ISTE+ASCD Announces New Board Members and Leadership
WASHINGTON, D.C. - ISTE+ASCD today announced new members who have recently joined its Board of Directors.
Members joining the ISTE+ASCD Board of Directors include Ulcca Joshi Hansen, founder of Education Potential; Jamar Knox, senior director of finance at Catalyst Exchange; and Jacqueline Smalls, senior vice president at Transfr. Additionally, Patricia Brown has been elected as the incoming president-elect, and will serve alongside current president Jeremy Owoh in 2026. Kim Wallace and Carla Jefferson will continue serving as secretary and treasurer, respectively.
“Our strength as an organization comes from leaders who bring diverse perspectives and a shared commitment to transforming teaching and learning,” said Richard Culatta, CEO of ISTE+ASCD. “I’m excited to work with our new board members whose experience and passion will help accelerate our efforts to create transformational learning experiences for students around the world.”
Ulcca Joshi Hansen is an author, speaker, and education leader focused on reimagining learning to better reflect how young people grow, thrive, and contribute to the world. She is the author of “The Future of Smart”, which challenges traditional notions of achievement and calls for education systems centered on purpose, belonging, and real-world relevance. She previously served as Chief Program Officer at Grantmakers for Education and has worked in the education field for two decades, with experience spanning classrooms, nonprofits, and national education organizations.
Jamar Knox currently serves as senior director of finance at Catalyst Exchange, where he supports the organization’s financial planning and long-term infrastructure. Previously, he served as a fractional CFO advising nonprofit organizations and was senior director of finance and operations at Chiefs for Change, where he led audit and budget preparation, revenue diversification, fund accounting, grant reporting, and reserve fund investments. He has also held finance roles at Shine (formerly Teen Success) and New Profit, building deep expertise in nonprofit financial management and strategic growth.
Jacqueline Smalls currently serves as senior vice president at Transfr, shaping content strategy and programming to support classroom to career pathways. Previously, Smalls served as Chief Program Officer at Code.org, and held senior leadership roles at Black Girls Code and Discovery Education. She has spent more than two decades in education, impacting tens of thousands of teachers and students nationwide.
The new board members join current board members Cathy Collins, Sophia Mendoza, Adam Phyall, and Sarena Shivers.
Members who concluded their board service at the end of 2025 include past presidents Nikole Blanchard and Matt Mingle, former secretary Christie Terry, and Noris Price.
Learn more about the ISTE+ASCD Board of Directors here.
About ISTE+ASCD
ISTE+ASCD is the largest innovation-focused education non-profit worldwide, working in every US state and over 100 countries around the world. The ISTE Standards are research-based and field tested, guiding education professionals to use technology effectively to transform learning. ISTE+ASCD offers inspiring events, professional certifications, dynamic member communities and innovative thought leadership to design the future of learning.