The Management Council announced the promotion of Erica Clay to the Director of INFOhio position and welcomed Lori Lee as the new INFOhio Assistant Director at the INFOhio Advisory Board meeting on May 14.
With the impending retirement of Theresa Fredericka, Director of INFOhio since 1996, and after an exhaustive search, the Management Council named the new Director of INFOhio at the INFOhio Advisory Board meeting on May 14. Erica Clay, currently an INFOhio Instructional Specialist, was formally announced as the incoming Director of INFOhio. At the same meeting, Lori Lee, currently District Librarian with Zanesville City Schools, was announced as the Assistant Director of INFOhio, a role created with the retirement of Gayle Geitgey, INFOhio Instructional Team Manager.
Clay came to INFOhio in 2013 with more than 10 years’ experience, including as an early childhood teacher and elementary music teacher. Prior to her role as an INFOhio ILibrarian, now known as Instructional Specialist, she was the Humanities Librarian at Wright State and the Library Director of the University of Northwestern Ohio. In her role with INFOhio, Clay evaluated and selected digital tools and resources aligned with Ohio Learning Standards, and supported integration of those tools and resources into classroom instruction. She also collected, analyzed, and shared INFOhio usage data to inform instructional design, and wrote for INFOhio’s social media, blog, and news. She earned a BA in English and Music and a Master of Humanities from Wright State University, and a Master of Library Science from Indiana University.
“This is INFOhio and the Management Council’s moment to shine; INFOhio has an incredible legacy, and I consider it a great privilege to work with the Management Council, the INFOhio Advisory Board, Ohio’s ITCs, and our education and library partners to grow that legacy for years to come,” Clay said. “I believe that we have an amazing team that is ready and willing to meet the newly increased demand for supporting learning in remote and blended environments.”
In her new role as Director of INFOhio, Clay is responsible for developing and implementing plans that advance INFOhio program priorities and initiatives. She will lead the ongoing development and delivery of all INFOhio programs, resources, and services to Ohio PreK-12 students, educators, and parents. She is also responsible for the operation of INFOhio digital tools and resources, INFOhio professional development for PreK-12 educators, and school library automation services.
“It is with confidence that I applaud the selection of the new Director of INFOhio, Erica Clay. Having worked side by side with Erica for several years, I have witnessed her talents, sense of work ethic, and passion for INFOhio’s vision and mission,” noted retiring Director of INFOhio, Theresa Fredericka. “She will lead INFOhio with dedication to providing high quality digital content so that every Ohio PreK-12 student has the tools they need to learn no matter their zip code.”
Lori Lee joins the INFOhio team with twenty-seven years of experience in education, the majority of which was in the high school English classroom. In 2012, she moved from the classroom to the district librarian position for Zanesville City Schools in Zanesville, Ohio. Her passions in education are innovative curriculum design and technology integration which led her to pursue becoming a Google for Education Certified Trainer and an INFOhio District ICoach. Lee is no stranger to INFOhio as a participant on the INFOhio Users Council. She was elected to the board of the Ohio Educational Library Media Association (OELMA) as the Director of Teaching and Learning and currently serves on the WOSU Educational Advisory Council and the OhioNET board. She earned her BS in Education from Butler University, her MA in Curriculum & Instruction from Muskingum University, and her Graduate Certification in School Library Media from Marshall University. She also serves as a Graduate Adjunct Professor for Muskingum University.
“I am thrilled to join the Management Council, Erica, and the rest of the INFOhio team,” Lee shared. “I look forward to working with Ohio’s educational community during this evolving time for school leaders, teachers, librarians, students, and families. It is critical for the INFOhio Instructional Team to support all of them with not only our robust digital tools and resources, but also to design innovative and engaging learning opportunities that can be delivered through technology.”
As the Assistant Director of INFOhio, Lee will establish standards, procedures, and priorities for achieving departmental goals and is responsible for the overall efficiency of the Instructional Team. She will coordinate and oversee the statewide efforts of the Instructional Team to increase awareness and use of INFOhio digital tools and resources.
“I am equally pleased that Lori Lee has agreed to join the Management Council as Assistant Director of INFOhio. This speaks well for the next iteration of INFOhio and its power in today’s classroom and school library,” said Ms. Fredericka. “Her experience with both the school library environment and instructional technology, along with her involvement in the OELMA professional organization, reflects the leadership and partnership skills that will be valuable to support INFOhio’s strategic initiatives.”
“With Erica and Lori leading an already strong, innovative team, I am confident that INFOhio will carry on with its rich tradition of the past 30 years,” said Ms. Fredericka.
Erica Clay
Lori Lee
Chad Carson, a 1994 graduate of Ohio University Athens in computer science, has spent the last twenty-nine years serving the Ohio Education Computer Network. Chad began his career at the LACA ITC in 1994, immediately after college. Originally hired to support Student Services, Chad advanced to systems manager, then served as LACA’s director of technology from 2001-2017. Chad was the executive director of LACA for four years prior to joining the MCOECN in the fall of 2021 as the manager of the MCOECN Data Center Operations team. In his current role, Chad is primarily responsible for the overall operation of the MCOECN server, network, and storage infrastructure, and continuously focuses his technical skills on enhancing, optimizing, and improving delivery of hosted services to MCOECN’s customers.
Joe spent 29 years in public education as a teacher, coach, assistant principal, principal, assistant superintendent, and superintendent. He started his career in Grove City, Pennsylvania as a teacher and coach and finished in Ellwood City, Pennsylvania in the superintendent role. During his time as an administrator, Joe was focused on innovative ways to deliver instruction, both in the classroom and through technology. He led Ellwood City in their 1:1 laptop adoption for students and changing instruction to both direct instruction and using Google Classroom as a learning management system. He also was integral in bringing a 3-12 STEM program to the district.
Geoff has served as CEO of the Management Council since 2015, leading the mission and strategic plan for the Council and growing the organization that connects, optimizes, secures and empowers academic and administrative systems that support every learner, teacher and leader in Ohio. He is responsible for the array of work done by the Management Council on behalf of the Ohio Department of Education and Ohio’s 18 Information Technology Centers.
Jessica began her career in higher education working for the Art Institute of Ohio – Cincinnati, Kaplan College, and the Everest Institute before discovering that the public sector was her passion. She left the realm of higher education to pursue a non-profit career with the Griffith Foundation before securing a position with the Ohio Educational Service Center Association as Program Manager for Membership & Special projects.
Melissa began her career as a district technology coordinator and computer application/business teacher and during that time was fortunate to develop a wonderful relationship with her district’s Information Technology Center (ITC). While at the district, she led the implementation of OhioSchoolNet and Raising the Bar technology initiatives. In the mid 2010s, she transitioned from the district to an ITC, which introduced her to the Management Council and many of the programs that they support state-wide.
Erica came to INFOhio in the early 2010s with more than 10 years’ experience, including as an early childhood teacher and elementary music teacher. Prior to her role as an INFOhio ILibrarian, now known as Instructional Specialist, she worked for two collegiate universities, one as the Humanities Librarian and the other as Library Director. In her role with INFOhio, Erica evaluated and selected digital tools and resources aligned with Ohio Learning Standards, and supported integration of those tools and resources into classroom instruction. She also collected, analyzed, and shared INFOhio usage data to inform instructional design, and wrote for INFOhio’s social media, blog, and news. She earned a BA in English and Music and a Master of Humanities from Wright State University, and a Master of Library Science from Indiana University.
Matt Calmes serves as the Director of State Software Development. Matt has been with the State Software Development Team since the early 2000s. In his current role, he leads and manages the teams that develop and support the various products in the SSDT’s portfolio. He has a passion for technology and solving hard problems that provide benefit to Ohio’s educational community and the students they serve. 
Greg Buddelmeyer serves as the Chief Financial Officer for the Management Council. He joined the Management Council staff in the mid 2010s. Greg began his career with the Ohio Auditor of State’s Office as an Assistant Auditor, working on audits of Ohio government entities. In the early 1990s, he accepted his first school district treasurer position with Liberty-Benton Local School District. He also spent time as the school treasurer for Defiance City School District and Shawnee Local School District. He eventually moved to The University of Findlay as the Financial Director for Projects and Grants, overseeing the financial operations of The All Hazards Training Center and university grant programs.
As Director of Customer Services and Support, Bill Young is the chief evangelist for excellent customer experiences across the Ohio Education Computer Network (OECN). Bill manages customer support teams that are dedicated to delivering timely and knowledgeable support for major K-12 programs and applications used by teachers and leaders across Ohio. Teams deliver support via a live-chat, a statewide call center, email, and responsive self-help web sites.
Scott Gaughan serves as the Director of Network Services. He currently focuses on network related initiatives, information security, video conferencing, and collaborative purchasing agreements. He joined the Management Council in the early 2010s after spending 30 years in state government, including Ohio DAS/OIT, Ohio SchoolNet and eTech Ohio. 
Ryan has committed his career to serving the K12 education community in Ohio. Starting out in serving INFOhio at a regional Information Technology Center in the 1990s, he quickly adapted to the changing needs of the ITC and became their lead systems administrator. When given the opportunity in the mid 2000s, he came to the Management Council to initiate the first disaster recovery services. Since then and through leading many diverse initiatives, Ryan has developed into a talented technologist who focuses on aligning technology needs and educational outcomes.