Devan brings more than 30 years of experience in K–12 education technology and public education leadership. He currently serves as Chief Technology Officer for the West Ada School District in Idaho, where he leads technology services for one of the largest school systems in the region, supporting tens of thousands of students and staff. Over the course of his career, Devan has led large-scale technology initiatives at both the district and state levels, with a focus on operational excellence, system reliability, and supporting student success.

Devan has also served on the Å·ÃÀAƬ Board of Directors since 2024. During that time, he has developed a strong understanding of the organization’s mission, operations, and member community. He will step down from the Board as he assumes this interim leadership role.

Known for his thoughtful, collaborative leadership style, Devan has built and led high-performing teams and complex technology environments. He has also been an active contributor to the broader education technology community, including presenting at national and regional conferences and supporting statewide initiatives.

He was selected for this role based on his depth of experience, his steady and transparent leadership approach, and his ability to guide organizations through complex operational environments. As Interim CEO, Devan will work closely with Å·ÃÀAƬ leadership, staff, and the Board to ensure continuity of operations, support members and partners, and help guide the organization through this period. Devan will begin transitioning into the role on May 1, 2026 and will assume full responsibilities as Interim CEO on June 1, 2026.

“I am honored to serve Å·ÃÀAƬ in this role and to support the organization’s members and partners during this time,” said Devan. “Å·ÃÀAƬ plays an important role in the education community, and I am committed to working alongside the team to ensure continuity, stability, and continued service.”

The Board extends our thanks to Stephen Yamada for his steady leadership in serving as Acting Interim CEO over the past several weeks. He will transition back to his role as Director of Operations, where he will continue to support Å·ÃÀAƬ’s core programs and member engagement. Our appreciation also goes to Amber Watkins for her continued leadership and support of the member relations team.

We are especially grateful to the entire Å·ÃÀAƬ staff for their professionalism, resilience, and ongoing commitment to serving our members and partners. Their dedication ensures that our work continues without interruption.

Å·ÃÀAƬ remains focused on delivering high-quality services to our members and partners. Our team is fully engaged, and our operations continue without interruption. We are committed to maintaining transparency and will continue to share updates as appropriate.

Please welcome Devan to Å·ÃÀAƬ!

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As we continue to navigate the recent passing of the long-time CEO, our focus remains on supporting our organization and ensuring the stability of core Å·ÃÀAƬ services. With this in mind, the Board of Directors has made the difficult decision not to host the OETC CIO Summit in October 2026.

The Summit has long been a valued opportunity to come together, learn, and collaborate on the challenges and opportunities facing our community. We sincerely regret that we will not be able to gather this year.

We are deeply grateful for your understanding and continued support during this time. Å·ÃÀAƬ remains committed to serving our members and partners, and we look forward to future opportunities to connect.

Sincerely,
The Å·ÃÀAƬ Board of Directors

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This notice is to inform all Å·ÃÀAƬ members of a general meeting on Oct 7, 2023. The meeting will be a forum for members to discuss matters pertaining to Å·ÃÀAƬ’s direction and operations.

Those not currently affiliated with Å·ÃÀAƬ but interested in membership or attendance can contact OETC Support or refer to our website.

For details and scheduling please contact OETC Support.

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Ellen joins us as the CTO of Renton (Wash.) School District; she also serves as an adjunct faculty member at Seattle Pacific University (bio below). The membership also re-elected Sharon Blanton, Don Wolff and Rachel Wente-Chaney.

Outgoing president David Roberts, CTO of Boise School District, has been succeeded by Kirk Kelly, CIO for Portland State University. Mike Fleckenstein, IT CIO of Anchorage School District, is now president-elect, and Chad Stiteler, VP of Administrative Services for Bellingham Technical College, will serve as treasurer.

Ellen Dorr

Chief Technology Officer
Renton School District

Ellen Dorr began her career in education as an English and language arts teacher in a low-income, high-diversity middle school; her dedication to educational equity and strong outcomes for all students has shaped her work ever since.

As the CTO of Renton School District, Ellen oversees Technology Services, which includes customer service, infrastructure, and digital learning. She tasks her department with providing the resources and support to empower educators, create inclusive, equitable instruction in classrooms, and increase efficiency and effectiveness across the district.

Previously, Ellen served as the Director of Digital Learning in Renton and the Learning Technology Manager for Highline Public Schools. In both roles, she helped to write district technology plans and ensured that supports for students learning were provided and used intentionally. She identified and planned implementation of digital tools that met specific learning needs and evaluated data on these tools, focusing support on instructional practices.

Ellen is an adjunct faculty member at Seattle Pacific University, where she has supported the Master in Education in Digital Education Leadership Program. She is a member of Transcend Education’s Yellow Hats League, serves on the steering committee for the Community of Innovative Practice, and is a member of the 1Million Project District Advisory Council.

She holds a bachelor’s degree in biology from Reed College, a master’s degree in teaching from Seattle University, and is pursuing her doctorate in education and superintendent certification in the Leadership for Learning program at the University of Washington, where she is focused on equity-centered leadership and transformation of educational systems. She is a National Board Certified Teacher (NBCT) and a Certified Education Technology Leader (CETL).

Sharon Blanton

Vice President of Information Technology and Campus Safety
The College of New Jersey

Sharon brings extensive experience directing and managing all aspects of IT service delivery and operations support within highly complex environments. She is now the VP of Information Technology and Campus Safety at The College of New Jersey following a tenure as VP of Information Technology for Hawaii Pacific University.

Sharon is a 2005 graduate of the EDUCAUSE Frye Leadership Institute and remains an active part of the organization, serving on several conference committees and project teams. She has also held leadership positions for the NJEdge Board, the New Jersey Big Data Alliance, the Center for Higher Ed CIO Studies, and the Center for Technology Leadership at Excelsior College.

Sharon holds her doctorate in higher education administration from Capella University, a master’s degree in instructional technology from the University of Virginia and a bachelor’s degree in mass communications and instructional technology from Towson University.

Rachel Wente-Chaney

Chief Information Officer
High Desert Education Service District

Rachel supports a regional technology ecosystem that includes network services, information services, digital learning spaces, digital workspace modernization, information security and more for the High Desert ESD in Central Oregon. As CIO, Rachel and her team work daily to improve the security, access, and mobility of technology resources in classrooms, schools and offices throughout the region.

Rachel joined HDESD in 2006, working as the information projects manager before assuming her current role in 2011.

She holds a master’s degree in information science from Syracuse University, a bachelor’s degree in history from Indiana University and a graduate certificate in cybersecurity from Harvard Extension School.

Don Wolff

Chief Technology Officer
Portland Public Schools

Don began his career as a classroom teacher for second, fourth and fifth grades. Since then, he’s served as district technology coordinator for the Phoenix-Talent School District, director of technology for the Oregon Education Enterprise Steering Committee, CIO for the Willamette Education Service District, where he was a founding member of the Cascade Technology Alliance (CTA), and CIO of Hillsboro School District.

As CTO for the Pacific Northwest’s largest school district, Don oversees the technology needs of more than 49,000 P-12 students spread across more than 100 locations.

He holds a master’s degree in educational technology from Pepperdine University and a bachelor’s degree in elementary education from Southern Oregon University.

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Ellen Dorr began her career in education as an English and language arts teacher in a low-income, high-diversity middle school; her dedication to educational equity and strong outcomes for all students has shaped her work ever since.

As the CTO of Renton School District, Ellen oversees Technology Services, which includes customer service, infrastructure, and digital learning. She tasks her department with providing the resources and support to empower educators, create inclusive, equitable instruction in classrooms, and increase efficiency and effectiveness across the district.

Previously, Ellen served as the Director of Digital Learning in Renton and the Learning Technology Manager for Highline Public Schools. In both roles, she helped to write district technology plans and ensured that supports for students learning were provided and used intentionally. She identified and planned implementation of digital tools that met specific learning needs and evaluated data on these tools, focusing support on instructional practices.

Ellen is an adjunct faculty member at Seattle Pacific University, where she has supported the Master in Education in Digital Education Leadership Program. She is a member of Transcend Education’s Yellow Hats League, serves on the steering committee for the Community of Innovative Practice, and is a member of the 1Million Project District Advisory Council.

She holds a bachelor’s degree in biology from Reed College, a master’s degree in teaching from Seattle University, and is pursuing her doctorate in education and superintendent certification in the Leadership for Learning program at the University of Washington, where she is focused on equity-centered leadership and transformation of educational systems. She is a National Board Certified Teacher (NBCT) and a Certified Education Technology Leader (CETL).

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Last week our membership elected three new representatives to serve on OETC’s FY16 Board. We are pleased to announce the new board members below.

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Awarded projects employed a variety of creative ideas that tackled core subjects and integration standards.

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The Qwest Foundation has partnered with the Å·ÃÀAƬ (Å·ÃÀAƬ) to award mini-grants to districts. This opportunity is through a Qwest Foundation for Education Grant to be awarded to Oregon K-12 educators who participate in their Regional Ed Tech Cadre and who demonstrate an innovative use of technology with students and or collaborate with a teacher(s) team.

The purpose of this grant is to:

• Provide opportunities for Oregon teacher(s) participating in the Regional Ed Tech Cadres to implement strategies they have learned;
• Recognize Oregon K-12 educators who are using technology in innovative ways with students;
• Increase an awareness of how teacher(s)s are using technology in the classroom; and
• Model best practices with technology integration improving student achievement.

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