International 

 

            Dr. Gwendolyn Benson

                 Dr. Benson serves as the Associate Dean for School, Community and International Partnerships in the                     College of Education at Georgia State University, Atlanta, Georgia.

                 She previously served as coordinator of the Low Incidence Disabilities Unit of the Division for                                      Exceptional Students in the Georgia Department of Education; also as Director of Educator Preparation                    for the Georgia Professional Standards Commission and the Director of the Program for Exceptional                        Children with the Atlanta Public Schools.

​

Dr. Benson earned her bachelor’s degree at Alabama State University, her M.Ed. at Auburn University and her Ph.D. at the University of Kansas. She currently serves as the principal investigator for the Network for Enhancing Teacher Quality (NET-Q), a collection of projects funded by a $13.5 million Teacher Quality Partnership grant from the U.S. Department of Education. The grant is  designed to prepare teachers for the demands of teaching high-need subjects in high-need schools. She also works to sustain the College of Education’s professional development school network, facilitates international outreach and partnerships.

 

                               Ms. Kimberly King

                  VP International Relations and Public-Private Partnerships. Kimberly King is an internationally                                    recognized social entrepreneur, strategy advisor and change agent in the fields of multi-stakeholder                          partnerships and alliances, dialogue and civic engagement, cause-marketing and conscious-media;                            peace building and community development, and the education and empowerment of women & girls.                      King's unique perspective reflects 25 years as a pioneer in systems thinking and social innovation                              representing trade associations, Fortune 500's, governments, arts & media, NGO's and United Nations.

 

                            Dr. Susan L. Ogletree

                  Dr. Ogletree is Director of the Educational Research Bureau at Georgia State University, Atlanta,                                  Georgia. She received her Masters of Professional Counseling and her Ph.D. in Educational Policy                              Studies with a concentration in Research, Measurement and Statistics where she received the                                    Educational Policy Studies Dissertation of the Year Award. In her position as Director of the Educational                    Research Bureau, her office is responsible for overseeing $17,000,000 in external funding for national                      and international programs. She also works with faculty to identify potential partners for both national                    and international grant initiatives. Her primary research interests include Professional Development                          Schools, both nationally and internationally, and their impact on academic achievement in high needs                      urban schools.

 

 

             Dr. Jacqueline Howard-Matthews

                   International Development, Intercultural Affairs, Program Development and Management,                                           Fundraising, Monitoring and Evaluation are the experiences Dr. Howard-Matthews brings to the IWTT .                     She has directed major projects in international development and international education valued at                         more than $45 million dollars. Funders included Ford Foundation, U.S. Agency for International                                 Development, U. S. Department of Education, U.S. Department of Defense and The World Bank.                                 Projects Dr. Howard-Matthews have managed includes: rural development, agricultural performance,                       rehabilitation of a large-scale farm and training of young adults to assume cooperative ownership of                         the farm, refugee assistance and student abroad programs.

 

              Ms. Jenneke (Jenni) Heerink

                    Jenni Heerink, born and raised in the Netherlands, is a Creative Strategist, with years of experience                            leading creative teams for large global corporations. Jenni has expertise in strategic branding for B2B                        as well as B2C. Project accomplishments include: sales improvements through packaging and retail                          design for global consumer brands; increased efficiency and time to market creative process                                      alignment, and effective brand integration after mergers or acquisitions.

 

                             Ms. Lavonya Jones

                    Lavonya Jones is a fierce new generation Business Strategist and Leadership Coach with over fourteen                      years of business, ministry and leadership experience.  Lavonya Jones has a B.S. in Entrepreneurship                        from Hampton University, a M.A. in Organizational Leadership (with a Concentration in Coaching and                        Mentoring) from Regent University and is completing her Ed.D in Organizational Leadership from                              Argosy University.

 

This powerhouse businesswoman is also a sought after seminar speaker for youth entrepreneurs, Christian thought leader, author and entrepreneur that will help revolutionize your life, business, ministry or youth program.

​