He also oversees JFF’s Policy unit. Before joining JFF, Soo was senior policy advisor at the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of the Under Secretary and Office of Educational Technology.
ROSS WIENER
Vice President, Aspen Institute | Executive Director, Education & Society Program
As a nationally recognized expert in education policy, politics, and practice, Wiener has testified before Congress and state legislative bodies and frequently advises policymakers and system leaders in off-the-record forums. He has been published in major publications including The Washington Post, The Atlantic, and USA Today. Wiener serves on the board of the NEA Foundation and is a founding board member of Teaching Lab and the Danielson Group.
ALISON GRIFFIN
Senior Vice President, Whiteboard Adsvisors
Griffin is a Senior VP with Whiteboard Advisors, a social impact agency that helps entrepreneurs, donors and investors navigate the complex intersection of policy, the media and technology. She manages the postsecondary education policy practice. Alison is a former senior policy advisor to the U.S. House Committee on Education and the Workforce and a former member of the executive leadership team with Strada Education Foundation.
LOU PUGLIESE
Chairman of the Board, Nexford University
A prominent figure in education innovation, Pugliese has dedicated his career to designing impactful learning programs that unite communities. With a background in academia, entrepreneurship, and social ventures, Pugliese has spearheaded initiatives at institutions like the University of Maryland Global Campus and Arizona State University, focusing on e-Learning, research, and digital teaching models. As a leader in EdTech companies and social impact organizations, he has championed technology-enabled education solutions globally, emphasizing the importance of higher ed optimization for a skills based economy.
DR. STEVEN TAYLOR
Director and Senior Fellow for the Future of Work, Stand Together Trust
Dr. Taylor founded ED2WORK® in 2019 to mobilize educators, talent leaders, and community organizations to address the needs of adult and working learners. Taylor previously served as Director of the Center for Education Attainment and Innovation at the American Council on Education.
MARIA SPIES
Co-CEO, HolonIQ
Spies has worked in public and private higher education for over 20 years, transforming education through technology. She has built and led global teams, driving innovation in curriculum, teaching and the student experience in over 50 countries. As Co-CEO of HolonIQ, Spies leads the Education Intelligence Unit in delivering data rich insights about the global education sector and oversees HolonIQ’s tools and frameworks such as the Global Learning Landscape and Higher Education Digital Transformation Framework. She advises institutions, policy makers, inter-governmental organizations and NGOs on key education issues.
MIKE MALEFAKIS
President of University Partnerships, Emeritus
As President of University Partnerships at Emeritus, Malefakis works with over 80 top ranked universities to reach over 200,000 global learners a year. Prior to Emeritus, he was Senior Advisor at Leeds Illuminate, an impact investing fund focused on education and workforce development. Malefakis spent over 20 years in leadership roles at Wharton, Columbia, and Chicago Booth, driving growth through innovation. The red thread through his career has been trying to help expand access to best-in-class education through lifelong learning. Malefakis serves on the AACSB Business Practice Council and is an advisor at ExecOnline.
