The fourth cohort of COABE’s State Advocates for Adult Education Fellowship (SAAEF) kicked off at the national conference in March 2024. The initial SAAEF launched in March 2021, when COABE selected activists and leaders to champion the cause of adult education WIOA Title II programs. The State Advocates for Adult Education Fellowship (SAAEF) is a hands-on advocacy training program for adult educators, adult learners, and friends of adult education. During the yearlong program, fellows join an impactful and engaging community of practice where they will learn how to work with the media, their communities, and policymakers to create change benefiting adult learners and adult education programs.

Meet the Fellows Meet the Fellow Alumni

“The education and resources that I received as a SAAEF fellow, as well as the assistance this gave my state association, was off the charts. I was able to meet with government officials such as delegates, town commissioners, the agricultural commissioner, senators, and even the governor of West Virginia, and I shared what adult education does for our state and for learners.” – Lucy Lester, 2023 West Virginia Fellow

Congratulations to the Fellows that have been selected for the 2024 State Advocate for Adult Education Fellowship!

Alaska
Courtney Young
Southeast Regional Resource Center

Arizona
Marlaina Larsen Thorslev
Friendly House

Arkansas
Dr. Debbie Faubus-Kendrick
Crawford County Adult Education Center

California
David Coleman
Los Angeles Unified School District Adult Education

Colorado
Kimberly Silverthorn
Pikes Peak State College

Connecticut
Nasreen Al Omari
East Hartford Adult Education

Delaware
Chanteea Harmon
Organization of Adult and Alumni Students in Service (OAASIS )

District of Columbia
Ivette Cruz
LAYC Career Academy PCS

Florida
Michelle Overstreet
Adult Learning Center Osceola

Georgia
Joel Floyd
English for a Lifetime

Hawaii
Christine Park
Waipahu Community School for Adults

Idaho
Ginger Narum
College of Southern Idaho (CSI)

Illinois
Angelique Maguire
Illinois Eastern Community Colleges

Indiana
Eulalia Gomez-Lebario
MSD Wayne Township Adult Education

Iowa
Korianne Gevaert
Hawkeye Community College

Kansas
Yamir Lozada
WSU Tech – Goodwill Industries of Kansas

Louisiana
Mark Hux
BPCC

Maine
Mike Emery
Lake Region & Fryeburg Area Adult Education

Maryland
Ja’Ken Caston
Maryland Department of Labor

Michigan
Theodore Kroll
Livingston ESA/ MACAE

Minnesota
Clark Roman
Literacy Minnesota

Mississippi
Amber Beck
Rankin County School District Adult Education

Missouri
Kwame Mensah
St. Louis Job Corps

Nebraska
Bryan Seck
Lincoln Literacy

New Hampshire
Douglas Cullen
Pinkerton Academy

New Mexico
Harun Williams
NMAEA

New York
Katie Labonte
Champlain Valley Educational Services

North Carolina
Kristin Elizabeth Erhard
Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College

Ohio
Sarah Quick
Upper Valley Career Center

Oregon
Lynne Hamblin
Rogue Community College

Pennsylvania
Dawn Hannah
Beyond Literacy

South Carolina
Byron J. Johnson
Kershaw County Adult Education

South Dakota
Jeanne McKenna
Black Hills Special Services Cooperative

Tennessee
Dawn Owens
TDOC

Texas
Jenny McCormack Walker
Literacy Texas

Utah
Lindsay Kelty
Ogden School District Adult Education

Virginia
Michelle Veronica Ford
VADOC

Washington
Ricardo Chavez
Walla Walla Community College

West Virginia
Deanna Lynn Addis
West Virginia Adult Education

Wisconsin
Ernice Brown
Milwaukee Public Schools