ESEA Timeline

ALTERNATE - Erica Meaker (NY)

Kathryn Nichol Bio

A leader nationally recognized for her innovative approach to education, Kathryn “Joey” Nichol, M.Ed., has successfully held several leadership and management positions for the New Hampshire Department of Education spanning fourteen years. Joey has served administration, educators, students and families in the capacity of School Improvement Grant (SIG) Coordinator, North Country Title I Regional Manager, and as a member of the School Wide Integrated Framework for Transformation (SWIFT) State Implementation Team. Currently, Joey is the New Hampshire State Title II Director in the Bureau of Instructional Support where she oversees educational initiatives. As a strength-based leader with a passion for helping schools and students who are most in need, Joey has been a valuable asset to the New Hampshire Department of Education and the schools it serves.

Over the past four years, as a result of her work managing Federal grant programs and School Improvement initiatives in the State of New Hampshire, Joey has been able to provide experienced leadership, organizational skills, and valuable insights to the ESEA Conference Planning Committee. Her goal is to assist in the development of high-quality professional learning opportunities for the nations’ educators especially during this unprecedented time of the COVID-19 Pandemic. Joey has consistently brought valuable insight, experience, leadership, and organizational skills to the ESEA Conference Committee. As a planner and innovative leader and seeking to be more involved with NAESPA, she successfully ran and is the current Region 1 Representative. During this past year Joey also served on the Government Relations Committee.

Joey graduated from Indiana University of Pennsylvania with a BS in Elementary Education. She received her M.Ed. in Educational Leadership from Lesley University, Cambridge, MA.

ALTERNATE - Wes Sherrell (GA) 

Bernell Cook Bio

Bernell Cook is the Director of the Division of Federal Programs, in the Office of Fiscal Operations and Federal Support at the Louisiana Department of Education (LDE). With an extensive and robust career in education, he has been with the Louisiana Department of Education (LDE) for approximately seventeen years.

In his current leadership position, he facilitates the effective implementation of several federal programs: Title I, Part A, Title II, Part A, Title IV, Part B under ESSA. As Director, these responsibilities also include supporting the LDE’s design, training, and approval process of new Super Application. He also is responsible for the coordination and data validation of the Consolidated State Performance Report (CSPR) submission to the USDOE.

Bernell currently serves on the Board of Directors for the National Association of State Title I Directors as treasurer. He has a Master’s degree in Education Administration and Supervision from Southern University, A & M College in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Via alternative certification, he achieved NCLB’s Highly Qualified status in Secondary Mathematics (2007). A former middle and high school mathematics and science teacher, he also holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering with a minor in Mathematics. Bernell resides in Louisiana’s capital, and enjoys spending precious time with his wife and daughter Samiah Grace.

ALTERNATE - Shoua Vang (MI)

Erin Sudduth Bio

Erin Sudduth is the branch manager for the Title I, Part A Support and Improvement Branch at the Kentucky Department of Education (KDE). Erin began working with KDE in November 2016 and has worked as a program consultant for Title I, Part A and Title III, Part A. As branch manager, Erin works with ESEA foster care requirements, paraeducator requirements in Title I schools, consolidated monitoring, and Title V, Part B Rural Low-Income Schools. Prior to joining KDE, Erin was a Spanish teacher at the elementary and high school levels for 7 years. Erin has a Bachelor of Arts in international business and Spanish and a Master of Arts in Education from Georgetown College as well as a Specialist in Education degree from Eastern Kentucky University.

ALTERNATE - Dottie Heusman (NE)

Tate Toedman Bio

Tate is a Federal Programs Specialist in the Office of ESEA Programs at the Nebraska Department of Education. Tate oversees Title II-A, Title IV-A and is the Private School Ombudsman for ESEA programs. He is involved in approving applications and monitoring school districts and Education Service Units. He has previously served at the Kansas State Department of Education overseeing ESEA federal programs, served as the Coordinator for the Education of Homeless Children and Youth, and as the Private School Ombudsman. He was at the Kansas State Department of Education from 2006 to 2024.

ALTERNATE - Stacie Rekow (Idaho)

Les Koch Bio

Les represents the Title IA Director, School Improvement Performance Manager, and State Foster Care Coordinator positions for the Wyoming Department of Education. Les previously held a Program Lead position with the Wyoming State Forestry Division where his passion was writing forest management plans for private and municipal landowners. His new passion is to serve an advocacy role for disadvantaged children and all people that bear an impact on their education. He routinely attends Region 5 quarterly meetings, annual ESEA conferences, and served as a member of the LEA Affiliate and Membership Committees. His forestry and public administration educational achievements combined with his background working with diverse groups as well as the relationships he has built with Wyoming’s school districts will provide a good fit leading Region 5 on the Board of Directors. Les is excited to serve as the Region 5 Regional Representative.