Phase 1 judge
Cheryl Carrier is the Executive Director of Ford Next Generation Learning (Ford NGL), the signature education program of Ford Motor Company Fund and Community Services. She leads the team responsible for developing and managing the innovative Ford NGL program, which is designed to engage educators, employers, and community leaders in the common goal of preparing today’s high school students for the careers of tomorrow. Cheryl joined Ford in 1978 and has held positions in Engineering, Finance, Business Strategy, and Investor Relations. Cheryl assisted Ford Executive Chairman William Clay Ford, Jr., for many years, including a special assignment with the Detroit Lions, as the Human Resource Director, where she was responsible for developing human resource policy.  Cheryl retired from Ford on December 31, 2013 and has continued as the Executive Director of Ford NGL, working closely with Ford Motor Company Fund. 

Phases 1 and 2 judge
With more than 25 years of K-12 education experience as a teacher, as an administrator, and in many leadership roles, Bruce Friend is recognized as one of the pioneers in developing innovative K-12 school models. Mr. Friend developed online and blended programs around the country, many with an emphasis on expanding learning opportunities for rural students. Mr. Friend is currently the Head of School at Pine Springs Preparatory Academy in North Carolina. Prior to that, he served as the Chief Operating Officer at the Aurora Institute. 

Phases 1 and 2 judge
Dr. Cheryl Lambert is a current member of the faculty at Austin Peay State University. Dr. Lambert teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in the Eriksson College of Education, Department of Teaching and Learning. She serves as the Coordinator for the Center for Rural Education within the College of Education at APSU. Dr. Lambert also serves as the Department Chair for Teaching and Learning. Her experience in teaching for the past 15 years includes school district positions in Tennessee at the K-12 and administrative levels, as well as post-secondary education. Dr. Lambert’s research interests include supporting pre-service teachers, focusing on the challenges of rural educators, and building university-school partnerships.

Phases 1 and 2 judge

Joel Mangan is Director of Business Development and Partnerships at Sigma Connectivity, a Design Engineering Tech House focused on design and development of smart and connected products for Industry 4.0 and Consumer products. Prior to joining Sigma Connectivity, Joel Mangan was the Executive Director of Pathways in Technology Early College High School (P-TECH) at IBM. He grew the P-TECH model from seven countries to 24 countries that have integrated P-TECH into their education systems, with more than 100,000 students coming through the program. Mr. Mangan spent most of career as a Senior Management Consultant at IBM Consulting Services where he led many large-scale technology-driven transformation projects in supply chain, healthcare, and asset management for major industrial companies, working in Europe, Africa, and the United States.

Phase 1 judge
Dr. Stacey McCullough is the Director for Community, Professional & Economic Development with the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture Cooperative Extension Service. She oversees programs in leadership, local government, strategic planning and action, economic development, community and regional capacity building, workforce development, program planning and evaluation, and digital learning. She also serves as Director of the Public Policy Center, which provides Arkansans with timely, credible, and unbiased information and education about public issues, including state and local ballot issues. Nationally, she has served on the Joint Council of Extension Professionals Board of Directors and is a past President and Southern Region Representative of the National Association of Community Development Extension Professionals.

Phases 1 and 2 judge
Kim Phinney is the Co-Founder of Rural Youth Catalyst and a Senior Fellow with the Center for Rural Strategies, where she is designing a national rural and Native youth initiative. Previously, Ms. Phinney served as the Vice President of Program Design for YouthBuild USA, where she helped craft the strategy for YouthBuild USA’s overall vision and mission for scale and sustainability, managed a $13 million annual portfolio of federal and private funders, built cross-sector national partnerships, and crafted a range of technical assistance and professional development strategies across 262 urban and rural programs. In addition, she piloted several national initiatives, including strategies for building foundational readiness skills through a trauma-informed and Universal Design for Learning lens. She also led opportunity youth career pathway projects in manufacturing, IT, customer service, and natural resources, and she designed an education and career pathway framework for rural and Native youth. 

Phase 1 judge
Dr. Darryl N. Williams is the Franklin Institute’s Senior Vice President of Science and Education. He oversees all aspects of the science and education programming at the heart of the Institute’s efforts to inspire a passion for science and technology learning. Dr. Williams joined the Institute from Tufts University’s School of Engineering, where he was Dean of Undergraduate Education and Director of Tufts Center for STEM Diversity, supporting the transformation of the undergraduate curriculum. Prior to Tufts, Dr. Williams spent four years with the National Science Foundation as a rotating program director; he managed a range of federal programs and research focused on STEM teaching and learning, formal and informal learning environments, and workforce development. Since 2016, Dr. Williams has served as a member of the Sloan Foundation’s Sloan Scholars Mentoring Network advisory board, and in 2018, was appointed to serve on the NASA Advisory Council’s STEM Engagement Committee.