Shaketta D. Thomas is currently the school assessment coordinator for the Virginia Department of Corrections (VADOC). Ms. Thomas completed her bachelor’s degree in accounting from Virginia State University, a master’s in adult education from Regent University, and is presently pursuing a Ph.D. in educational psychology, also at Regent University.
 
She is a staunch advocate for correctional education. Never one to back down from a challenge, she has made great efforts in ensuring that correctional education is not an afterthought, but an essential component of Adult Education. Ms. Thomas is an active member of the Virginia Association of Adult and Continuing Education where she serves as the secretary on the board. She is also a member of the Correctional Education Association and an active participant in the GEDTS® Corrections Forum and the Virginia Special Education Advisory Board.
 
Ms. Thomas is passionate about adult education and advocating for the needs of her students within correctional education. This advocacy extends beyond the inmates’ period of incarceration and into their functional needs upon reentering into society. She collaborates with adult education centers across the Commonwealth of Virginia to ensure that students continue to receive services upon release. As a trained Dialogue Practitioner, Ms. Thomas understands the importance of using one’s voice to create healing and effective change. She is always looking to engage herself in the latest challenges of adult education with hopes of advancing the individual and group difficulties that impact the field.