Welcome to our featured speakers page. We are very fortunate to have an excellent array of professionals willing to share their time and expertise with us. Scroll down to learn more about our presenters.

Teresa M. Takai:

Ms. Teri Takai will talk about Michigan's education technology strategy during our lunch hour. During her presentation you will have the opportunity to learn more about the "Freedom to Learn" initiative and the Children's Action Network-just two of the many projects are being led by the state to help improve life for all Michigan citizens. Teresa (Teri) M. Takai is the Director of the Michigan Department of Information Technology (DIT), serving as the state's Chief Information Officer. She was appointed by Governor Jennifer Granholm and was confirmed by the Senate in February 2003. Her broad experience includes working for Federal Mogul, where she was the Director of Process Development. Having held senior positions at EDS and Ford Motor Company, Ms. Takai has extensive experience in computer systems planning, logistics and financial lending systems. As the second director of the Department, Ms. Takai is responsible for developing a new organization and its 1,800 employees. One of her most immediate concerns includes grappling with the state's current budget deficit and developing measures for DIT to meet the demand for cutting costs while still meeting the demand for providing information technology services for Michigan. Ms. Takai was recently named to Crain's Detroit Business list of 100 Most Influential Women. She serves on the Walsh College President's Advisory Council, Junior Achievement Board, and the Oakland University Technology Task Force. Ms. Takai received a BA in Mathematics from the University of Michigan, and holds a MA in Management from the University of Michigan. A metro Detroit native, she is a beginning golfer and runs 5K races in her spare time.

Carolyn Jarmon, Ph.D.:

Carolyn Jarmon is Associate Director of the Center for Academic Transformation. From 1996-98, Carolyn was the Educom Visiting Fellow, working with member institutions redesigning cost-effective learning environments, including the California State University System and the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She has published and given numerous presentations on the topics of effective delivery of student services and distance education and consults regularly with institutions and corporations about learning in distributed environments. Prior to joining the Center, Carolyn held several academic and administrative positions at SUNY Empire State College. Carolyn has also taught and held administrative positions at several traditional institutions, both public and private. The Center for Academic Transformation at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute is conducting a Program in Course Redesign with support from the Pew Charitable Trusts. The purpose of this institutional grant program is to encourage colleges and universities to redesign their instructional approaches using technology to achieve cost savings as well as quality enhancements. Redesign projects focus on large-enrollment, introductory courses, which have the potential of impacting significant student numbers and generating substantial cost savings. The Center has awarded $6 million in grants to thirty projects in three rounds of ten projects each.

Steve Harms, JD:

Steven A. Harms of Muller Muller Richmond Harms Myers & Sgroi, PC, Birmingham, Michigan, practices in the area of retail and commercial collection law. He is a frequent lecturer on collection topics and has authored many works on collections, including "A Credit Manager's Guide to Collection Law in Michigan" (ICLE 2003), "Handling the Collection Case in Michigan: A Creditor's Guide" (ICLE 4th ed 2003), and chapters in ICLE's "Michigan Business Formbook" (2d ed 2001 & Supps), "Attorney Fee Agreements in Michigan" (2d ed 2002), and "Michigan Basic Practice Handbook" (5th ed 2001 & Cum Supp). Mr. Harms has served as a mediator in Oakland County and is an adjunct professor of business law at Walsh College in Troy, Michigan. He is a member of the General Practice Section of the State Bar of Michigan and has served as editor of its newsletter, "The General Practitioner." Mr. Harms has been listed in "Who's Who in American Law" since 1985.

Bill J. Rugg, Ph.D.:

Currently, Bill holds the position of Director, Distance and Distributed Learning; Schoolcraft College; Livonia, MI. He is also an adjunct professor at Central Michigan University in the Broadcast and Cinematic Arts Department and University of Phoenix Online. Bill has earned a Ph.D. in Higher Education Administration and Broadcast Production from the University of Mississippi; M.S., Speech Communication and Broadcast Production, Utah State University; B.A., English and Theatre; minor in Psychology, Barrington College RI. He is a Certified Consultant and Evaluator for North Central Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Institutions of Higher Education. Also a Certified reviewer for American Council on Education College Credit Recommendation Service (ACE/CREDIT), specialization in evaluating distance learning courses for college credit with corporate and industry clients. Memberships: ASTD, ISPI, UCEA, IRTS, ITVA, BEA, NBS. Bill has more than 30 years of university teaching, over 20 years of higher education administration experience and several years experience with corporate, government and military clients.

Mark Harris:

Mark Harris did his undergraduate work in Justin Morrill College at Michigan State University (BA 1977) and earned an MA in American Literature at the University of South Carolina (1982), where he continues his quest to set the Guinness record for most years taken to complete a Ph.D. He has more than fifteen years’ experience teaching composition and literature courses in computer-integrated classrooms. (He recognizes acoustic couplers and knows how to use them!) He is beginning his seventh year in the English Department at Schoolcraft College, where he also teaches in the OMNIBUS program, an on-line, multi-degree program sponsored by Schoolcraft and Madonna University. He enjoys teaching online almost as much as he enjoys teaching f2f and is a frequent conference presenter.

Jeff M. Recor:

Jeff Recor is the President of Olympus Security Group, a company that specializes in network security services. Before coming to Olympus Security Group, Jeff was the Domain Leader of the Nortel Networks Global Security Practice, Jeff was responsible for developing an International set of service offerings to address evolving systems security and network design requirements. As the Director, Jeff was also responsible for brand awareness, Intellectual Property creation, and integrating security expertise into other Nortel Networks products and services. He has over 15 years experience consulting with companies in security and network design. Jeff is a professor at Walsh College and is a writer and lecturer on security and networking topics.

Anne Forte:

Since 2002, Ms. Forte has been the Assistant Director for Walsh College's Office of Online Learning. Anne works closely with the department staff and online faculty overseeing online course development and ensuring quality delivery. Anne is currently transitioning to part-time at Walsh College so that she can take on the additional role of Michigan Training Consultant for the Educator Course Management Systems by UCompass. Anne joined Walsh College in October of 1990 as part-time librarian responsible for designing library research instruction and coordinating instruction with faculty across Walsh's business disciplines. She began working full time in the library in 1993, expanding responsibilities to include electronic resources such as the CD-ROMs, online services, and Internet. Growing interest in the Internet led to freelance training stints on corporate sites. She left the Walsh library staff to establish WebSkillsTM, an Internet training and consulting company, and began teaching "Marketing on the Internet" in 1996. In the summer of 1998, this course became the first online course taught at Walsh College.

Garret Brand:

Garret Brand is a full-time business faculty member at Grand Rapids Community College. In addition, he's the College's Online Coordinator, Curriculum Designer and WIDS Coach/Trainer. He has been teaching business law for over ten years in a campus and online format. He has a BBA from Western Michigan University and a Juris Doctor from Thomas M. Cooley Law School.

Eric Kunnen:

Eric Kunnen's background is in teaching at the secondary level. He has a State of Michigan Teaching Certificate. He has also recently acquired a Masters of Arts Degree from Grand Valley State University in Educational Technologies. Eric works as an Instructional Designer and Blackboard Administrator at Grand Rapids Community College.

Dennis Choiniere:

Dennis Choiniere works for SCT Corporation, on contract at Oakland Community College, where he is an instructional support coordinator. Dennis has worked in technology-enhanced instruction for 18 years, beginning with early computer assisted instruction, interactive television and now online course design. Dennis has a BA in Philosophy from St. Louis University and an M.Ed. in Instructional Technology from Wayne State University in Detroit. Dennis is a facilitator of the Advisor section of the FIPSE initiative undertaken by the MCCVLC.

Patti Davidson:

Patti has been involved with distance learning since 1989 when she became the Telelearning Coordinator at Delta College (University Center, MI). Patti earned her Master of Arts degree in Educational Technology Leadership from George Washington University (which was accomplished completely online). Currently, she works at West Shore Community College (Scottville, MI) as their Director of Distance Learning & Information Technology. In addition, Patti is the current president of ETOM (Educational Teleconsortium of Michigan) an organization that she has been involved with since 1989.

Kathryn Schrader:

Kathryn Schrader has coordinated the tutoring program at Muskegon Community College for twenty-five years. She has an Associate's Degree from her home college, Muskegon CC and earned her bachelor's degree from Michigan State University in Philosophy. Kathryn has presented at several state and national conferences on the topic of onsite and online tutoring programs. Professional affiliations include, Chair of the National Tutoring Association's Committee on tutoring and distance learning, she also serves on the Michigan Tutorial Association's Executive Committee and the Michigan Community College Tutoring Coalition.

Debby Harris:

Debby Harris has worked at Lansing Community College Library since 1987. She has served as Distance Learning Librarian since 1997.

Mark Burger:

Mark Burger is the Educational Technologies Director at Kirtland Community College. Before coming to Kirtland in 1994, he was the Manager of Media Services at Wichita State University in Wichita, Kansas. Mark's primary responsibilities at the college are coordination of interactive telecommunications, classroom technology and distance learning.