Board Member | Allen Morton, DPS, MBA
Allen Morton, DPS, MBA
Dr. Morton is a consultant, Finance Professor and Dean Emeritus of Western Connecticut State School of Business. He has expertise in finance and economic research, performance metrics for profit and non-profit organizations, and strategic planning.
Board Member | Blannie Bowen, PhD
Blannie Bowen, PhD
Blannie Bowen retired from Penn State in 2017 after almost 29 years as a professor of agricultural and extension education. He also held various administrative positions including Vice Provost for Academic Affairs from 2004-17, Head of the Department of Agricultural and Extension Education from 1998-2004, and Associate Dean of the Graduate School from 1995-98. He was on the faculty at Ohio State from 1985-88 and Mississippi State from 1980-85.
Blannie earned his Ph.D. from Ohio State in agricultural education in 1980. He was the editor of both the Journal of Agricultural Education and The Agricultural Education Magazine. After completing his bachelor’s in 1974 and a master’s degree in 1976, both at North Carolina A&T State University, Blannie taught agricultural education for two years first at Person Senior High School in Roxboro, NC, and then at Smithfield High School in Virginia. After graduating from high school, he was a North Carolina state FFA vice president from 1971-72. Blannie grew up on a small family farm in Riegelwood, NC. His wife (Cathy) is also a professor emerita at Penn State and she is from Roanoke Rapids, NC. Blannie and Cathy reside in State College, PA. Blannie’s hobbies include gardening, cooking, walking, writing the church newsletter, and
genealogy.
In retirement, Blannie serves on several boards, councils, and committees. From 2018-23, he served on the Board of Visitors for NC A&T. Also, he served on the Board of Directors for the Pennsylvania College of Technology from 2016-23. Currently, he is serving a 3-year term on the Advisory Board for NC A&T’s College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences.
Board Member | Dana Thompson Dorsey, JD, PhD
Dana Thompson Dorsey, JD, PhD
Dr. Dana Thompson Dorsey is an Associate Professor of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies at the University of South Florida (USF) and former director and endowed chair of the David C. Anchin Center for the Advancement of Teaching at USF. She is a critical race scholar, focusing her research and teaching on examining education laws, policies, and PreK-20 school and university practices and their impact on equity, access, and opportunities for historically minoritized students and communities. Specifically, Dr. Thompson Dorsey concentrates on school segregation, school discipline, affirmative action in higher education, school choice policies, implicit bias, and culturally responsive policies and practices.
Dr. Thompson Dorsey is published in numerous leading education journals, and she has received grant funding from the Spencer, Gates, and Wallace Foundations for her research. She is often interviewed on or quoted in national and local media outlets, including the New York Times, CNN.com, The Chronicle of Higher Education, and National Public Radio (NPR). In addition, Dr. Thompson Dorsey is often invited to conduct racial equity trainings and develop culturally responsive and sustaining programs for school districts and companies.
Before Dr. Thompson Dorsey earned her Ph.D. in Education with a concentration in Sociology of Education and Policy Studies, she was a practicing attorney in Pennsylvania. Furthermore, Dr. Thompson Dorsey was an Associate Professor and the Associate Director for the Center for Urban Education at the University of Pittsburgh, an Assistant Professor at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, and a post-doctoral fellow at the University of Virginia.
Board Member | Ellen Smith, MEd, MBA, BA
Ellen Smith, MEd, MBA, BA
Ms. Smith is currently an independent consultant and policy analyst. She is the former Vice President for Federal Funding and Grant Information Services at MWWPR, now MikeWorldWide and Vice President Business Development for posed2,Inc. During her career she held senior positions at several universities and associations and conducted analytical work at a Congressional agency. Smith held positions at Columbia University including Assistant Vice President; Director of Financial Aid and Planning at Georgetown University School of Medicine; University of Pennsylvania Medical Center as an Administrator; and research associate for Harvard Center for Community Health and Medical Care. In addition to service at these institutions, Smith worked as an analyst for the Congressional Office of Technology Assessment and the American Psychiatric Association. Higher education policies, scientific policy issues, (including the early days of The Science Coalition), and health care policy are areas of expertise.
Board Member | Wayne Patrick
Wayne Patrick
Wayne Patrick is an Advisor and Angel Investor. Wayne has forty years of experience in Information Technology including IT Director for a Fortune 500 Insurance Company, VP of Consulting for a large software firm and COO of two start-up software firms that had successful exits. He led his IT Consulting Company, Professional Data Dimensions to successful exit. Wayne now serves as CRO for AIS, an IT services company. Wayne has been a successful restaurant franchise owner operator. He has served as an advisor to multiple startups in the Tech Industry.
He received the Sagamore of the Wabash, was a Presidential Delegate to the White House Conference on Small Business, received the SBA Directors Award, was commissioned a Kentucky Colonel and was a finalist for the EY Entrepreneur of the year.
He earned a BS in EE from Rose Hulman, an MBA from Butler University and an Executive MBA from Dartmouth.
Wayne has been active in the community and served on the board:
Rose Hulman Institute of Technology
Eskenazi Health Foundation
Cabinet Advisor to Governor Joe Kernan
Chairman, Indiana Small Business Development Corporation
68 Capital Limited Partner
TechPoint & TechPoint Foundation
Greater Indianapolis Chamber of Commerce
Greater Indianapolis Progress Committee
Indiana Chamber of Commerce
Independent Colleges of Indiana
United Way of Greater Indianapolis
Butler University
Kelly School of Business Indiana University
Marian University School of Business
Indianapolis Red Cross
Goodwill Industries
Mid-States Minority Business Council
Chairman, Indianapolis Coalition for Minority Business Development
Director Urban League IAAQLRI Business & Entrepreneurship Pillar