Brian M. Shulman, Founder & CEO | TOP

Brian is a nationally-recognized speaker and writer on the subjects of sports and character education, having authored The Death of Sportsmanship and How to Revive It and addressed Congress regarding issues of sportsmanship and steroid education. Prior to founding LTS in 2001, Brian was a senior executive in the healthcare information technology industry. Brian is a graduate of Auburn University.

LTS is one of the fastest growing privately held educational software companies and the only company using sports and video games to engage today's digital learners. LTS delivers intervention solutions that improve Math and Reading skills, as well as an entire line of virtual modules focused on using sports to improve behavior both on and off the field.

Before joining LTS, Mark was Vice President of Sales and Marketing for The Princeton Review's K-12 Division. Prior to The Princeton Review, Mark was Vice President of Sales Operations at The Riverside Publishing Company, the assessment division for Houghton Mifflin (now Houghton MifflinHarcourt). While at Houghton Mifflin, Mark was on the integration team for the Houghton-Mifflin/Riverdeep merger.Mark was also Vice President of Sales and Marketing for the Internet-based K-12 education company, Achievement Technologies, Inc. (ATI). While at ATI, Mark aided in the 2006 acquisition of ATI by Houghton Mifflin. Mark has over 20 years of leadership and management experience which, outside of the education industry, also includes FedEx operations and the United States Air Force. Mark holds a Bachelor of Science in Business from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. Mark lives in Maryland with his wife and two daughters. Mark also serves as a board member at Redeemer Classical Christian School.

Jack Risenhoover, Director of Development | TOP

Jack Risenhoover directs overall business development and strategy for LTS. He is responsible for creating new initiatives and relationships, with a recent focus on LTS's captive agency, Sports Triangle, and its marketing efforts directed at corporate ad sponsors.

He has over 20 years experience in senior executive roles managing Legal, Human Resources, Technology Infrastructure, and Administration. He has enjoyed a diversified career having worked with Merrill Lynch in the launch of Oklahoma Venture Partners, serving as COO of a Los Angeles advertising agency, and having operated for a decade as an Executive Officer, Secretary, and General Counsel for a publicly-traded software company with more than 2,000 employees and a market capitalization over $1 billion. He is a Managing Director at Georgetown Advisors, a healthcare investment firm.

Risenhoover received his Juris Doctorate from Vanderbilt University, Master of Business Administration from the University of Oklahoma, and Bachelor of Science in Management from Pepperdine University. He has been married for 20 years and has four daughters.

As Chief Financial Officer, Bobby maintains the books and records for the company, prepares financial statements and works with the CPA to ensure compliance with GAAP. Bobby joined Learning Through Sports in 2009. His background experience includes consulting for the leading accounting and finance recruiting firm Savela and Associates and the global professional services firm Resources Global Professionals.

Prior to consulting, Bobby served as a Controller for SunGard Employee Benefit Systems, the largest provider of defined contribution software in the United States, eventually earning the position of Vice President/Controller with responsibility for all budgeting and accounting of four domestic and international companies. Bobby played high school and college baseball (at the University of Montevallo) and has coached for the Alabaster Dixie Youth Baseball Program and the American Legion.

As Vice President of Support Services, Kathy works daily to streamline departmental communication within the LTS Performance Review Team in order to provide a consistent communication plan with our valued customers. Her team's main focus is to ensure our customers are maximizing the functionality of LTS products. Through proactive analysis and review of customers' data reports, the Performance Review Team members work daily to transform the way educators use our products and enrich the learning experience for their students.

Kathy oversees LTS processes for training, implementation, ongoing support and data analysis while continually looking for ways to enhance our business practices to improve customer interaction.

Kathy graduated from The University of Montevallo with a degree in Communication Studies and a focus in Rhetoric and Non-Verbal Communication. With over 25 years of dance experience, Kathy has been able to couple her business experience with her passion for dance and serves on the Board of Directors at The Children's Dance Foundation in Homewood, AL. She also works with schools in the Birmingham area to enrich their dance and performance choir programs. She and her husband have one beautiful daughter.

Laura LeNoir, PRT Director | TOP

As Performance Review Team Director, Laura spearheads the systematic data analysis and support that LTS customers rely on in order to maximize student achievement results and ensure their return on investment. Laura supervises the PRT and Customer Support staff in a well-structured evaluation of each school and site’s utilization and performance, and leads the development of intervention strategies to ensure student growth.

Laura oversees all communication with the customer including technical support, training, operations, and customer care. Laura is also the lead support for all Boys & Girls Club sites as they implement and utilize LTS solutions. Her prior experience as a speech therapist and work in marketing communications ensures that each and every person that contacts LTS is handled with care and their needs are met efficiently.

Laura is a proud graduate of Auburn University, where she earned her degree in speech therapy, with minors in psychology and business.

Tamra Barron, PRT Coordinator | TOP

As Performance Review Team (PRT) Coordinator, Tamra is trained to provide dedicated data support to LTS customers. Through close analysis of weekly and monthly school and student data, Tamra is able to provide strategic interventions to assist and ensure student academic growth through use of LTS products. Tamra also supervises Customer Support personnel in prioritizing and fulfilling Customer Support tasks, processing new orders, and importing school and student data.

Before joining LTS, Tamra taught mathematics for 7 years in classrooms at a variety of grade levels (grades 1-7). Tamra’s experiences teaching inclusive classrooms, working one-on-one with Special Needs students, developing diverse and engaging lesson plans, and assisting struggling readers in becoming fluent have given her the knowledge and skills to connect to educators utilizing LTS solutions who share the same goals.

Tamra earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Business Management and her Master’s Degree in Elementary Education. She and her husband, Brooks, have two beautiful children.

Sherry Shirley, Training & Support Specialist| TOP

As Training & Support Specialist, Sherry is responsible for online product trainings, as well as ensuring customer care. Sherry also assists with operations and technical support.

As a former teacher of 15 years (Grades 4-8), Sherry brings valuable experience and expertise to the company, and is able to closely identify with customers’ needs as educators. Sherry earned a Bachelor of Science in Education from Auburn University at Montgomery, AL. Sherry and her husband have two married children and two grandchildren.

Dwarka Pazavelil, Training & Support Specialist | TOP

As Training & Support Specialist, Dwarka focuses on customer support and training for Boys & Girls Club sites that are utilizing LTS solutions. Prior to joining LTS in 2010, Dwarka gained three of years of experience in customer support for the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, where he is currently working toward a Bachelor of Science degree in Media and Communication Studies.

Dwarka’s volunteer experience with the PUSH America philanthropy has enabled him to spend time regularly in special education schools around the Baltimore area, providing mentoring services to youth. He is also a Food For Life Global volunteer and is fluent in Hindi and Gujurati.

Amy Frith, Marketing Director | TOP

As Marketing Director, Amy oversees production of LTS marketing communications, including print, web, email, video, social media and social networking. Amy is responsible for the development of marketing and advertising campaigns to assist in growing the LTS customer base, and she is the touch point for customer success stories and research-based studies from Kid’s College, STAR Sportsmanship, STAR Character and “UP” users across the nation. Amy oversees conference and trade show presence for LTS and also assists the LTS Content Team in editorial review and QA processes. She is responsible for development of Customer, Sales and Technical Support documentation. Before joining LTS in 2006, Amy served as a marketing and communications specialist in the information services industry. She graduated from Auburn University with a Bachelor of Arts in English. She and her husband have one beautiful daughter..

Benj Sampson, National Accounts Consultant | TOP

As National Accounts Consultant, Benj is responsible for identifying and growing corporate sponsorship opportunities with LTS, as well as implementing Kid’s College in schools across the nation. Benj joined the world of marketing and corporate sponsorship in 2006 after completing a 13-year professional baseball career.

Benj played in the major leagues with the Minnesota Twins as pitcher, and also in the minor leagues with the Cleveland Indians and Colorado Rockies. Following his baseball career, he attended the University of Texas at Arlington as a Finance Major. 

Benj is also a pivotal figure in Learning Through Sports’ STAR Mentors program. His professional sports background and numerous hours spent tutoring young athletes in the U.S. and abroad render him well-prepared to serve as a positive sportsmanship spokesperson and role model.

Benj has been married for 8 years and has 2 children. His hobbies include coaching, golfing, and spending time with the family hiking, traveling, or exercising their chocolate Lab

Through 9 years of experience teaching learning disabled students in Mississippi secondary school classrooms, Jan grasps a strong understanding of the special needs of both students and educators. As Strategic Educational Director of Sales for LTS, Jan is responsible for connecting schools with needs to the solutions that can help them achieve.Jan earned her Bachelor of Science Degree in Special Education with K-12 Certification and her Master of Education Degree in Mild Learning Handicaps from the University of West Alabama.
   
Prior to joining LTS and following her teaching career, Jan spent 4 years as a Curriculum/Instructional Specialist in Adult Education with the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians, then 12 years working with educational technology programs as an account manager and consultant both in the public sector and Tribal and Workforce programs.
  
Jan is a frequent presenter at regional, state and national educational conferences, speaking on topics such as dropout prevention, intervention, Special Education transition and youth services.

Brooks Keisler, Educational Sales Consultant | TOP

Brooks’ mission is to assist educators in engaging students using his two greatest passions: education and sports.  As a former coach of collegiate athletes, he understands the role sports play in motivating today’s youth.

Brooks spent one and a half years as assistant volleyball coach at UAB (helping lead them to their first-ever Conference-USA Tournament Championship and NCAA Tournament).

Brooks joined Learning Through Sports in 2009 with more than three years of prior inside sales experience.  Brooks looks forward to building relationships with educators to better meet the needs of their students.  He enjoys seeing students of all backgrounds come alive in the classroom using the tools created by Learning Through Sports.  Brooks earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Speech Communication from Georgia Southern University in 2004. He and his wife have three young children.

Karen Murphy, Educational Consultant | TOP

Prior to joining LTS as our Florida-based Educational Consultant, Karen Murphy spent five years teaching in at-risk schools: first, an urban middle school in Long Beach, California, and then a rural high school in Reno, Nevada. As an educator, Karen specialized in reading intervention for at-risk students and also served as a Reading Department Chair during her tenure at Long Beach Unified’s lowest-achieving school… which did finally make AYP in that year of her leadership.

Karen earned her Bachelor of Arts in English Literature with an emphasis in Teaching, graduating with honors from Chapman University in Orange, California. She earned her teaching credentials from Concordia of Irvine in Secondary English.

The wife of a collegiate basketball coach, Karen understands the correlation between the cornerstones of LTS programs: academic excellence, healthy living, and good old-fashioned competition. She and her husband, Matt, live in Florida with their two school-age children, who love LTS programs and enjoy living in Disney’s backyard.

Danielle D'Alessio, Content Director | TOP

As Content Director, Danielle works daily to create new Math, Reading and Science content for the expanding LTS curriculum database. Danielle's previous background in education helps her to develop high-quality, standards-based and grade level-appropriate content that meets the needs of today's educators and students. Prior to joining the LTS team in 2009, Danielle taught 3rd and 5th grade for 6 years.

Working with Special Education students and Gifted and Talented students, Danielle became skilled at differentiating curriculum to meet the needs of all types of learners. Today, she writes differentiated curriculum (both remedial and accelerated curriculum) for the diverse learners in LTS learning platforms. Danielle earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Elementary Education from Towson University and a Master of Science degree in Curriculum, Design and Instruction from Walden University. Danielle resides in Delaware with her husband and daughter.

Ginger Henderson, LTS Educator Consultant | TOP

Ginger has more than 10 years of teaching experience in Pre-K, Kindergarten and 2nd Grade. She is also a freelance writer, having authored educational articles, curriculum and children’s books.

Ginger is currently working on her third educational iPad app through a partnership with SproutLabs. She uses the insights gained in her experiences with her students to build dynamic, targeted educational materials. Ginger earned her B.S. in Education from Troy State University.

B. Christine Overstreet, LTS Educator Consultant | TOP

Christine has more than 22 years of teaching experience in Pre-K through 8th Grade. She has experience as a Technology Educator and Technology Integration Analyst. Christine earned her B.S. in Elementary Education from Towson University.

Melinda Lepley, LTS Educator Consultant | TOP

Melinda has more than 7 years of teaching experience at a Title I school. She has taught 1st and 2nd grade, and mentored 7th and 8th grade students in her school and community.

Melinda earned her B.S. in Elementary and Kindergarten Education from Pennsylvania State University, and her M.S. in Instructional Leadership and Professional Development from Towson University.

Shannon Ament, LTS Educator Consultant | TOP

Shannon has 10 years of experience teaching at a Title I school. She has experience teaching special education students as well as gifted and talented students.

Shannon also teaches online professional development courses to other teachers through Casenex/Langston University. Shannon earned her B.S. in Elementary Education from Towson University, and her M.S. in Elementary Reading and Math from Walden University.

 

Pamela E. Roberts, LTS Educator Consultant | TOP

Pamela has more than 32 years of experience in education, having taught gifted education and fourth grade. She is trained in special programs for differentiated instruction and strategic teaching. Pamela has a great interest in implementing technology with teaching her core subjects, and enjoys regularly attending webinars and workshops to keep up-to-date on the latest technologies in education.

Pamela earned her B.A. in Elementary Education from the University of Alabama in Birmingham, where she was elected in the top 10 by her professors for Outstanding Elementary Graduate. Pamela won the Jaycee Outstanding Young Educator Award for First Year Teaching, as well as 1st Place in the Historical-Pictorial Alabama Map Contest Coordinating Teacher, and 2nd Place in the ETA Hand2Mind VersaTile Video Contest.

Pamela is also the recipient of the several grants including: South Central Bell Educational Grant, Alabama Power Company Educational Grants, Newman's Own Educational Grant, Sylacauga City Schools Foundation Grants, and the National Principals' Grant.

Donna Kay Spraggins, LTS Educator Consultant | TOP

Donna has more than 23 years of experience as an Elementary school teacher in Language Arts for Grades 5 and 6. During her teaching career, she has been a Master Teacher, Literacy Coaching/Reading Specialist, Literacy Strategy Classroom Demonstrator, and she is trained in the Alabama Reading Initiative.

Donna earned her B.S. from Jacksonville State University and her M.A. from the University of Alabama. She also has an Administrative Degree from the University of Alabama.

Richelle Marrara, LTS Educator Consultant | TOP

Richelle has more than 15 years of experience as a Geometry teacher in Tulsa and Oologah, Oklahoma, school systems. Richelle graduated magna cum laude with a B.A. in Mathematics from the University of Oklahoma. She received her teaching certification from Northeastern University.

Catherine Duncan, Educational Innovations | TOP

With over a decade of educational consulting experience, Catherine offers her expertise in the management and analysis of data for improving classroom instruction and student performance.

Educational Innovations is an authorized reseller LTS solutions. Catherine supervises site-based and field-based staff and designs/implements professional development sessions linking curriculum, standards-based assessments and student achievement. She received her B.A. in Elementary Education from Loras College and her M.A. in Educational Administration from Governors State University. Her first major publication by Corwin Press was Data! Dialogue! Decisions! The Data Difference.

.

Dr. Garry L. McDaniels, Data Analysis & Reporting | TOP

Dr. McDaniels is an expert in services for at-risk children, youth and adults. He was Chief of Evaluation and Research for the U.S. Department of Education's Title I Program. Dr. McDaniels also served as the Director of Research, Evaluation and Demonstration programs for the then Bureau for the Education of the Handicapped at the Department of Education. In 1982, he served as the Director of Federal Special Education Programs.

McDaniels and his colleagues created SkillsBank and Cornerstone, which became two of the best-selling supplemental computer products for U.S. schools. In 2000, McDaniels and his associates founded a new company that brought these popular disk products to the web under the name of SkillsTutor.

McDaniels is currently President of the non-profit Orion Research Group focused on evaluation of basic education programs for children and adolescents with disabilities, and low skilled adults. He is the author of over 100 professional papers, 50 magazine columns on education research and data, and a frequent speaker on education topics. The University of Michigan, where McDaniels received his PhD, honored him for his work with the Distinguished Alumni Award, in 1995.

Colby B. Jubenville, Ph.D., Curriculum and Online Media Consultant | TOP

Colby B. Jubenville, Ph.D. is a Professor and Director of the graduate sport management program in the Department of Health and Human Performance at Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU). In 2007, he forged a partnership with Learning Through Sports, Inc., secured private funding, founded The Center for Sport Policy and Research (CSPR) (www.sportpolicy.org) and the Journal of Sport Administration and Supervision (JSAS) (www.jsasonline.org).

Currently, Jubenville serves as the Director for CSPR, the Publisher of JSAS, and the Assistant Chair of the Department. Prior to being named the Assistant Chair, he served as the Coordinator of the doctoral program from 2007-2009. During his tenure, he chaired four dissertations that were closely tied to the mission of CSPR.

Jubenville has published articles in Sport Marketing Quarterly, the International Journal of Sport Management, the Journal of Marketing in Higher Education, the Journal of Sport Administration and Supervision, the International Journal of Sport Management and Marketing, The Journal of Venue and Event Management as well as many trade articles within the sport industry. Specifically, Jubenville has many articles featured with International Association of Assembly Managers, Inc., in Facility Manager Magazine (www.IAAM.org).

In 2009, Jubenville was selected by Learning Through Sports to work with Mr. Wright Waters, Commissioner of the Sun Belt Conference (SBC) (www.sunbeltsports.org), along with LTS to development, implement, and measure the effectiveness of an interactive sportsmanship platform that moves past posters and PSA's focused on providing tools for better understanding and implementing values related to sportsmanship for coaches and student-athletes in the conference. This platform continues to be refined and was proven both valid and reliable in year one.

Barton Listick, Software Development & Production | TOP

As the CEO of Trylonix Corporation, Barton has over 25 years of experience in software development and is the developer of Knowledge Adventure’s best-selling JumpStart series of children's edutainment software. As the very first grade-based edutainment software, JumpStart literally created an entirely new category of educational software. Fernando Echovera who was formerly with Knowledge Adventure, brings a wealth of experience in database programming to Trylonix’s outstanding team.

Whether as a producer, executive producer or designer, Barton has personally been involved in the creation of more than 15 edutainment titles, as well as the development of an innovative online tutoring service and home learning software for robots. Captivating gameplay and engrossing characters, combined with solid learning and progress tracking, has been the hallmark of his award-winning company. Learning Through Sports is proud to employ the services of this development firm specializing in edutainment and game software, education technology and children’s products.

Ernie Gray - Software Development & Digital Marketing | TOP

Ernie Gray is a principal and founding partner of Red Herring Inc. He has worked professionally as web developer, videographer and graphic designer since 1999. He serves the LTS team as a producer of software titles, video editor and web designer.

Ernie is also multi-instrumentalist, performer and recording engineer, producing sessions for Nashville artists as well as some of the soundtracks used on LTS products and marketing videos. He lives with his wife in Nashville, TN, likes to dance and make up corny jokes.

JimChesnutt, CLAS, Academic Coach Coordinator | TOP

Jim is Membership Consultant for the Council for Leaders in Alabama Schools (CLAS - www.clasleaders.org) and serves as Academic Coach Coordinator for Learning Through Sports’ Academic Coaching professional development program, which provides consultants who assist school administrators and educators to better utilize Kid's College student data and differentiate their teaching. Jim coordinates with more than 30 Academic Coaches to stay aware of best practices for maximizing the success of students, educators and administrators who use Kid's College.

Debbie Hildreth, Assistant Coach Coordinator | TOP

Debbie Hildreth, Ed.D., is Assistant Coach Coordinator for the Kid’s College Academic Coaching professional development program. Debbie is a retired elementary school principal and former Kindergarten and first grade teacher. She completed her undergraduate work at Samford University, then earned her master’s degree as an Educational Specialist, as well as her Doctor of Education Degree, at the University of Alabama.   After working with elementary students for 29 years, Debbie recognizes the significant impact that motivation and skills practice have on student achievement. She believes Kid's College combines these two critical factors.