Meet and Contact the Staff

Dr. Kerry Davidson, LA GEAR UP Project Director, Deputy Commissioner for Sponsored Programs for the Louisiana Board of Regents—the governing board of all public higher education institutions in Louisiana—is responsible for the overall administration of LA GEAR UP. From his office in Baton Rouge, Dr. Davidson coordinates high-level cooperation between the Board of Regents and partners in the LA GEAR UP program, including the United States Department of Education, the Louisiana Board of Elementary and Secondary Education, and the National Science Foundation, among others. The man behind the scenes, Dr. Davidson has steered the LA GEAR UP program by developing the short and long-range goals necessary to make the program successful. He has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science and Economics from Morehouse College (Atlanta), a Master’s Degree in Political Science from the University of Iowa, and a Ph.D. from Tulane University.
kerry.davidson@la.gov

Neal Boyd is the webmaster and design coordinator for LA GEAR UP. Besides helping to make sure that broken computers get repaired, he also works hand-in-hand with all of the other LA GEAR UP staff, helping to create print, web, video, and multimedia representations of the messages that they wish to share. If you’ve ever been to a GEAR UP conference, you probably saw Neal running around taking photos, lugging around multiple laptops, video cameras, and various gadgets that serve no purpose other than to boost his geek credibility. Before becoming a part of the LA GEAR UP team, he created multimedia for Governor Mike Foster’s policy department, developed websites and print media for Explore Interactive, I-55 Internet Services, and worked on various freelance projects for companies such as ESPN, AOL, and Baker Media.
neal.boyd@la.gov

Michelle Brandon, Administrative Assistant, assists in the preparation of professional services and consultant contracts, manages programmatic data, generates statistical reports, coordinates bi-annual LaSIP Council meetings, supervises student workers, procures office supplies and equipment, and is an all around Jill of all trades. Mrs. Brandon enjoys meeting new people and traveling. Before joining LaSIP/LA GEAR UP in February 2008, Mrs. Brandon worked for the Louisiana State University Health Care System.
michelle.brandon@la.gov

Renee Carter, Assistant Contracts and Fiscal Coordinator, audits and processes all contract, vendor, and professional development payments and collects and documents matching funds. Ms. Renee was a familiar face at the Southeast Regional GEAR UP Conference, where she presented a workshop on matching funds and Cooperative Agreements and Contracts. She is also a familiar face at GEAR UP Days. Before joining the LA GEAR UP staff, Ms. Carter managed hospital contracts at the Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center (New Orleans) and held accounting positions at Louisiana State University (Baton Rouge) and Neese Industries (Gonzales). Mrs. Carter received her Bachelor’s Degree in 1997 and her Master’s Degree in 2000 in Accounting from Southern University in Baton Rouge.
renee.harris@la.gov

Shannon J. Domingue, Program Coordinator, is responsible for Desoto, Iberville, and Red River Parishes, as well as LA GEAR UP’s student website.  Shannon also handles scholarship disbursements for students entering college with Rewards for Success money available to them.  Before joining LA GEAR UP, Shannon taught tenth, eleventh, and twelfth grade English and Honors English at White Castle High School in White Castle, Louisiana. He received his Bachelor of Arts Degree in English Literature from Louisiana State University and a Post Baccalaureate Standard Teaching Certificate from Letourneau University in Austin, Texas. While living in Texas, Shannon also worked in various business capacities in the computer and restaurant industries.
shannon.domingue@la.gov

Sally O. Donlon is assistant director for LA GEAR UP and, as such, oversees the coordination of short- and long-terms goals developed by Dr. Davidson. She was Coordinator for Evaluation on the Louisiana Collaborative for Excellence in the Preparation of Teachers (LaCEPT) grant from 1998-2002, and later served as Coordinator for Evaluation on LA GEAR UP 2002-08 from the program’s inception through early 2007. From 1999-2003, Ms. Donlon participated on the NSF Core Evaluation Project, a national committee to develop assessment instruments for National Science Foundation initiatives to improve teacher preparation programs in the areas of math and science. Sally has been trained in Participatory Learning & Action Research, an evaluation model that engages all stakeholders in the measurement process, as well as Schoolwide Positive Behavior Systems. She is certified in Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading & Spelling (LETRS), Modules 1-6, and as a Competent Toastmaster (CTM). She holds an undergraduate degree in general studies with minors in English, history and philosophy from the University of Louisiana at Monroe (ULM) and an MS from the College of Urban & Public Affairs (CUPA) at the University of New Orleans (UNO). Sally is a doctoral student in Cognitive Science at the Institute of Cognitive Science (ICS) through the University of Louisiana at Lafayette (ULL) and is currently conducting dissertation research in mind and language.
sally.donlon@la.gov

Dianna Frank, Guidance and Counseling Coordinator, oversees Summer/Academic-Year Learning Projects and coordinates College Connection/LA GEAR UP Days and Pathfinder workshops. Ms. Frank coordinates schools in Avoyelles and Sabine Parishes. She is also the statewide site coordinator for the Louisiana College Goal Sunday Initiative. Ms. Frank is a graduate of Our Lady of Holy Cross College, where she obtained a Bachelor’s Degree in Social Counseling, and a Master’s Degree in Marriage and Family Counseling. Before coming to LA GEAR UP, Ms. Frank worked as a counselor for the TRIO program at the University of New Orleans.
dianna.frank@la.gov

Delreese Hector-Smith, Program Coordinator, works closely with LA GEAR UP school coordinators to ensure pertinent information is disbursed for LA GEAR UP initiatives. She also collects and compiles data for reports and organizes local and statewide workshops and conferences. Prior to working with LA GEAR UP, Ms. Hector-Smith was a substitute teacher for the East Baton Rouge Parish School System. She is a dual degree recipient, earning a Bachelor of Science in Psychology and Bachelor of Arts in Sociology in 2002 from Louisiana State University.
delreese.hector@la.gov

Chris Herring, LaSIP Assistant Director for Contracts and Fiscal, creates and budgets the professional development contracts and subsequently audits and processes these payments. Prior to working for LaSIP, Chris worked as an auditor for the Board of Regents and the Louisiana Legislative Auditor. Mr. Herring has a Bachelor’s in Business Administration and a Master’s in Public Administration from Louisiana State University. When Chris isn’t paying bills, he likes to get outdoors with his dog; enjoy some sports; or, best of all, hit the road. An avid traveler, Chris minored in Spanish and studied abroad in Spain.
chris.herring@la.gov

Denise Jacobs, Communications Coordinator, works on a variety of writing projects and coordinates schools in East Baton Rouge, Iberia, and Richland Parishes. Ms. Denise works with LA GEAR UP students frequently, offering ACT essay prep workshops and organizing the student track of the Southeast Annual GEAR UP conference in New Orleans, among other things. Before joining LA GEAR UP in the spring of 2006, Ms. Jacobs taught Composition, Business Writing, Intro to Fiction, and Images of Women in Literature at Louisiana State University, where she was a full-time member of the English Department. Before that, she worked nine years as a staff person in the Michigan State Legislature and three years in the Michigan Executive Office. Her professional writing experience informs her teaching practice.
denise.jacobs@la.gov

Savitri Scott, English Language Arts Coordinator, manages literacy professional development projects for LaSIP/LA GEAR UP, working collaboratively to develop annual requests for proposals. She also coordinates the annual GEAR UP Writing Contest, including compilation of the 2003-2007 Anthology of Student Reflections: Poetry and Essays. Ms. Scott is the LaSIP/LA GEAR UP representative for the Louisiana Statewide Literacy Roundtable Commission. She services LA GEAR UP schools to promote and enhance school and district reform efforts through LA GEAR UP and K-16 initiatives. A graduate of Dillard University, where she obtained a Bachelor’s Degree in English, and Southern University, where she received a Master’s Degree in Education, Ms. Scott has ten years of teaching experience in the Louisiana public school system.
savitri.scott@la.gov