Administration & Operations
Staff
Tim Boals, Ph.D.
Executive Director
LADDER Principal Investigator
Phone: 608-263-4326
Email:
tjboals@wisc.edu
As the Executive Director,
Tim Boals oversees operations at WIDA and long range planning efforts. He holds a Ph.D.from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in curriculum with an emphasis in the education of English language learners.
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Elizabeth Cranley has been with the WIDA Consortium since its beginning in 2003. She coordinates with subcontractors, committees, and SEAs; plans and implements professional development; and writes and edits WIDA publications. She has experience as an ESL teacher both in the U.S. and abroad and was senior lecturer in ESL at SUNY Buffalo before joining WIDA.
Matthew Basler
Administrative Specialist
Phone: 608-265-6240
Email:
mvbasler@wisc.edu
Matthew Basler coordinates and provides administrative support for all WIDA activities. This includes planning and organizing WIDA conferences and workshops, and completing travel and consultant reimbursements for staff and WIDA partners. Matthew holds a BA in International studies from UW-Madison and has two years of administrative experience with the University.
Bonnie Griffin oversees the implementation of strategic planning, facilitates organizational change, and leads the collaborative effort to establish a complementary nonprofit arm for WIDA. Her background includes twenty years of human resources and management experience.
Adrian Herrera coordinates and provides administrative support for WIDA activities. This includes planning and organizing WIDA conferences and workshops, and completing travel and consultant reimbursements for staff and WIDA partners. Adrian holds a BS in Public Administration from UW - Green Bay.
Becki Kohl
WIDA Project Administrator
Phone: 608-890-2550
Email:
rtkohl@wisc.edu
Becki Kohl is the project administrator for WIDA operations which includes project planning, organization of people and resources, managing project security, monitoring contracts and budgets, and acting as the primary liaison with the WCER business office.
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James W. Lyne
Contracts Specialist
Phone: 608-265-2262
Email:
jwlyne@wisc.edu
Jim Lyne is the contract and intellectual property specialist for WIDA. Prior to joining WIDA, Jim assisted University counsel in matters relating to University trademarks. Jim received his M.S. in soil science and his J.D. from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Danielle Maillette works with internal WIDA departments to develop and execute marketing plans for new and existing products and services. She is also responsible for researching trends and new opportunities in the field of ELL assessment and professional development.
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Jesse Markow
Director, Communication & Business Development
Phone: 608-262-7594
Email:
markow@wisc.edu
Jesse Markow communicates with State Education Agencies as they seek information about Consortium membership and acts as project manager for SEAs once they have joined. He also works with agencies and vendors who are interested in WIDA products and services and represents WIDA at conferences and meetings.
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Houa Moua
Administrative Specialist
Phone: Coming soon!
Email:
htmoua@wisc.edu
Houa Moua coordinates and provides administrative support for WIDA activities. This includes planning and organizing WIDA conferences and workshops, and completing travel and consultant reimbursements for staff and WIDA partners. Houa graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire with a degree in Business Administration and holds a TESOL certificate.
Merideth R. Trahan
Human Resource Manager
Phone: 608-262-4405
Email:
mrtrahan@wisc.edu
Merideth Trahan oversees the human resource efforts for the WIDA project including managing staff recruitment and retention, internal communication, and the coordination of strategic planning for the leadership team. In addition, she manages the WIDA LADDER grant, a National Professional Development project to enhance the assessment and data literacy of school-based ELL leadership teams.
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Lois Triemstra coordinates and provides administrative support for WIDA activities. This includes planning and organizing WIDA conferences and workshops, completing travel and consultant reimbursements for staff and WIDA partners, and serving as the primary liaison to WCER for financial services. Lois has 28 years of administrative experience and has been with WCER for 18 years.
Sonia James Upton, Ph.D.
Consortium Policy Administrator
Phone: 608-265-5648
Email:
supton@wisc.edu
Sonia Upton works with State Education Agencies (SEAs) to identify policy and implementation needs and acts as their advocate. She also manages the development and dissemination of Consortium-wide communications and acts as the liaison between WIDA departments and Consortium member states.
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