Our Team

Email: triag@mailbox.sc.edu

Tria Grant has been a South Carolina educator since 2001 and is a former elementary and middle school teacher and interventionist. Tria worked as a Teacher-in-Residence and Program Director for the Center for Educator Recruitment, Retention, and Advancement (CERRA), where she focused on pre-collegiate services and induction and mentoring support. She also led educator effectiveness initiatives and support as an education associate at the South Carolina Department of Education and District Evaluation Coordinator. She serves on the Executive Board and is the Director of Education for Hygiene for Humanity. Tria holds a B.S. in Elementary Education and an M.Ed. in Educational Leadership from Winthrop University, as well as an M.Ed. in Instructional Design from Western Governors University. She oversees all aspects of CarolinaCAP in her role as program Director.

Email: bianik@sc.edu

Having previously served as a National Coordinator for the U.S. Army Reserve Ambassador Program in Washington, D.C., and as a Postal Contracting Officer Representative in Kirkuk, Iraq, Nikki is a creative problem solver with a passion for all things complex and innovative. She retired from the U.S. Army and shifted her focus to a path of service in the civilian workforce. With over 20 years of experience in Administrative/Budget Management Services and a Master of Business Administration degree, she sought a career in project management that would serve her desire to help others. Nikki is committed to supporting CarolinaCAP’s collaboration with district partners to bring quality, certified teachers to South Carolina’s rural and hard-to-staff areas.

Email: burkett3@mailbox.sc.edu

During his 30-year tenure in education, Dr. Chris Burkett has served as a public school classroom teacher, tenured college professor, Dean of a Division of Education, and Associate Provost of a small college. Currently, he serves as Executive Director of Student Services and Clinical Placements within the College of Education at the University of South Carolina- Columbia. Dr. Burkett’s mission throughout his educational career has centered on impact- transforming lives through education, thus empowering those impacted to go forward to create change themselves. Dr. Burkett has extensive experience with alternate routes to certification and is excited to serve as the CarolinaCAP Course Coordinator.

Email: adaughtrey@miraeducation.org

Alesha Daughtrey serves as Exeuctive Director & Partner at CTQ, where her work focuses educator-led change across P20 systems. Since joining the organization in 2009, she has supported more than 50 partnering teams to develop professional learning and support models, design leadership and career pathways for educators, and strategically integrate competency-based learning as a component of both. Alesha holds a Master of Public Policy (MPP) from Duke University and a B.A. in English and secondary education from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro.

Email: jdedmon@email.sc.edu

Dr. Janet Dedmon has been an educator in the Columbia, South Carolina, area for more than 18 years, serving as a high school Latin teacher, middle school media specialist, and finally, as an instructional technology coach, where she is responsible for technology professional development for teachers districtwide. She is excited to join the CarolinaCAP and CarolinaCrED teams this year as the platform specialist and work to expand access to micro-credentials for personalized professional learning.

Email: SD51@mailbox.sc.edu

Stacy Dixon is a dedicated and experienced special education educator and instructional leader with 13 years of valuable expertise in the field. Stacy’s teaching journey has taken her across various states, including New Jersey, Washington, and Texas, where she has worked in different educational settings and gained a broad perspective on inclusive education. Her ability to adapt and thrive in diverse environments has enriched her understanding of best practices in special education. One of Stacy’s greatest passions lies in supporting teachers. She believes in the transformative power of education and is dedicated to empowering South Carolina educators to make a lasting difference in the lives of their students.

Email: hallhyml@mailbox.sc.edu

Dr. Lisa Hall-Hyman has worked in education for more than 18 years. She has served as a classroom teacher, South Carolina public school building/level administrator, and tenured college professor. Throughout her educational career, Dr. Hall-Hyman’s objective has been to reach and teach diverse learners by building teacher leadership capacity. She has substantial experience in coaching, leadership, and professional development, with a focus on improving teacher quality, and recognizes the importance of education and the impact it has on the lives of students and practitioners in the field. Dr. Hall-Hyman is ecstatic to be a Coach Lead with the CarolinaCAP team.

Email: allisonjacques@att.net 

Allison Batten Jacques began her career in education as a teacher before becoming a school administrator at both the middle and secondary levels. While serving as principal of Brookland-Cayce High School, she was named South Carolina Secondary Principal of the Year in 2005. Dr. Jacques then directed the Office of Educator Preparation, Support, and Assessment as well as the Office of Certification at the SC Department of Education followed by a stint as an assistant dean at the University of South Carolina’s College of Education. She also served as Chief Human Resources Officer for School District Five of Lexington and Richland Counties and now works as an education consultant where she supports aspiring teachers seeking employment and assists partner districts in hiring classroom teachers through her role as Employment Support Specialist for CarolinaCAP.

Email: krebsj@mailbox.sc.edu

Dr. Janine Krebs serves as the CarolinaCAP Candidate Support Specialist. After graduating from Pacific University with her Doctor of Physical Therapy, she spent several years as a clinical physical therapist, primarily treating in pediatric and outpatient orthopedic settings. One of the aspects of physical therapy that she embraced the most was patient education, often volunteering to reach out to her community and schools to lead instruction on wellness. After taking time to raise a family, Dr. Krebs decided to dedicate her time to serving in education. She taught Middle-Level Science via the PACE program and is now committed to supporting alternative pathway educators across South Carolina in their pursuit of learning and developing to provide quality education to their students.

Email: stephaniemartin@sc.edu

Stephanie Martin is a seasoned public relations professional with experience in the nonprofit, government, utilities, and higher education industries. Her communication skills have been honed through positions with United Way, the state’s electric cooperative association, and Clemson University youth development programs. She has collaborated to win multiple ADDY awards and a Best of Show from the American Advertising Federation, in addition to several accolades from United Way of America and the Southern Public Relations Federation. Stephanie also taught in the USC School of Journalism and Mass Communications as an adjunct instructor for 6 years. She is now working with the CarolinaCrED programs — CarolinaCAP, CarolinaTIP, mCrED and CarolinaCrED CORE — to tell the many stories of educator successes.

Email: lnazareno@miraeducation.org

Lori (she/her) leads efforts that include designing and implementing collective leadership structures, rethinking how students engage in their learning, and redesigning how time in school is structured. She has 25 years of teaching experience and is a National Board Certified Teacher in Early Adolescence (EA) Science. Prior to joining Mira Education, she designed and helped bring into form the Mathematics and Science Leadership Academy, a collaboratively led school where she served as co-lead teacher for three years.

Email: brownlw@mailbox.sc.edu

Lauren Sanborn is a seasoned student services specialist with more than 10 years of experience in the University of South Carolina College of Education. Lauren graduated from USC’s Counselor Education program and started her career as an academic advisor for USC students majoring in education. She is now the Director of Undergraduate Advisement & Certification in the College of Education at USC. Lauren is excited to extend her student services knowledge to CarolinaCAP applicants as the CarolinaCAP Applicant Specialist.

Email: SCARBROE@mailbox.sc.edu

Elizabeth is a former instructional coach with 17 years of experience in education. She is passionate about building a collaborative culture in schools, equipping teacher leaders, and fostering professional learning and growth. A graduate of the University of South Carolina’s School of Journalism and Mass Communications, Elizabeth is also National Board Certified in Early Adolescence: English Language Arts and has a master’s degree in Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment. Throughout her career, Elizabeth has supported teachers through learning communities to create opportunities for collaboration and innovation. Through CarolinaCrED, she is excited to continue building teacher capacity and leadership among South Carolina educators.

Email: kathybs@mailbox.sc.edu

Kathy Schwalbe serves as the Coaching Coordinator for CarolinaCAP, allowing her to utilize coaching and leadership skills she’s developed for over 40 years. She began as a secondary-level English/Language Arts teacher after graduating from the University of South Carolina and was one of the first teachers in South Carolina to achieve National Board Certification in 1995. She worked to create a statewide support network for school district liaisons, candidates, and NBCTs while serving as a Teacher in Residence and Program Director at CERRA. She continued to follow her passion for coaching educators and became a Training Associate for Cognitive Coaching Seminars. She also served as a facilitator and partner with the New Teacher Center (UC-Santa Cruz) and traveled around the country to build partnerships through mentor training. Her experiences led her to work as a director of student services in the School of Education at the College of Charleston. She was elected to serve on a local school board for two terms before her “retirement” at the College. Her mission is to serve others and learn in innovative ways so that she may have an impact on teacher and administrator retention. When Kathy isn’t coaching, she enjoys her life outdoors with her husband and family.

Email: deannat@mailbox.sc.edu 

Dr. Deanna Taylor is the founder of Interactive Learning Solutions LLC (ILS), a firm established to address the skills students and educators need to continuously support the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) fields. She is an educator with over 20 years of experience. As an active member of the community, she is involved in non-profit work, service projects and community enrichment activities. She received her Doctorate of Education in Organizational Leadership and her Masters of Education in Educational Administration from Grand Canyon University in Phoenix, Arizona. Her Bachelor of Science degree in Biology was earned at Kennesaw State University in Kennesaw, Georgia. As CarolinaCAP’s Pathways and Recruitment Coordinator, Dr. Taylor is committed to supporting CarolinaCAP’s mission to attract local and diverse community members who will grow the teaching profession in South Carolina.

Email: RCTOOLE@mailbox.sc.edu

Rachel Toole has been a South Carolina educator since 1988, receiving her B.S. in Early Childhood Education from South Carolina State University and an M.Ed. in Education from Charleston Southern University. Rachel began her career teaching second grade students, and throughout her career, she has had a passion for supporting and retaining teachers. She has served as a District Induction/Mentor Coordinator for Calhoun County Public Schools, as well as an evaluator and mentor trainer, and Literacy Coach. Her advocacy continued after retirement as she became the Region Two Program Facilitator for the Center for Recruitment, Retention and Advancement (CERRA). Rachel currently serves as a CarolinaTIP Coach and is excited to join the CarolinaCAP team as a Coach Lead, continuing to strengthen her passion for supporting teachers.

Email: vanburen@sc.edu

Cindy Van Buren has been a SC educator since 1988. She has previously served as the Deputy Superintendent for the Division of School Effectiveness for the South Carolina Department of Education, the Chair of the Department of Education at Newberry College, the Director of Teacher Education at Winthrop University, and as a high school administrator and teacher at Rock Hill High School. Since joining the staff in the College of Education at USC in 2015, she has dedicated her work to building and maintaining partnerships that improve the lives of teachers, students, schools and districts in SC.