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.

Laura LeNoir, Director of Customer Service | TOP

Laura is personally responsible for all communication with the customer including technical support, operations, sales, and customer care. Her prior experience as a speech therapist and work in marketing communications ensures that each and every person that contacts Learning Through Sports is handled with care and their needs are met efficiently.

Laura is a proud graduate of Auburn University and enjoys football.

Amy Frith, Marketing Specialist | TOP

As Marketing Specialist, Amy oversees production of LTS marketing collateral, including print, web, email and video communications. Amy supervises development of the www.learningthroughsports.com, www.ltskc.com, www.ltsstar.com and www.mysportsmanship.com web sites.

She is the touch point for customer success stories from Kid’s College, STAR Sportsmanship and MySportsmanship.com users from across the nation, and acts as the media contact for the company. 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.

Sherry Shirley, Educational Sales Consultant | TOP

As Educational Sales Consultant, Sherry is responsible for growing sales, as well as ensuring customer care. Sherry conducts virtual product demonstrations and training on LTS products and 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. She has been married for 25 years and has two children.

Amechele Toups, Utilization Specialist and Coaching Liaison | TOP

As Utilization Specialist and Coaching Liaison, Amechele provides support to LTS Academic Coaches to ensure that all administrators, teachers, students and parents are utilizing LTS products effectively and efficiently. She has a background in Elementary/Early Education from the University of Montevallo.

Her previous career as a Clinical Research Coordinator ensures individualized and detailed customer care. Amechele and her husband have three young daughters

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.

Tony Banks says that his experience as a former professional football and baseball player inspired natural leadership in him and helped foster invaluable social skills that he exercises today as a STAR Mentor for youth athletes.

Reflecting on his own childhood in a neighborhood of southeast San Diego riddled with gang activity,

Tony set a goal as a member of Learning Through Sports to inspire kids (especially inner city youth) to embrace learning both in the classroom and on the sports field, and in doing so avoid succumbing to a dangerous lifestyle.

Tony is a sportsmanship spokesperson for the company, drawing on years of success first playing baseball for the Minnesota farm system straight out of high school, then playing football over a 20-year span for San Diego Mesa Junior College, Michigan State University, the St. Louis Rams, Baltimore Ravens (winning a Super Bowl in 2000), Washington Redskins, and the Houston Texans.

As National Accounts Consultant, Tony is responsible for matching Learning Through Sports with corporate sponsors who believe in the same mission for today’s youth. Tony has been married for 8 years and has one son.

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.

As Content Development Specialist, Danielle works daily to create new Math, Reading and Science content for the expanding Kid's College 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 at a Title I school in Baltimore, MD.

Working with Special Education students and Gifted and Talented students in the Baltimore school system, 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 Kid's College. 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 Maryland with her husband and daughter.

David Kinney, CEO, Kinney & Associates | TOP

David Kinney is the CEO of Kinney & Associates (www.kinneyandassociates.com), an Illinois-based provider of Learning Through Sports programs.

David founded Kinney & Associates in 1994 as an educational company that delivers testing, consulting and web-based products with an emphasis on data-driven results. Kid's College is one of the company's most popular and successful programs. David's prior experience as a test consultant for CTB/McGraw-Hill and a Special Education teacher and director has equipped him to partner with districts across Illinois in the school improvement planning process.

Catherine Duncan, Vice President, Kinney & Associates | 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.

As Vice President of Kinney & Associates (an Illinois-based provider of Learning Through Sports programs - www.kinneyandassociates.com), 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.

David M. Rees, Business Advisor and Director | TOP

David is a partner of Vincent & Rees, LC, a legal and business advisory firm located in Salt Lake City, Utah and also serves as Chairman of the Board of Directors of a financial consulting and marketing firm in Salt Lake City. David has many years of experience working with companies in various capacities, including arranging and structuring financing, operations, sales/marketing, cross-border transactions and legal advisory services.

Among other positions, David has served as Chief Executive Officer of a publicly traded educational software company in Sandy, Utah and as Vice President of Strategic Planning for a publicly traded Internet company in Los Angeles, California. David was an associate in the Mergers & Acquisitions and Corporate Finance departments at the law firm of Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom in New York City. He received his B.A. in History from Weber State University and his J.D. from New York University.

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.

Dan Washburn, AHSAA | TOP

Dan is Former Executive Director of the Alabama High School Athletic Association (www.ahsaa.com) and President of the National Federation of High Schools Board of Directors.

Don Hinton, MHSAA, STAR Sportsmanship Coaching Coordinator | TOP

Don is currently serving his 8th consecutive year as a member of the Executive Committee of the Mississippi High School Activities Association (www.misshsaa.com). Don holds a bachelor’s degree in Physical Education  and a master’s degree  in Educational Administration, both from the University of Southern Mississippi. In 2005-06, he was selected as Mississippi Athletic Director of the Year by both the Mississippi Association of Coaches and the MHSAA. As a Coaching Coordinator, Don is the liaison between LTS and the MHSAA and works closely with MHSAA executive committee members, athletic directors, coaches and athletes to implement the STAR Sportsmanship program and monitor results.Jim

Chesnutt, 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.