About American Access Institute
Meet the Board of Directors
Dr. Pamela M. Donnelly has been an equitable education visionary for more than two decades in her mission to increase college access. She graduated with her PhD in Global Leadership and Change from Pepperdine University, and holds an MA degree in Literature as well as a BA in Literature and Secondary Education from Columbia University in the City of New York. She is a four-time business founder committed to championing teens in foster care, having built her professional reputation as a performance-focused executive. Her specialization in higher education for over twenty years has provided processes optimizing individual and organizational objectives. Data-driven, her leadership aligns people and resources to consistently deliver exceptional student outcomes.
Dr. Donnelly has been widely featured in the national media, including Time Magazine, The New York Times, and The Washington Post. She is conversant in Spanish and committed to ensuring language barriers do not impede student aspiration in AAI’s programs. A first-generation college student and second-generation CASA, she has built a solid network of influential stakeholders across federal, state, and local educational entities. Her values-based expertise is based on carefully curated research, theoretical foundations, and real-life experience in classrooms, board rooms, and offices up to and including advisory for divisions within the U.S. Department of Education.
Dr. Vicki L. Holmes is an experienced Director with a demonstrated history of working in the higher education industry. She graduated with a Doctorate of Adult Literacy degree from UNLV, and holds a Master’s degree from Arizona State University in Educational/Instructional Technology. A Professor Emeritus from UNLV, she is skilled in e-learning, instructional design, and curriculum development. She is an avid reader, dog mom, wife, and community activist. Volunteerism includes participating on the Board for Anthem Country Club,
Dr. Holmes is an expert in ESOL training, and certified to instruct in Spanish by the Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center, a skill which will come in handy given the fact that a large percentage of teens in the Nevada foster care system are from Latino homes and speak English as their second language. During her tenure working toward her doctorate focused in Adult Literacy from University of Nevada Las Vegas, she witnessed firsthand the incredible hurdles faced by young adults who have not benefited from proper educational support and career pathways mentorship. In addition to her other work at UNLV, she has worked for the College of Education as a facilitator for Alternative Route to Licensing (ARL) teachers who are working in the Clark County School District.
James (“JJ”) Bridgeford is a Court Appointed Special Advocate for foster youth, specializing in helping young teenage men. Having seen firsthand the need for special types of career- and college-readiness support among students he’s been assigned to help, he is delighted to join the AAI mission and ensure all CASAs, social workers, teachers, foster parents, and others surrounding teens in foster care have the resources needed to ensure that again out does not mean dropping out. J.J. holds a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Phoenix. A trusted realtor who owns Bridge The Gap Real Estate LLC, his offices are affiliated with Berkshire Hathaway serving the greater Las Vegas area. As a trusted business owner, he is committed to giving back to his community through charitable donations and volunteerism.
Meet the Regional Management Team
Joanie Till oversees the Nevada region for American Access Institute, identifying nonprofit partners, organizing events, and spreading the word about AAI’s offerings. She is an Independent Educational Consultant who has a proven track record helping students gain admission to top colleges and universities as well as success with admission to the Service Academies. Her knowledge of the ROTC scholarship process, career readiness, academic scholarships, building college lists, and identifying need-based aid make her a great asset to the organization. She is a member of numerous professional organizations, including the Higher Education Consultants Association, the Independent Educational Consultants Association, and the National Association for College Admissions Counseling. Joanie earned her BS degree in Business Management from Florida State University, her MBA from the University of West Florida, and a graduate-level certificate in College Counseling from the University of California, San Diego.
Meet AAI’s Curriculum Team Leaders
Google and Apple are just two of the tech giants who have relied upon Dr. Lisa De Leon to create and develop top tier educational content. A PhD in Global Leadership and Change, Dr. DeLeon has accrued experience including university-level consulting, including co-authoring the Gender-Lensed Curriculum at Texas A&M. As a Guest Lecturer at San Diego State University, she offers engaging instruction in Leadership to diverse students.
After earning her M.Ed, her international teaching expanded to the Fiji Islands and Uganda. Cross-cultural work continued at the Borlaug Institute for International Agriculture spanning research, policy writing, and curriculum development for foreign universities.
Dr. DeLeon oversees American Access Institute’s UX for its digital platform, which is specifically designed for use by foster youth in grades 9-12. At the forefront of equitable education and committed to measurable student outcomes, she applies her experience as an in-demand User Experience Writer from Silicon Valley to perfecting the simplification of complex information for specific audiences. In AAI’s case, our focus includes a Lexile level of 7 within a gamified, interactive series of student trainings.
Dr. Laura McReavy Hearnsberger
Dr. Laura McReavy Hearnsberger, holds her Doctor of Education Career in Organizational Leadership and is a seasoned educator and sought-after data strategist. A specialist in data visualization, she provides easy-to understand graphics distilling even the most complex subjects. Professional experience includes early time as a classroom teacher coach that evolved toward a career as a technology curriculum integration specialist. She has worked at both the district and state levels in senior management overseeing data and accountability, and director of innovative programs.
It was during her doctoral pursuit that she recognized the need to democratize analytics, leading her to found her cutting-edge consulting firm called Reflect, Plan, Do. Notable accomplishments include creating the Engagement Culture Construct, which measures the value schools place on intrinsic motivation and develops an interactive school map that has been used thousands of times by lawmakers, advocates, and educators to gain quick insights on public schools in Texas.
Dr. Hearnsberger co-creates American Access Institute’s curriculum with Dr. Leon. She oversees Tableau content, a digital tool which empowers users to interactively understand the college admissions process, job trends, career readiness, and more.