ACS WASC Commissioners

Dr. Odie Douglas is the current ACS WASC Commission Chairperson. He recently retired as the assistant superintendent responsible for overseeing educational services and supervising elementary, middle, and high schools in the Pleasanton Unified School District located in Alameda County. He earned his Doctor of Education degree in Curriculum and Instruction at the University of San Francisco. Dr. Douglas is a coach/mentor for the California Academic Partnership Program Leadership Network and a national consultant for the College Board and AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination). He previously served as a member of the College Board’s National Academic Assembly and Western Regional Council. He is a Commissioner and Executive Committee member for the Accrediting Commission for Schools, Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC). Dr. Douglas has served as an adjunct professor at California State University, Sacramento. He taught courses in educational leadership, multicultural education, community relations, special education and categorical programs, and […]

Dr. Linda Norman is the current Vice Chairperson and represents the Western Catholic Educational Association (WCEA) on the ACS WASC Commission. Dr. Norman has over thirty years working as an educator and school administrator. She considers herself a lifelong learner, having earned three graduate degrees in education including a doctorate in educational administration. She has worked in both private and public schools, taught students in preschools, elementary, junior high, high school, and adult education. In doing so, she has held many roles including that of teacher, preschool director, program director, and school principal. Currently, Dr. Norman serves as Superintendent of Schools for the Diocese of Santa Rosa. She also serves as both the Elementary and Secondary Commissioner for the fourteen schools which hold dual accreditation by both ACS WASC and WCEA. When she is not busy taking care of schools, she enjoys spending time with her husband and seeking out […]

Dr. David Gaudi represents the Hawaii Association of Independent Schools (HAIS) and was the previous WASC chairperson. Dr. Gaudi has nearly 30 years of experience as a full-time educator. Prior to being appointed head of school at Saint Mark School in Kane‘ohe in 2007, he served for 14 years as a high school administrator and science/math instructor and was heavily involved in the school accreditation process. Dr. Gaudi holds a B.A. in zoology, a M.Ed. in educational administration, and an Ed.D. in professional educational practice from the University of Hawaii at Mānoa. He enjoys giving back to the university through his work advising masters’ and doctoral students and guest lecturing. He is currently an affiliate graduate faculty member advising doctoral students on their dissertation work. Dr. Gaudi is a member of the board of directors for HAIS and the Hawaii Children’s Action Network (HCAN). He also serves as a member […]

Dr. Ward Andrus is currently the Superintendent of Murrieta Valley Unified School District located in Riverside County, California. With over 22, 400 preschool – adult students, at 20 locations, he and his team work diligently to Inspire all Students to Think, to Learn, to Achieve, to Care.  Murrieta Valley is a well-recognized district with the top graduation rate in Riverside County and many more accolades. Previously, Dr. Andrus served as the Central Union High School District Superintendent located in El Centro, CA. Prior to CUHSD, Dr. Andrus served in several administrative positions for the Placer County Office of Education, San Juan Unified School District, Folsom-Cordova Unified and the Stockton Unified School District. Dr. Andrus earned his doctorate from the University of La Verne in Organizational Leadership, his Master of Arts degree from CSU Sacramento, and his bachelor’s degree from Brigham Young University. In 2018, he was named the California Project […]

Janice Blaber represents the Hawaii Government Employees’ Association on the ACS WASC Commission. She is the School Principal at Kealakehe Intermediate School.

Dr. Moohay Ahn Choe joined the Commission as a representative of the Association of California School Administrators (ACSA). She began her educational career in the New York City Schools District as an instrumental music teacher. She then moved to the Los Angeles Unified Schools District and continued to teach music. As funding for music in the schools and music teachers depleted and having English as a minor, Dr. Choe was advised to go into teaching English and English as a Second Language. Transitioning into administration, Dr. Choe has served as Instructional Specialist, Second Language/Gifted Coordinator, Assistant Principal, and Principal. Dr. Choe has been retired for ten years but is fortunate to continue to serve the students in various interim administrative positions. Dr. Choe currently works with ACSA Region 16 and the educational community of LAUSD up to date legislative information and membership opportunities. Dr. Choe is an active community volunteer […]

Dr. Kevin Collins is an ACSA representative on the WASC Commission. Dr. Collins began his career in education as a math and science teacher in the Oakland Unified School District. He served as a high school associate principal and middle school principal before moving to a district position. He currently serves as an Assistant Superintendent with the San Leandro Unified School District. He received his teaching credential, master’s degree, administrative credential, and doctorate at Saint Mary’s College of California. He has served as an adjunct faculty member in the department of education at both Mills College and Santa Clara University. He has been serving on WASC committees since 2000, and has served on 40 visiting teams since then. Kevin is thrilled to represent ACSA as a WASC Commissioner.

Julie Cruz represents the California Federation of Teachers on the ACS WASC Commission. Throughout the past 20 years, Mrs. Cruz has been a high school English teacher, instructional coach, cooperating teacher, and WASC coordinator at North Salinas High School in Salinas, California. Overall, she strives to educate with compassion and enthusiasm to make positive influences and academic growth in every student. Outside of work, Mrs. Cruz values her time outdoors, line dancing, and spending time with her family.

Dr. Jeff Davis is on the WASC Commission serving as a representative of the California Association of Independent Schools (CAIS). After 44 years in education, time split evenly between public and private education, he recently retired as Head of School from TVT Community Day School, a TK-12 school with 825 students located in Irvine California. He and his wife are cycling enthusiasts and they love spending time together on a tandem bike and have completed many week long bike adventures in Israel, France, Canada and of course the USA. They now reside in Coronado California where they spend lots of time walking, cycling, golfing, and running a charity benefiting children called Pedal Beach Tours.

Greg Dhuyvetter represents the Western Catholic Educational Association on the ACS WASC Commission. He has over thirty-five years’ experience in Catholic education, serving as teacher, administrator, and superintendent of the Diocese of Orange, CA. From the earliest part of his career, he has been involved in educational reform, working with strategic planning, program development, faculty development, and ed-tech initiatives, trying to anticipate and create the new realities of education. He has particularly focused on using school accreditation as a lever for reform, and he has participated on visiting teams, reading teams, and protocol development committees. After serving as superintendent, he spent three years working as Lead Consultant for Catholic School Management, assisting schools all over the country with assessments, leadership training, and strategic planning. In April of 2021, he returned to the field of accreditation, assuming the position of Executive Director of the Western Catholic Educational Association. He speaks regularly […]

Toby Elmore is one of the two Commissioners representing the California Association of Private School Organizations (CAPSO) on the ACS WASC Commission. Toby currently teaches history and coaches soccer at the middle and high school levels at the Stevenson School, a pk-12 independent day and boarding school on the Monterey Peninsula. Having taught in independent schools for more than 20 years, Toby has spent 15 of the last 19 years working at schools in California. He has taught all grade levels from 7-12, and subject matter ranging from survey courses in American History and Global History, his true passion lay in helping students appreciate and make sense of Middle Eastern and South Asian history. He lives on the Stevenson campus with his wife Amy and his two children Charles and Stella.

Marty Fricke represents the California Teachers Association on the ACS WASC Commission. He began his career in California public high school education in 1995. He was a teacher of both social studies and German in the Merced Union High School District, where he was also the pilot writer and teacher for the district’s Ethnic Studies curriculum, and served as a Mentor Teacher. He moved to University High School in the Los Angeles Unified School District as a school counselor in 1999, and then to Saugus High School in the William S. Hart Union High School District 2001, where he has continually served in the role as a counselor. In addition to his regular counseling assignment, he served for over a decade as the counseling department chair at Saugus High School. He was the lead professional development high school counselor for the Hart District from 2018 to 2023, a role in […]

Andrea Fukumoto represents the Hawaii State Department of Education on the ACS WASC Commission.

Anna-Lisa George is a WCEA representative on the WASC Commission. In her nearly thirty years in Catholic education, Anna-Lisa George has served as teacher, department chair, and administrator. She is particularly interested in the development of curriculum and assessments, effective technology integration, horizontal and vertical curriculum alignment, and promoting collaboration and teamwork among colleagues. She began serving on WASC and WCEA accreditation teams in 1994 and since then has served as chair and/or member of over 25 visiting committees. She finds the self-study and accreditation process to be a powerful tool for growth in schools. Most of her career has been spent doing what she loves most: teaching English and coaching the academic decathlon team. She enjoys fostering a love of reading and writing in her students and instilling in them a love of learning.

Carol Green represents the California Congress of Parents and Teachers Inc. on the ACS WASC Commission. She serves as California State PTA President and has been working and volunteering on behalf of children and youth for more than 20 years. She has served in various PTA/PTSA roles including as a local unit president at both an elementary school PTA and a high school PTSA, as a council president and Ninth District President serving San Diego and Imperial Counties. Green has served on the California State PTA Board of Directors since 2015 as the Vice President for Communications and Vice President for Membership Services and now as President. She is an active community volunteer including more than 12 years as a Girl Scout Leader and eight year on the San Diego Junior Theatre Board of Trustees. She has served on a local WASC school site committee and as a teacher at […]

Melissa Handy is a Hawaii Private Teacher on the WASC Commission. With over twelve years in technology leadership roles at Hawaii’s independent schools, Melissa Handy brings a unique blend of experience and passion to her work. Growing up in Pennsylvania, where her parents were both dedicated elementary school teachers, Melissa naturally gravitated towards education. Now at Le Jardin Academy in Kailua, HI, she serves as the Executive Director of Strategic Planning and Technology, seamlessly blending strategy with hands-on teaching in her IB DP Computer Science classes. A strong advocate for STEM, Melissa also invests her energy into coaching FIRST Robotics, instilling innovation and creativity in students. Beyond her professional commitments, she cherishes the moments spent connecting with her daughter who lives in Seattle, WA.

Karin Hansen Del Ray represents the Hawaii Teachers Association on the WASC Commission. She is a fluent Hawaiian Language speaker which lends itself well to knowing and understanding the cultures, history and languages of Hawaii’s vulnerable populations. She has four daughters, all of whom attended Hawaiian Immersion Preschool, Punana Leo, and the public high school where she has taught at for the past 20 years, Kahuku High and Intermediate. She was intimately involved in their early childhood education and volunteered in the classroom two to three times a week interacting with the keiki in ‘olelo Hawai’i, and she had the privilege of working again with her children and so many other public high school students as the class adviser and NHS adviser at KHIS. Ms. Hansen Del Ray attended the Harvard Graduate School of Education in the EPA masters program about education, policy research and implementation methods, and analysis to […]

Dr. Gregory Hedger has been Director of The International School Yangon, in Myanmar, since 2016. A native of Minnesota in the U.S., Dr. Hedger has served in educational leadership positions for 20 years in the role of school director at Cayman International School, at Qatar Academy, in Doha, and as superintendent at Escuela Campo Alegre in Venezuela. He also served as elementary school principal in Karachi, Pakistan.  Prior to his leadership positions, Greg taught sixth grade in his hometown in Edina, Minnesota, grades one and six in Romania, and middle school social studies and English in Indonesia. Dr. Hedger also taught Theory of Knowledge (TOK) at the high school level. Greg has been involved in international education through his service on the boards of Association for the Advancement of International Education (AAIE), the East Asia Regional Copuncil of Schools (EARCOS), the Association of American Schools in South America (AASSA), The […]

Esther Kanehailua joined the commission on July 1, 2021. Esther Kanehailua was appointed as an ACS WASC Commissioner representing the Hawaii State Department of Education. She is currently in her second year as Complex Area Superintendent for the Hilo-Waiākea Complex on Hawaiʻi Island. The complex area comprises 13 schools.  Prior to her current appointment, Esther served as Deputy Complex Area Superintendent for both the Hilo-Waiākea and Kaʻu-Keaʻau-Pahoa Complex. Ms. Kanehailua began her education career three decades ago as a teacher at Hilo High School. Throughout her education career she has served as Vice Principal for Hilo High, Hilo Intermediate and Waiākea High School and Principal at Haʻaheo Elementary and Hilo Intermediate. Ms. Kanehailua has a bachelor’s degree from the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo and a masters degree in education administration from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa.  She feels privileged to have been a product of the complex of schools […]

Cindy Kazanis represents the California Department of Education (CDE) on the ACS WASC Commission. She serves as the Director of the Analysis, Measurement, and Accountability Reporting Division at the California Department of Education where she oversees the implementation of the California School Dashboard, DataQuest, and directs the process for sharing education data with researchers. During her 16 year tenure at the Department, Cindy has held various leadership positions and led the implementation of the student-level data system, transitioned the compliance monitoring process to a web-based system, and ensured California’s public schools had the necessary technology and bandwidth for computer-based testing. Cindy holds a master’s degree in public administration from Syracuse University and a bachelor’s degree in political science and history from the George Washington University.

Dr. Christine McCormick is a WASC Commissioner representing the Association of California School Administrators (ACSA). Dr. McCormick was raised on a ranch outside of Wheatland, CA. She earned a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Humboldt State University and worked as an auditor for the first part of her work career. She made the switch to education when her children were little earning her teaching credential from Chapman University and her Master’s in educational administration from National University. She holds a Doctorate in Organizational Leadership where she focused her research on the needs of small school districts. She has served as a school administrator for over 15 years and during her 27-year career in education has participated in the WASC process as a teacher, administrator, committee member, and chair. In her spare time, Christine enjoys traveling, gardening, and reading. She has two grown children, one stationed at the Naval Base […]

Monique McWayne represents the California Department of Education (CDE) on the ACS WASC Commission. She currently serves as the Interim Director of the Educator Excellence and Equity Division at the CDE, which is responsible for supporting policy, program development, and disbursement of statewide funding to support the professional learning of teachers, principals, and other school leaders. During her 10-years with the CDE, Monique has led professional learning initiatives to support content standards implementation and state and federal grant initiatives to support student academic achievement and educational innovation. Monique also serves as the California state educational agency director of the federally-funded Title II, Part A program. Prior to joining the CDE, Monique served 10 years as an educator in California local educational agencies.

Dr. Eric Mooney is a highly dedicated and passionate educator serving the Colton Joint Unified School District in Southern California as the Director of Secondary Education. He obtained his Bachelor’s Degree in History from Thomas Edison State University and began teaching in New Jersey as a middle school history teacher. Dr. Mooney continued his academic journey by pursuing a Master’s and Doctorate in Educational Leadership, which equipped him with the skills necessary to assume leadership roles within educational institutions. Throughout his career, Dr. Mooney has served in various educational capacities, including classroom teaching, curriculum development, and administrative positions at the site and district levels. Dr. Mooney resides in Riverside, CA, and outside of his professional endeavors, he enjoys cooking, traveling, and spending time with his husband of 17 years, Robert Armenta, Jr.

Dr. Christopher “Kit” Oase represents the California School Boards Association (CSBA) on the Commission. Dr. Oase has been a member of the Ripon Unified School District Board of Trustees since December 2010 and also serves on CSBA’s Delegate Assembly.  A California native, Kit is a retired educator having served 35 years in public education including the communities of Elk Grove, Escalon, Stanislaus County, and San Leandro.  He holds a bachelor’s and master’s degree from Sacramento State University, and a doctorate in political science with minor areas of concentration in economics and sociology from Idaho State University. In the field of education, Kit has had experience as an elementary and high school teacher, and high school and county school’s administrator.  He served for 6 years as a member and chair of the California Commission on Educational Innovation and Planning and served for more than 20 years as a visiting committee chair […]

Jennifer Owens is on the WASC Commission representing postsecondary education. Jennifer started her career in education at Grossmont Adult in 2005. She taught high school diploma classes as well as high school equivalency preparation for 16 years before becoming Director II of the ESL program and the El Cajon Adult Center in 2022. Jennifer graduated from San Diego State University with a B.A. in Anthropology and with a minor in American Indian Studies. When not working, Jennifer enjoys spending time with family and friends.

Jason Sample serves as the ACS WASC Charter School Commissioner on the ACS WASC Commission.

Terri Schwabauer represents the Western Catholic Education Association (WCEA) on the WASC Commission. She began her career in education as a parent volunteer at a Catholic elementary school in Northern California where she was eventually employed as the school secretary, teacher, and then principal. Terri served as principal for fifteen years in two North State Catholic schools and currently serves the Diocese of Sacramento as Regional Director and Accreditation Officer for elementary and secondary schools. In addition to her teaching credential, Terri holds an Administrative Services Credential, an MA in Education, and a BA in Psychology. As principal, Terri thoroughly enjoyed working with students, teachers, and parents. Though she misses those interactions, she now loves collaborating with principals in all aspects of accreditation, including those principals at the schools in which she serves as a visiting committee chair. In her spare time, Terri enjoys gardening and spending time with her […]

Dr. David Sciarretta represents the ACS WASC Charter School Commissioner on the ACS WASC Commission. With over a quarter century of experience in public education, Dr. Sciarretta has served as teacher, principal, executive director, and currently superintendent of Albert Einstein Academies (AEA) in San Diego, CA. Having earned a BA in history and political science, a Master’s of Education in cross-cultural teaching, a California Administrative Services Credential, and a doctorate in Educational Leadership, Dr. Sciarretta is committed to lifelong learning for students, staff, and the community. His doctoral dissertation explored California charter school principal communication techniques with a focus on leadership storytelling. A 1993 Thomas J. Watson Fellow, Dr. Sciarretta has lived and worked in Mexico and Central America and is fluent in Spanish. In addition to his leadership role at AEA, Dr. Sciarretta is active on non-profit boards as well as on a statewide level with charter school policy-making, […]

Laura Stefanski is a Public Member serving on the ACS WASC Commission. She is a retired administrator and educator. Before retiring in June 2015, Ms. Stefanski was employed by the Mountain View Los Altos High School District as Associate Superintendent of Human Resources, and earlier as Adult School Director. Laura has also worked for the Fremont Union and Milpitas Unified School Districts. Since retiring, she has filled in as an administrator and participated on various WASC visiting committees. Laura currently serves on the Santa Clara County Civil Grand Jury and is active in several professional and local community organizations. She lives in Palo Alto where she gardens and works on house projects.

Dr. Kenneth Erik Swanson is a member on the WASC Commission representing the Pacific Islands. Dr. Swanson earned a Bachelor of Arts in music education from the University of Nevada, Reno. He received his Master of Education in curriculum and evaluation from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas and continued in the Ed.D. program achieving Nevada Administrator Certification and achieved his Ph.D. in leadership in educational administration from Capella University. Over the course of his career in public education, Dr. Swanson taught middle and high school band and choir in Las Vegas, Nevada for eleven years. In 1984 he was offered the opportunity to teach with the Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) overseas. His DoDEA experience took him to Italy, South Korea, Guam, Japan, and Puerto Rico. He served over 20 years as a K-12 principal and several years as a trainer in the NCA-CASI school improvement model and […]

Dr. Berit von Pohle represents the Pacific Union Conference of Seventh-day Adventists on the ACS WASC Commission. She has 40 years of experience in Seventh-day Adventist schools. This includes serving as a high school teacher, guidance counselor, principal, superintendent and currently as the Vice-President of Education for the Pacific Union Conference (the regional headquarters for Seventh-day Adventist schools in California, Arizona, Nevada, Utah, and Hawaii). Berit has three graduate degrees – one in Counseling and the others in Educational Administration. She considers herself a bit of a book addict and has a hard time not exploring books referenced in articles about education and leadership. Berit’s job involves a great deal of travel, and as often as possible, she finds a way to include a stop to spend time with her two granddaughters (and their parents).

Livingston “Jack” Wong is a Public Member representing Hawaii on the ACS WASC Commission. He serves as Chief Executive Officer of Kamehameha Schools (KS). Prior to being named CEO in 2014, Jack served as an attorney for Kamehameha Schools for 17 years, including as its Vice President of Legal Services and General Counsel. Before joining Kamehameha Schools, Jack represented international, national and local businesses, financial institutions and landowners in the areas of real estate, finance, and business associations. He also previously served as an adjunct professor at Hawai‘i Pacific University, teaching Business Law. Jack has B.A. in Economics from UCLA and a J.D. from UCLA School of Law. Under Jack’s leadership, Kamehameha Schools embarked in 2015 on a bold, exciting voyage that envisions, in one generation, a thriving Lāhui in which all Native Hawaiian learners achieve postsecondary educational success, enabling good life and career choices. Kamehameha Schools, founded in 1887 […]