Meet Our Team

Dr. Brenda Vogds, Director of i4PL, began her career as a Business and Marketing Educator, and subsequently served as an Instructor in the College of Education at UW-Whitewater, a K- 12 Technology Coordinator, an Elementary School Principal, a secondary director of teaching and learning and most recently as the Leader of Personalized Learning and Innovation for Secondary Schools. She was a key leader in the beginning phases of competency-based education in the Kettle Moraine School District (WI), and Eastern Carver County School District (MN) She presents at National and International conferences on the research, pedagogies and implementation strategies of PCBE and uses her on the ground floor experience to provide interactive professional learning and coaching to Administrators, School Boards, Coaching and Resource Teams and Educators around learner-centered practice.

Dr. Theresa Ewald has been engaged in leading school districts through a transformation to a competency-based and learner-centered educational system. As the former Assistant Superintendent of Kettle Moraine School District, Dr. Ewald understands the systemic, classroom and personal transformation needed to serve learners and communities. In addition to leading a decade of transformation in Kettle Moraine, she mentors educational leaders and state leaders as they seek to change the system for learners. Dr. Ewald has experience in designing for competency-based pathways, multi-age environments, project-based learning, international assessments, distributed-leadership models and educator micro-credentialing.

Dr. James Rickabaugh formerly served as Director of the Institute for Personalized Learning. Previous to that, he served as Superintendent of Whitefish Bay Schools, Burnsville-Eagan-Savage School District, and Oconomowoc Area School District. He also served as Midwest Regional President for Voyager Expanded Learning.

Dr. Rickabaugh was Wisconsin Superintendent of the Year in 2008 and Minnesota Superintendent of the Year in 1996. He received the Excellence in Educational Leadership Award in 2005 from the University Council for Educational Administration, a lifetime achievement award from the Master Teacher in 2010, and the Aurora Institute Contribution to the Field award in 2016.

Dr. Rickabaugh is the author of Tapping the Power of Personalized Learning: A Roadmap for School Leaders, focused on helping principals and other educational leaders to engage their staff in designing and implementing personalized learning ecosystems. Jim also is a co-author of Five Levers To Improve Learning: How To Prioritize For Powerful Results In Your School. Dr. Rickabaugh serves on the board of the Wisconsin Education Business Roundtable. Jim has presented on personalized learning at several national and international conferences including the Visible Learning Conference, ASCD Annual Conference, AESA Annual Conference, and the Aurora Institute Annual Conference.

Dria Setter brings 25 years of experience in the field of education. During her work as a public school educator, she worked with elementary and middle school learners as a classroom teacher, as well as in a coaching role for technology integration, gifted and talented, and learner-led practice. Through her work at i4PL, Dria uses her passion for working with educators to help classroom educators, school leaders, and district leaders create transformative learning experiences for all learners. She has presented at the local, state, and national level on a variety of technology, AI, and coaching topics, as well as learner-led practice education as a driver in all learning environments.

Kate Sommerville brings over two decades of experience and an infectious enthusiasm to her role as a Learning and Innovation Specialist with i4PL. Serving a growing number of member school districts, Kate is a dedicated partner in the journey toward learner-centered practice. She blends her creativity with a deep, empathetic understanding of the challenges educators face, supporting leaders as they rethink instructional environments.

Rooted in a strong mastery of assessment practices, Kate ensures that the shift toward learner agency is both measurable and meaningful. A frequent presenter at local and national conferences, she is fueled by a true passion for keeping the learner at the heart of the work—nurturing curiosity, elevating learner voice, and coaching others with a personal touch that makes the "future of school" feel achievable today.

Zak Lenski spent ten years working with Wisconsin's K-12 students in the Green Bay and Waukesha area, including six years with KM Global, a personalized learning environment in the Kettle Moraine School District. There he developed student-centered practices and curriculum focused on leadership skills, innovative thinking, and making an impact.

In his role as a Learning & Innovation Strategist, Zak hopes to share strategies and practices that will help districts and staff nurture student agency, voice and choice, and interpersonal skill development. As someone who has navigated the shift to learner-centered practices, Zak knows that this shift takes time, patience, and a village. He is excited to work alongside districts and their staff as they navigate their journey towards a more student-centric learning ecosystem.

Monica Sepic is an accomplished professional in operational logistics and event management, a skill set she's been honing since joining the i4PL team in August 2013. She is responsible for coordinating membership logistics and providing comprehensive support to the team. She also develops proposals for clients seeking custom professional learning and coaching services. In addition, Monica coordinates the WiMLSS Project for CESA 1 and is the lead planner for both the annual WiMLSS conference and the Women's Leadership Conference.

Melissa Dunham has been with i4PL since February 2021 and is responsible for coordinating courses and workshops. She also provides daily support for the i4PL team, customer service for i4PL member districts and clients, and event support for various agency events at CESA 1.

Melissa holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree from the Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design and has done graduate work in Art Education at Concordia University. She has taught dance for over 30 years and choreographs youth and community theater. Melissa previously worked for the Merton Community School District for ten years as a special education aide. Prior to that, she worked as a home therapist for the Wisconsin Early Autism Project.