Patrick Carr is the Director of the Rural, Insular, and Native Achievement Programs division in the Office of Elementary and Secondary Education at the U.S. Department of Education. In this role he manages several programs that provide financial support and technical assistance to improve the educational outcomes of students, particularly students in rural and geographically isolated areas.

Staci Cummins is an Education Program Specialist on the Rural Education Achievement Program (REAP) team. Staci supports key elements of program implementation, including national data collection, grant award processes and allocation, policy development, and technical assistance for approximately 4,000 small, rural schools and 48 States. Staci started her career in education as an elementary and middle school teacher in South Dakota.

Leslie Poynter is the Group Leader for the Rural Education Achievement Program (REAP) in the Office of Elementary and Secondary Education at the U.S. Department of Education, responsible for oversight and implementation of the Small Rural School Achievement (SRSA) and Rural Low-Income School (RLIS) programs. She brings to this role over ten years of experience at the Department and began her career as a junior high school teacher in Arizona.