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Collaboration for Success: Education, Human Services, Public Administration and Social Work Leaders + Capella University

The advisory board serves as a brain trust for leaders and key decision-makers within the School of Public Service and Education. Comprising various thought leaders and influencers within a wide expanse of industries and functional areas, the board provides insights into the skills, competencies and hands-on learning experiences employees need to successfully meet the ongoing challenges of a dynamic employment market.

Our mission

The School of Public Service and Education delivers high quality, inclusive and innovative learning experiences in education, social work, human services, and public service empowering graduates to become change agents promoting diversity, social, economic and environmental justice within their communities.

The advisory board will:

  •  Allow members to provide insights, input and feedback on skills that employers expect of graduate and undergraduate learners in education, human services, public administration and social work
  • Assist Capella University in providing academic offerings designed with relevant and meaningful curricular and extra-/co-curricular learning opportunities
  • Guide Capella University’s efforts toward offering high-quality, authentic and innovative experiences in education, social work, human services and public service
  • Help us empower our graduates to become change agents honoring diversity while promoting social, economic and environmental justice within their communities

Capella faculty work with the advisory board

The advisory board provides school leaders and faculty with relevant industry and practice insights, helping the school meet the needs of the public service and education sectors. Capella leaders and faculty collaborate with board members to help ensure that curricula effectively build essential competencies for today’s complex work environment.

In addition, interactions between the board and Capella leadership and faculty support the professional relevance of Capella’s programs. This relationship helps provide learners the flexibility to succeed in their educational programs, then discover ways to make a positive impact on their workplace and their communities at large.

Board Members

Shekeria Barnes, MA

Founding Principal, Southwest Charlotte STEM Academy
Leadership Coach, Simply Speak Consultants

Shekeria Barnes is a 22-year educator with a background in teaching English/language arts in middle and high schools. She currently serves as the founding principal of a public charter school in Charlotte, NC. Shekeria is a native North Carolinian and has worked in rural, urban, traditional public and charter schools across the state as a dean of students, instructional facilitator and assistant principal. She is an independent educational consultant specializing in leadership development, teacher mentoring and coaching as well as culture and organizational development. Shekeria is married to an educator and has one daughter. She also serves as a member of the Mecklenburg County Women’s Advisory Board and was acknowledged as one of The Mecklenburg Times 50 Most Influential Women of Charlotte in 2014.

Shekeria earned a BA in English from Elizabeth City State University, an MEd in Education (Instruction) from Central Michigan University and a K-12 Principal’s Add-on License through Wingate University.

Kathryn K. Campbell, EdD

Dr. Kathryn Campbell is the former faculty chair for Higher Education Leadership and Administration at Capella University. She also held core and adjunct faculty positions before retiring in 2021. Prior to her tenure at Capella, Dr. Campbell had a rich history in community college administration in California. She has served as a vice president of Academic Affairs and held positions as a dean of Instructional Development as well as director of Career Programs and Services. Programs she initiated to serve diverse populations included an early online program (one of the first in the state) and a middle college high school with 240 enrolled students. She was instrumental in establishing partnerships with California state universities to encourage and support students seeking teaching credentials.

Dr. Campbell received an EdD in Educational Administration from the University of the Pacific. She holds a master’s degree in counseling from Dominican University of San Rafael and a bachelor’s degree in English from the University of California, Los Angeles.

Julie Clockston, DSW, LCSW, Cert Ed.

Founder, Julie Clockston Counseling LLC and
Redwood Coaching and Consulting LLC

Dr. Julie Clockston, LCSW, Cert Ed., is the founder of Julie Clockston Counseling LLC and Redwood Coaching and Consulting LLC. Dr. Clockston is the mother of four children, who are her most significant gifts in life. She is the current president of The Association for Successful Parenting (TASP). She has worked with individuals living with cognitive difficulties for 26 years. Her dissertation focused on the population of parents who live with developmental/cognitive disabilities. Dr. Clockston is also the founder of Sistah Hooded mission and movement to provide support and encouragement to students. She is the visionary author of Sistah Hooded: Stories of Strength and Resilience on the Doctoral Journey, the first book in a series.

Dr. Clockston is a solopreneur, therapist, competency-based parent assessor and speaker/lecturer. She enjoys students. She is a field instructor for Bachelor of Science in Social Works (BSSW) and Master of Social Work (MSW) students and Doctoral Student Support Group Founder. She considers her current work a pentacle. She is an assistant professor on the tenure track who values social justice and education.

She is the honored recipient of the inaugural 2018 National Association of Social Workers (NASW CO) Early Career Social Worker Award. She is the current president of NASW Colorado, and a member of the Denver Chapter of the National Association of Black Social Workers (NABSW) and Phi Alpha Social Work Honor Society Scholar. She is active on other not-for-profit and higher education boards. She specializes in various therapeutic modalities, but her extensive study and time working with individuals who have experienced trauma allow her to provide exceptional care to individuals who have been victimized.

Dr. Clockston is a former state-licensed therapeutic foster parent. She has a background in early childhood education. Outside of her social work designation scope, she infused human service into all the work and trades she participated in. She worked in the community as a licensed real estate broker with a passion for socioeconomically marginalized individuals and first-time home buyers. She received her BSSW and MSW degrees from the Metropolitan State University of Denver and her Post-Master’s Certificate in Education and Doctor of Social Work (DSW) degree from Capella University in Minneapolis, MN.

Monica Crocker, PhD, EDPNA

Program Manager
Ability Benefits Clinic

Monica Crocker, PhD, is a program manager for the Ability Benefits Clinic in Lansing, MI. The clinic’s mission is to assist the community’s most vulnerable citizens – those who are homeless or at risk of homelessness – in obtaining life-changing Social Security disability and SSI benefits. A graduate of Capella University, she received a PhD in Multidisciplinary Human Services in 2021.

Tiffany Hamilton, EdD

Sr. Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Program Manager
TrueCar, Inc.

As a third-generation educational leader, Tiffany Hamilton, EdD, has witnessed the power that education has to change the trajectory of one’s life, both personally and professionally. Dr. Hamilton started her career in the nonprofit industry as a program coordinator working with at-risk youth. She later transitioned into the startup sector as the education and training director for Notification Technologies, Inc., and successfully navigated the integration, deployment, management and renewal of the communication interface for over 200 school districts in 18 states. In 2005, Dr. Hamilton started at Laureate Education as part of their Course Management and Student Support Team. She quickly moved into product management, helping to launch over 11 new programs and specializations.

In 2011, she became the coordinator of academic initiatives and supported Walden University’s initial accreditation process for the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE). In 2013, she moved into the role of program director for Walden University, helping to oversee the higher education, leadership and adult learning doctoral programs.

Giving back to her community has always been an essential part of Tiffany’s life. From 2016 to 2021, Tiffany was an active member of the Junior League of Los Angeles and most recently served as their Leadership Development Chair (2019–20) and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Chair (2021–21). Feeling called to do more, Dr. Hamilton became an Intercultural Development Inventory (IDI®) certified administrator supporting individuals and organizations to increase their intercultural competence to engage diversity more effectively. In 2021, Tiffany decided to follow her passion and became the senior DEI program manager for TrueCar, an automotive and tech company. She is also a Certified Diversity Executive (CDE®) through the Society for Diversity.

Glen Lineberry, M.Ed.

Principal, Miami Junior-Senior High School
Director, Arizona Student Opportunity Collaborative

Glen Lineberry is a second-career educator committed to reducing the gaps in rural education. He holds a bachelor’s in economics, master’s degrees in instruction and leadership, and is ABD on his doctorate. Glen serves as principal and CTE director at Miami Junior-Senior High School and as director of the Arizona Student Opportunity Collaborative (AzSOC), a project connecting rural Arizona students with highly qualified teachers who can provide them with the courses needed for successful university matriculation.

Kristin Morris, EdD

Owner and Principal Consultant
Genesis Consulting Services, LLC

Dr. Kristin Morris is the Owner and Principal Consultant of Genesis Consulting Services, LLC. She a Performance Improvement Strategist, Global Facilitator, Learning & Development and DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) Practitioner. As a transformational leader, she has over 18 years of experience in identifying performance improvement solutions with corporate, non-profit, and private/government organizations.

Dr. Morris stands out for her unique ability to establish trust, build strong foundational working relationships with clients, and is skilled in effectively identifying growth & learning opportunities as well as building customizable and measurable solutions that exceed organizational objectives and that works best for each client to improve employee performance/development. Most recently, Dr. Morris serves as a researcher working in collaboration with the Minnesota Department of Human Services where her role is to conduct situational analysis, identify opportunities for equitable resources, programs, and development implementation strategies throughout the behavioral health division.

Kristin holds a Bachelors and MEd in Human Resource Development and Adult Education from the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities and an EdD from Capella University, specializing in Performance Improvement Leadership. Her passion is working to develop others as well as making them feel valued for who they are and understanding what they need to achieve their goals. She was awarded the 2023 Alumni Award of Excellence from the College of Education and Human Development at the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities and a 2023 Minneapolis-St. Paul Business Journal Women in Business Honoree. Out of everything she’s accomplished thus far in her journey, Dr. Morris is a proud wife and mother to four beautiful children. 

Dennis F. O’Neill, P.E.

Partner, Senior Engineering
Herbert E. MacCombie Jr., P.E. Consulting Engineers

Dennis O’Neill is a professional engineer, licensed in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, practicing civil engineering. Dennis’ focus is on providing engineering consultation to municipal clients in southeastern Pennsylvania. Dennis has a bachelor of engineering degree from Widener University. He earned his degree attending Widener part time and working a full-time job designing ornamental metals for high-end commercial and industrial buildings in the mid-Atlantic region.

In 1998 he joined the firm of Herbert E. MacCombie, Jr., P.E., a consulting engineering firm located near Philadelphia. After obtaining his Engineering-in-Training certificate, he worked under the responsible charge of James W. MacCombie, P.E., P.L.S. It was during this time that Dennis gained experience in municipal government. After obtaining his license to practice as a professional engineer in 2005, Dennis worked to develop the trust of municipal officials by providing consultation in many aspects of public services, always striving to protect the public health, safety and welfare.

Today, Dennis provides engineering services to eight municipalities and two municipal authorities. Dennis’ introduction to public service began at an early age when he joined the volunteer fire service. Dennis held many positions as he gained experience and respect in service to local communities where he lived and worked. Those early experiences helped to form the foundation for his career today. Dennis is currently a partner and the senior engineer in responsible charge of the engineering staff for the firm he joined in 1998.

Dennis is married to Kathleen Krajewski O’Neill. They have one son, Matthew, and two grandsons, Finley and Asher. Dennis enjoys spending time with his grandsons, sports and winemaking.

Yolanda R. Pittman, MPA

Parole Officer
State of New York

Yolanda Pittman is a New York State Parole Officer. She graduated from John Jay College of Criminal Justice with a BA in Political Science in 1996 and from Metropolitan College of New York with a Master of Public Administration in 2022.

Before her career in law enforcement, Pittman worked in the social work field as an intensive case manager in prevention to foster care services at Safe Horizon. Her experience also includes a role as a housing specialist at Project Hospitality, working in conjunction with New York City’s HASA/HRA services.

As a seasoned field worker, Pittman fully applies her skills as part of her commitment to helping keep New York State and its citizens safe. Her role as union steward enables her to advocate for her colleagues, particularly at this time of tremendous discord and uncertainty. Pittman is also a mother of three sons, she advocates for the promotion of equality and social justice for all. 

Pittman generously and enthusiastically brings her experiences, wealth of knowledge and passion to each endeavor she undertakes.

Capella School of Public Service and Education Leadership

J. Heather Welzant, PhD

Dean, School of Public Service and Education
Capella University

Dr. Heather Welzant has over 20 years’ experience in higher education academic administration. Her areas of expertise include curriculum, assessment, program evaluation, faculty development and accreditation from multiple institutions. Dr. Welzant holds a PhD in Education with a specialization in Training and Performance Improvement from Capella University. Her research interests are with faculty and student performance relevant to online teaching and learning.

Currently, Dr. Welzant is the dean of the School of Public Service and Education at Capella University. She oversees all aspects of Education, Human Services, Social Work and Public Service programs. She was hired in April 2019 as dean of the School of Education. Before joining Capella University, she was vice president of Academic Affairs for online programs at Argosy University, responsible for over 5,000 students and 600 faculty. Prior to Argosy University, Dr. Welzant was the associate vice provost, Academic Performance Improvement at the University of Maryland University College where she developed quality and continuous improvement processes for the university’s newly created competency-based programs.

Dr. Welzant spent six years as the executive director, quality assurance at Laureate International Universities. In this role, she was responsible for implementing quality assurance efforts among all Laureate institutions to ensure student learning and the delivery of high-quality programs and services. She joined Laureate in 2007 as director, program design for the interdisciplinary domain within the Product Development Group. Prior to Laureate, Dr. Welzant was with the University of Phoenix Online for seven years. During her tenure at the University of Phoenix Online, she served as faculty, faculty trainer, faculty mentor and faculty peer reviewer.

Melissa McIntyre-Brandly, PhD

Associate Dean, School of Public Service and Education
Capella University

Dr. Melissa McIntyre-Brandly spent her early career in Pre-K–12 education, serving as a paraprofessional, high school teacher, professional development facilitator and an administrator. She served as director for curriculum and instruction and held previous positions as assistant principal and special education coordinator in a high school setting.

Dr. McIntyre-Brandly currently works in higher education as the associate dean for the School of Public Service and Education at Capella University. Prior to this, she served as an adjunct and core faculty and faculty chair for the P12 Leadership Programs at Capella University, an instructor at Central Texas College, a content expert and editor at the American Preparatory Institute and an adjunct faculty for Argosy University online.

Dr. McIntyre-Brandly holds a BS in Social Studies Composite from the University of Central Texas, a MEd in Educational Administration and a MAOM in Organizational Management from the University of Phoenix and a PhD in Elementary and Secondary Educational Administration from Capella University.

Dr. McIntyre-Brandly is interested in personalized learning, faculty and teacher development, improving learner success and satisfaction, cultural learning and the impact of hybrid learning in public schools with large mobility rates. Her educational expertise includes working with special education students and students in military-based schools. She is an active member of a number of educational professional associations and organizations.

James Anderson, MA

Senior Account Manager
Strategic Education, Inc.

James Anderson has served in various roles within higher education for the past 16 years and is currently a senior account manager for Strategic Education, Inc., which is the parent organization of Capella University. In his role within the Employer Solutions department, he develops and supports partnerships with organizations that provide behavioral health services.  

Through a collaborative approach, James works with behavioral health organizations to identify learning needs that support organizational goals and employee development. He can then help align these needs to Strategic Education, Inc.’s suite of educational offerings. He is passionate about helping organizations build a more talented workforce that supports their recruitment and retention initiatives.  

Prior to working in the Employer Solutions department, James was a lead enrollment counselor in Capella University’s School of Education for 12 years. James holds a bachelor’s degree in business management, a master’s degree in human resources and industrial relations and a graduate certificate in enrollment management.

Danielle Heinert, MBA

Product Manager, Portfolio Strategy – Capella University

Danielle (Dani) Heinert is a product manager on the Strategy team for Capella University. In her role, she provides strategic consulting to academic leadership providing research, analysis and tools to inform and drive strategic decision-making across the university. She identifies opportunities to break through into net new markets for the purposes of expanding reach and driving university growth, collaborating cross-functionally to support channel strategy.

Dani started her career in higher education 10 years ago at National American University as an Enrollment Counselor and became the Director of Enrollment and Completion for two campuses in the Minneapolis area in 2015. In 2018, she started working for Capella University in the Enrollment Services department for the School of Nursing and Health Sciences, initially as an Enrollment Counselor and later as an Associate Manager of the Nursing Enrollment Services area.

Constance St. Germain, EdD, JD

Provost & Senior Vice President, Academic Affairs
Capella University

Dr. Constance St. Germain joined Capella University in 2017 as its Chief Academic Officer and Senior Vice President of Academic Affairs. In 2019, she was appointed as provost where she is responsible for leading the university in achieving superior outcomes and impact. In her position, St. Germain provides leadership, in collaboration with other university stakeholders, on all aspects related to accreditation, faculty affairs, institutional policy, curriculum and programs, academic success and assessment.

Prior to joining Capella, she was the executive dean for the College of Humanities and Sciences at University of Phoenix, where she had strategic, operational and P&L responsibility for faculty, students and ground campuses across the country and online. While there, St. Germain positioned the college as an incubator for continued growth and development to transform students into socially aware, critically thinking global citizens.

In addition to her academic career, Dr. St. Germain is a U.S. Army veteran, where she served as a major in the U.S. Army Judge Advocate General’s Corps. While on active duty, she held assignments as an attorney at military posts including the 82D Airborne Division and XVIII Airborne Corps Fort Bragg, NC.

St. Germain has authored numerous articles, presented at national conferences and served as an expert in the media on a wide range of issues facing both the workforce and higher education related to leadership, gender equality, mental health, food security, student outcomes, humanities study and the law.

She received her Doctor of Education in higher education and organizational change from Benedictine University; her Juris Doctor from the University of Baltimore School of Law; and a Bachelor of Arts from George Mason University. She is admitted to practice as an attorney in Vermont, Virginia, and Maryland, as well as several federal courts. St. Germain’s research focus is on women and leadership.

Take the next step

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