Overview

March 27

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Unlock the insights you need to stay ahead in the dynamic world of education technology at this exclusive 3-hour virtual event. Hosted by the Center for Digital Education, "Beyond the Curriculum 25" brings together visionary education leaders to unveil the trends, priorities, and opportunities shaping K-12 and higher education in 2025. 

Whether you're looking to refine your business strategies, validate your marketing or sales approach, or want to identify the next big opportunity, this event delivers actionable insights that will give you the intelligence you need. 

  • Discover What’s Driving Change: Gain knowledge on key trends and innovations directly from top education technology leaders. 
  • Navigate Technology Spending Trends: Get a front-row seat to the latest data on technology investments and budget priorities across the K-12 and higher ed landscape. 
  • Align for Success: Understand how to position your offerings in line with educational goals and curriculum requirements to maximize impact.

 

1:00pm ET:        Welcome and Kick Off 

                           Brian Cohen, Vice President, Center for Digital Education

 

1:05 PM ET:       The State of Education in 2025 – Navigating Policy Shifts, Priorities, and Technology Trends  

                           Brian Cohen, Vice President, Center for Digital Education

                           Speakers:

                           Julia Fallon, State Education Technology Directors Association 

                           Dr. Michael Karner, Regional Superintendent of Schools, Lake County, IL

                          Elizabeth Graswich, Executive Director of Public Affairs and Communications, Office of Education, Los Angeles County

 

1:50 PM ET        Education Market Update – Joe Knows Ed Tech

                           Joe Morris, Chief Innovation Officer, e.Republic

                     

2:10 PM ET        Preparing for the Future: The Role of Technology in Building Future-Ready Schools

                           Michael Martirano, Senior Fellow, Center for Digital Education

                           Michael Lubelfeld, Superintendent of Schools, North Shore School District 112, IL

                           Mary Catherine Reljac, Superintendent, Fox Chapel Area School District, Pittsburgh PA

                   

2:40 PM ET        The CIO’s Higher Ed Playbook – Top Priorities, Challenges, and Opportunities 

                           Brian Cohen, Vice President, Center for Digital Education

                           Speakers: 

                           Brian Fodrey, Assistant Vice President, Business Innovation, Carnegie Mellon University

                           Ed Wozencroft, Vice President for Digital Strategy & CIO Information Services and Technology, New Jersey Institute of Technology

                        

3:10 PM ET        We are in an AI’ED State of Mind – What now?  What Next? What’s Coming? 

                          Dustin Haisler– President, e.Republic

 

3:40 PM ET        What is the CDE Value? What we do and how we can help. 

                          Introduction to CDE services and Offerings

 

3:50 PM ET        Audience Q&A with Brian Cohen, Dustin Haisler, Joe Morris and Michael Martirano

Speakers

Brian Cohen headshot

Brian Cohen

Vice President, Center for Digital Education

Brian Cohen is the Vice President of the Center for Digital Government and Center Digital Education, a national research and advisory institute on information technology policies and best practices in state and local government and education. Prior to joining the Center, Brian was Vice Chancellor and University CIO for the City University of New York (CUNY). As the Vice-Chancellor and University CIO at CUNY, Brian directed the Office of Computing and Information Services (CIS), developed, and managed the enterprise IT vision, strategy and day-to-day technology operations of the University. His areas of focus included academic and business systems, cloud strategies, IT policies and procedures, Cybersecurity, project management, IT resiliency and disaster recovery, and network and telecommunications. Brain also served in leadership roles with the City of New York. Among his many accomplishments, Brian developed the City of New York’s E-Government strategy, implemented the City’s award-winning nyc.gov website, and managed the City’s effort to address the Y2K technology challenge.

Dustin Haisler headshot

Dustin Haisler

President, e.Republic

Dustin drives exponential growth, implements new ideas and promotes a corporate culture that rewards creativity. He thrives on innovation (and strong coffee!). Dustin is the leader of Team Innovation – our in-house group of data geeks, market specialists and creatives who challenge the status quo. As the former CIO of Manor, Texas, Dustin pioneered the use of commercial technologies to deliver better government services – including QR barcodes, crowdsourcing and gamification. During his time in public service, Dustin was named one of the nation’s Top 25 Doers, Dreamers and Drivers by Government Technology. More recently, he was selected as an Eisenhower Fellow in 2019 and a Business Transformation 150 Leader by Constellation Research in 2021.

Joe Morris headshot

Joe Morris

Chief Innovation Officer, Government Technology

Joe Morris, widely known as "Joe Knows Gov," is the Chief Innovation Officer at e.Republic and a prominent national keynote speaker on the trends and challenges facing state and local government and education. With nearly two decades of experience, the bulk of which has been spent within e.Republic's research arm, Joe has cultivated a deep expertise in government operations at all levels. He began his journey overseeing the Navigator platform when bids were still posted in newspapers and has since guided its evolution, leading the strategic development of the platform. Joe is instrumental in helping companies, both large and small, develop effective go-to-market strategies and achieve success in the public sector. His contributions include authoring numerous influential publications and reports on public-sector funding streams, technology investments, and priorities, as well as leading various roundtables, projects, and initiatives focused on public sector issues. Joe holds a Bachelor of Arts in Government and International Relations from California State University, Sacramento.

Michael Martirano headshot

Michael Martirano

Senior Fellow, Center for Digital Education

Dr. Michael J. Martirano is a Senior Fellow for the Center for Digital Government. He is a seasoned educational leader, serving over 40 years in the public education sector. He has served as a science and math teacher, a principal and assistant principal at the elementary, middle and high school levels, a central office administrator, a local superintendent in two counties in the state of Maryland and as the state superintendent of schools for the great state of West Virginia.

Julia Fallon headshot

Julia Fallon

Executive Director, SETDA

Julia Fallon is the Executive Director of SETDA, where she works with U.S. state and territorial digital learning leaders to empower the education community to leverage technology for learning, teaching, and school operations. Involved with learning technologies since 1989, her professional interest lies in making the case for public school systems wherein educators are able to optimize technology-rich learning environments to equitably engage the learners who fill their classrooms. Prior to joining SETDA as the executive director in 2021, Julia worked for Washington’s K-12 education agency, the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) as the Title II, Part A Program Lead, where she provided operational leadership and oversight of the federal program designed to improve the quality of instruction and administration. In her previous role as the state’s Technology Integration Program Manager, she streamlined strategic planning for districts, championed robust professional learning programming for educators, and advocated for smart, flexible network policies.

Elizabeth Graswich headshot

Elizabeth Graswich

Executive Director of Public Affairs and Communications, Office of Education, Los Angeles County

Dr. Elizabeth Graswich is a communications leader with nearly two decades of expertise in public education, communications, public policy, and media. Her work includes leadership and support for numerous initiatives, such as artificial intelligence, the COVID-19 response, diversity, equity and inclusion, digital literacy, multimedia storytelling and strategic partnerships. She served as a board member on multiple education foundations for more than 15 years, including her present role on the board of the Greater Los Angeles Education Foundation. Prior cabinet-level leadership roles include Communications Director for the San Ramon Valley and Elk Grove unified school districts in Northern California. She honed her storytelling skills as a reporter for The Sacramento Bee, where she focused on education and public safety. Graswich earned a master's degree in Communication Management and a doctoral degree in Organizational Change and Leadership from the University of Southern California.

Michael Karner headshot

Michael Karner

Regional Superintendent of Schools, Lake County, IL

In his 18 years as an educator, Dr. Michael Karner has served in several roles for school districts in Illinois including as a Principal of the Lake County Regional Safe School Program, an Assistant Principal for Zion District 6 and a Mathematics, Spanish and ELL teacher at Zion Benton District 126. Dr. Karner currently serves as the Regional Superintendent of Schools for Lake County, IL which oversees 45 public schools, 27 private schools, 3 special education cooperatives, and 2 charter school districts. As Regional Superintendent of Schools, Dr. Karner has offered new supports for school districts in the areas of alternative to suspension, professional development, truancy, mental health, school safety, and the Illinois Virtual Schools & Academy. Michael received his Doctorate in Curriculum and Instruction from Aurora University, Educational Specialist Degree in Educational Leadership from Concordia University, Masters in Educational Leadership from Aurora University, and his Bachelor’s Degree from Lake Forest College.

Brian Fodrey headshot

Brian Fodrey

Assistant Vice President, Business Innovation, Carnegie Mellon University

Brian is a technology leader with over 15 years of experience guiding organizations through digital transformation, strategic policy development, and the implementation of innovative enterprise solutions. With a strong background in instructional technology within higher education, he has a proven ability to identify, implement, and assess e-learning solutions that enhance student and institutional success. His expertise spans change management, organizational leadership, budget development, project management, continuity planning, risk management, and relationship building—essential skills for navigating complex environments and driving meaningful progress. As the Assistant Vice President of Business Innovation at Carnegie Mellon University, he leads enterprise-level process improvements, innovation initiatives, and digital transformation efforts.

Ed Wozencroft headshot

Ed Wozencroft

Vice President for Digital Strategy & CIO Information Services and Technology, New Jersey Institute of Technology

Ed Wozencroft is a higher education digital strategy leader with a proven track record of spearheading digital transformation initiatives at top-tier educational institutions. Ed serves as the Vice President for Digital Strategy & CIO at the New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) where he leads a multidisciplinary team that is focused on building a modern and robust digital ecosystem that empowers NJIT’s learners and employees to succeed; achieve advances in research, innovation, and entrepreneurship; engage with our community; and ensure a sustainable future. His expertise spans across change management, enterprise systems, business intelligence, exploiting emerging technologies and data-informed strategy building. Prior to NJIT, Ed has served in various leadership and consulting roles at leading higher education institutions. Additionally, Ed is an adjunct instructor in the management information systems discipline and focuses on helping non-technical learners understand the need for business and technology strategic alignment.

Michael Lubelfeld headshot

Michael Lubelfeld

Superintendent of Schools, North Shore School District 112

Dr. Michael Lubelfeld has served as a public school superintendent in Illinois since 2010 and currently leads North Shore School District 112, serving the communities of Highland Park and Highwood, IL, just north of Chicago. A nationally recognized educational leader, Dr. Lubelfeld is deeply engaged in leadership development and professional growth, collaborating with state and national associations to inspire the next generation of educational leaders. Dr. Lubelfeld’s leadership has been recognized with multiple awards, including the 2017 Lake County Superintendent of the Year Award and the 2021 Administration and Supervision Distinguished Alumni Award from the Loyola University of Chicago School of Education.

Mary Catherine Reljac headshot

Mary Catherine Reljac

Superintendent, Fox Chapel Area School District, Pittsburgh PA

Dr. Mary Catherine Reljac serves as the Superintendent of Schools in the Fox Chapel Area School District in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Prior to this role, Dr. Reljac served as an assistant superintendent, principal, assistant principal, and educator in multiple districts in western Pennsylvania. Dr. Reljac is a facilitator for the Pennsylvania Department of Education in the Pennsylvania Inspired Leadership program, facilitating learning for administrators across the commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Dr. Reljac earned degrees or certifications from Indiana University of Pennsylvania (B.S. in music education), Carlow College (M.S. in educational leadership), California University of Pennsylvania (superintendent letter of eligibility), and the University of Pittsburgh (D.Ed. in administrative and policy studies). She serves on advisory boards and often presents at workshops and programs.

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