K-12 Advisory Council

Ashley Aouate is the Director of Information Security for Fresno Unified School District, one of California’s largest public education systems serving more than 70,000 students. A strategic technology leader with over a decade of experience in education, Ashley has been pivotal in advancing Fresno Unified’s journey toward a secure and connected digital learning ecosystem. He founded and leads the district’s Information Security Office, establishing comprehensive cybersecurity governance, cross-departmental collaboration, and sustainable frameworks for student data privacy and platform interoperability. His leadership has strengthened institutional resilience, enhanced awareness across diverse staff, and aligned district technology initiatives with the highest K–12 digital trust standards.

With over 13 years in Fresno Unified’s Information Technology Department, Ashley has spearheaded enterprise-level initiatives supporting secure innovation and continuous improvement. His focus extends beyond technical security to cultivating a culture of digital responsibility—empowering educators and learners to use technology safely, effectively, and with confidence.

Bill Bass is an award winning educator and former English teacher who now serves as Innovation Coordinator for Instructional Technology, Information, Library Media and Federal Programs in the Parkway School District in St. Louis, MO. As an international speaker, writer and professional developer, he focuses on systemic and sustainable integration of technology into classrooms at all grade levels. Bill has served as the president of ISTE Board of Directors and was named as one of NSBA’s 20 to Watch EdTech Leaders. He is an ISTE Certified Educator, Google Certified Innovator, Google for Education Certified trainer and has written numerous articles and book chapters. He has also authored three books: From Inspiration to Red Carpet (ISTE 2012), Digital Reading: What’s essential in grades 3-8 (NCTE 2015), and Leading from the Library (ISTE 2019).

As the Director of Knowledge and Resource Management​, Joyce supports processes for creating, sharing, applying and managing knowledge and instructional resources. This includes facilitating and leveraging innovative solutions and expertise within technology services, managing training and learning on various applications, and establishing workflow systems for content, document and digital standards to support all GaDOE divisions and users, Georgia education stakeholders, and other external education partners.

Suzan Brandt serves as the Technology Director for Mountain Brook Schools. She was previously Technology Coordinator at Mountain Brook Junior High School. She began her career with Hoover City Schools in 1994 and served as an Instructional Technology Specialist from 2000-2009. Suzan has a B.S. in Elementary Education from Auburn University and an M.A. in Special Education from The University of Alabama at Birmingham, where she also completed coursework for her Educational Leadership certificate. She earned an Ed.S. in Educational Technology from Lesley University in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Suzan has worked in the area of special education and has taught Language Arts, Math, and Computer Applications.
Suzan is actively involved in professional development and learning. She has presented at The Gulf Coast Writing Project, The Samford University Writing Project, ACTE Conference, EduCon, AETA, Tech & Learning Live, and the Alabama Educational Technology Conference. She is an organizer for edcamp Birmingham, edcamp Mountain Brook , and CoSN's Unconference, CoSNCamp. Suzan is the organizer for TEDxYouth@MBJH, co-organizer of the MBJH TED-Ed Club and was on the organizational team for TEDxRedMountain, Birmingham's first TEDx event. She is the Education Director of TEDxBirmingham where she is actively participating in the learning community.
Suzan was the 2014 recipient of the Margaret Spencer Ragland Award for outstanding performance by the Mountain Brook Foundation. In 2001 she was recognized as the Outstanding Special Education Alumna Award from the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

Ryan Gravette is the Director of Information and Technology at the Idaho Digital Learning Alliance. Ryan has been an integral part of the Idaho Digital Learning Academy team for the past 19 years, developing systems and support infrastructure to make online learning possible. Prior to joining the Idaho Digital Learning Academy, Ryan worked in school districts in Idaho and California, where he supported and led networking and data projects. Ryan has been recognized for his exceptional support for technology by the Idaho Educational Technology Association, receiving the Presidential Award in both 2011 and 2020. Ryan is passionate about supporting students across the state and has a BS in Psychology from Westmont College, an MBA from Boise State, and is currently pursuing his doctorate in district administration.

As the Executive Director of Technology for Clayton County Public Schools, Howard Langford is dedicated to fostering collaboration with high-performing teams to drive technology innovation that aligns with the organization's strategic initiatives. With a focus on designing, planning, implementing, and maintaining enterprise-level IT infrastructures, Howard provides strong leadership to ensure interoperability within the digital ecosystem, and support for instructional objectives. Howard has over twenty years of experience in education and technology leadership in the K-12 sector.

Rich Platts, CETL, is Chief Technology Officer at Allegheny Intermediate Unit (AIU), an education service agency serving the families, students, and schools of Allegheny County and the greater Pittsburgh Region. Rich began his career as a middle school teacher passionate about leveraging technology to maximize student learning. He quickly became involved in districtwide leadership teams to improve technology integration and personalized learning for all students. As CTO at the AIU, he still considers himself a teacher at heart. Through his role as a teacher, operational technologist, and regional educational leader, Rich has developed a unique blend of expertise in both academic and administrative functions.

Dr. Jessica Preisig is the Assistant Superintendent for Technology Services for the School District of Pickens County, where she leads a dynamic technology team focused on building and maintaining a robust, secure digital ecosystem. Her department supports instructional technology software, end-user devices, AV technology, safety and security systems, network infrastructure, and information systems and data management. Jessica acts as a vital connector between the Academic Services and Administrative Services teams, fostering collaboration to empower every student for college, career, and life. As the cabinet member responsible for driving visionary, future-focused innovation, Jessica actively shares the district’s successes and challenges, promoting professional development, best practices, and purposeful technology integration.

Beyond her work in SDPC, Jessica leads the SCASA Technology Leader Roundtable and serves on the SCAET Board. She is also an active member of the 1EdTech K-12 Advisory Council, NCITL Steering Committee, and PowerSchool Education Insights Advisory Group. With over 20 years of experience in education, Jessica has held roles as a classroom teacher, instructional technology coach, school administrator, and district leader. She earned her undergraduate and master’s degrees from the University of South Carolina, followed by an Ed.S. in Administration and Supervision and a doctorate in Improvement Science from Clemson University.

Daniel Ralyea, Director of the Office of Research and Data Analysis at the South Carolina Department of Education, works with a broad network of decision makers to make the most of his state’s educational data. With nearly 750,000 K-12 students in the system, trying to deliver the best results for these students requires a strong team that can discover, share and make decisions from available data.

As an Assistant Superintendent of Operations & Technology, I bring a proven track record in bond planning, construction oversight, project coordination, and vendor management. Recognized for strategic leadership in designing and implementing instructional initiatives, with expertise in developing high-impact support materials including videos, tutorials, and infographics to enhance learning outcomes. Demonstrated success in managing complex technology implementations and infrastructure upgrades, with strong capabilities in budget oversight and cross-functional project execution. Adept at bridging technical and non-technical stakeholders, and highly effective in managing multiple priorities in fast-paced, high-demand environments.