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Bright Thinker® Team

Before you choose a learning program for your students, it’s always a good idea to look into who made that learning program and what their credentials are.

Meet the team

We are here to help determine and support your needs to help in your schools, homes, or anywhere your students may need to learn.

Executive Vice President of Operations

Lonnie Morgan

An EdTech career that spans more than 25 years has allowed Lonnie to witness the transition of a classroom with a single computer sitting idle in the back, to entire districts being one-to-one. He is excited to lead a skillful team of educational professionals who are dynamic, forward-thinking eLearning advocates. Lonnie and the BrightThinker team seeks to offer highly responsive, cutting-edge solutions to the schools, students and staff they serve.  

Bright Life

Lonnie is married to his highschool girlfriend. They have two adult sons. She, along with their sons work in various areas of public and private education. 

Interests

He is a self-confessed rabid fan of Arsenal FC and the English Premier League. 

“Go Gunners!”

Vice President of Curriculum Development

Terri Baumann

Terri is an educational professional who is responsible for overseeing the development and implementation of courses and materials. She manages a team of curriculum developers and instructional designers. It is her responsibility to evaluate the effectiveness of the existing curriculum and make necessary changes and updates to ensure that the curriculum remains relevant and up-to-date.

Terri is passionate about education and is committed to creating a curriculum that meets the needs of learners and prepares them for a successful path to adulthood. She believes that education is a powerful tool for positive change, and is dedicated to ensuring that the curriculum she oversees helps students reach their full potential.

Bright Life

Terri has been working in the curriculum design process and overseeing the development of K-12 courses for 22 years. She has been married to the same wonderful husband for 24 years and counting.

Interests

Reading, spending time with family, hiking, being outdoors, and my job is my hobby, love it!

Professional Development Manager

Megan Timmermann

Throughout the past decade, Megan has acquired various fundamental skills to provide an exceptional experience for partnering schools. With her previous background in customer service, management, and education, Megan has equipped herself with the knowledge to build relationships with educators. Her passion for education bloomed when a volunteer opportunity expanded her knowledge and understanding of education across the world. She has been a part of the Bright Thinker Professional Development Team since 2020. Bright Thinker is where she has found her calling to ensure every student is supported by providing teachers with essential tools and resources.

Bright Life

Megan enjoyed her time teaching English to refugee students in another country. Her passions include: meeting new people, trying different cultures’ food, and traveling to new places!

Interests

Hiking, traveling, rock climbing, expanding knowledge of all cultures, and spending time with her husband, family, friends, and her corgi (Bean).

Professional Development Specialist

Sofia Alvarez

Sofia’s dedication to helping others succeed has become a significant factor in ensuring customer satisfaction. With her previous experience in customer service, marketing, sales, and non-profit work, Sofia learned invaluable skills that became the foundation of her knowledge base. Sofia is currently pursuing a BBA degree at Texas A&M University – Commerce to further her skills and expertise. Being a part of the education industry has inevitably sparked new goals and aspirations for Sofia’s future at Bright Thinker. One of her biggest motivators is having the ability to positively impact students and educators across the nation.

Brightlife

Sofia loves being outdoors and spending time with family, friends, and her two pups. Her dream is to travel the world and experience all that life has to offer.

Interests

Traveling, soccer, rock climbing, art, cooking, and trying new foods

Professional Development Specialist

Amanda Hernandez

Amanda has experience in management and customer service with a passion for learning and education.  As a mother of three she has always kept education as a priority.

Bright Life

She has been married to her husband for over 13 years and have three wonderful children that keep her busy with various sports and activities.

Interests

Reading and collecting books, baking, traveling, movie, spending time with my family.

Professional Development Specialist

Alexander Bloom

Alex has worked in a variety of diverse customer service positions and has brought a positive attitude along with helpful knowledge to assist any customer who needs it. He is a current college student, pursuing his degree in Cybersecurity, and has the unique insight of how students would experience the platform. He has always had a devoted passion for education and technology.

Bright Lights

Alex enjoyed spending many of his younger years moving to multiple states and experiencing their cultural differences and passions. He especially loved the Pacific Northwest.

Interests

Alex loves playing and viewing a variety of sports to stay active and have fun. He also enjoys lifting weights, playing strategical boardgames, watching movies, and playing videogames.

LMS Administrator & e-Learning Development Manager

Robyn Hanan

As an e-Learning developer manager, Robyn has spent the last decade creating and managing online learning solutions. Robyn began her career as an e-Learning developer, creating engaging and interactive online courses. Over time, she moved into a management role, overseeing a team of developers, designers, and subject matter experts to create effective eLearning solutions.

Robyn believes in the power of e-Learning to transform how people learn and grow, and is always exploring new technologies and approaches to keep our solutions ahead of the curve. She is constantly looking for ways to create impactful and engaging learning experiences.

In addition to her work in e-Learning development, she is passionate about the role that technology can play in supporting education, and is dedicated to using her skills and expertise to help teachers and students succeed in a digital age.

Bright Life

Robyn has two boys that both play soccer and keep her busy. She loves watching them play the sport they both love!

Interests

Volleyball, camping, spending time with family, cooking, and going to see any live sporting events

Lead Educational Consultant

"Coach Joe" Marino

After a Decade in the Classroom and twenty years on the field/mat, Coach is now bringing his educational and coaching acumen to Students and Teachers on a whole other level! Coach considers himself the original “Burnt Out Educator!”

Joe now travels the country educating Teachers on how to use Ed-Tech to have a Work/ Life Balance!

The bottom line with Coach is this…. We do not sell you anything!

Coach is always an Educator FIRST!

We provide you Solutions to help students succeed and for teachers to stay in the classroom!

Bright Life

Started his teaching career at the Legendary Eastside High from the movie “Lean On Me” with Morgan Freeman.

Interests

Sports, Poker, and traveling.

Educational Consultant

James Swearingin

James has nine plus years of experience in education . He was an elementary teacher, as well as a 6-12 Principal in Dallas, Texas.  He has a Bachelors in Counseling, a Master in Educational Leadership from UT Arlington, and is working on a Doctorate in Educational leadership at the University of the Cumberlands. James joined Bright Thinker to continue to make an impact in students and educators’ lives across the country. 

Bright Life

James is married with 3 beautiful kids. He enjoys hanging out with his family and friends. He also enjoys traveling and watching pretty much all sports.

Interests

Family, friends, All things sports, cooking, and traveling.

Educational Consultant

Ashley McCurdy

Ashley’s background as a school teacher, coach, and school principal brings a different set of skills to Bright Thinker; skills that provide her the knowledge and relationship with schools because she truly understands their needs. Ashley learned very early on in her education journey that working with students and teachers to ensure success for all was her true passion. After 4 years as a school principal, she decided helping others via curriculum choices was where she really thrived. Ashley has a bachelor’s degree in Education, a Masters in Education Leadership, and her Superintendent Certification. Her utmost goal is to help teachers and schools provide the best education for their students while also balancing their time and craft as educators.

Bright Life

Ashley has been married to her husband for 7 years and they have an almost 2yr old daughter! She enjoys spending time with her husband and toddler.

Interests

Soccer, traveling, running marathons, and shopping.

Educational Consultant

Mike Colonna

With over 13 years of dedicated experience in the field of education, Mike has forged a distinguished career path as a High School History Teacher, Head Track and Field Coach, Football Coach, and, most recently, as an Assistant Principal. Mike is a proud alumnus of West Virginia University, where he earned both his Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts in Secondary Education. Additionally, he holds a Master of Arts in Educational Leadership and Administration from Georgian Court University. Known for his unwavering commitment to fostering positive learning environments, Mike stands out as an excellent communicator. He takes pride in his ability to build meaningful relationships, viewing himself first and foremost as an educator. Mike’s overarching priority is to make a significant and lasting difference in the lives of students, fellow educators, administrators, and community members across the nation. Driven by a passion for education, Mike embraces the responsibility of shaping the future through his roles in teaching, coaching, and educational leadership. His comprehensive background equips him with a unique perspective, allowing him to contribute meaningfully to the growth and success of educational communities.

Bright Life

Beyond his professional pursuits, Mike finds joy in spending time with friends and family, cherishing his role as an uncle to his nephews, Graham and Austin, as well as his niece, Madelyn. An avid traveler, Mike harbors a goal to explore every continent, seeking to broaden his perspective and embrace diverse cultures.

Interests

Being active, sports, lifting weights, history, traveling, grilling and his golden retriever (Mulligan).

Educational Consultant

Chris Dufour

Chris has worked in education for his entire thirty plus year career. He began by working at Penn state for over twenty years where he was an academic adviser, admissions counselor, and a continuing and online education administrator. In 2011 he started his educational consultant career partnering with both K-12 schools and colleges and universities and providing them with technical solutions and professional development and training opportunities. He received his BA from State University of New York at Geneseo, his MS from The College of Saint Rose, and his Doctor of Education from Penn State. He joined Bright Thinker to make an impact on students, teachers, and school administrators across the country.

Bright Life

Chris is married and has a daughter in Chicago and Salt Lake City. Having grown up in the Adirondacks of New York and then moving to Pennsylvania, he and his wife are enjoying the sunshine, warmth, and activities Raleigh, North Carolina has to offer.

Interests

Hiking, movies, kayaking, biking, Penn state Football, documentaries, traveling, and cultural events.

Educational Consultant

Nicole Lopez

“Your Jill of all trades” Nicole has spent the last nearly 4 years in the EdTech space and brings a unique understanding of the full customer experience. Throughout her EdTech career journey, she has excelled in outbound development and customer retention, and her passion lies in both strategic development and customer engagement. She thrives on creating new partnerships and cultivating relationships and believes that putting people first should be at the heart of everything. Prior to working in EdTech, she spent over a decade working for both local (Lafayette, Louisiana) and national nonprofits assisting with their development and fundraising plans. She also served 9 years in the United States Army as a generator mechanic.

Bright Life

Nicole bought her first home last year. She has one 17-year-old son who is the apple of her eye. She enjoys weekend road trips, outdoor festivals, live music, and really anything that involves spending time with people she cares about.

Interests

Self-proclaimed foodie, adventures that she doesn’t have to plan, live music and art festivals

Educational Consultant

Cathleen White

After dedicating 29 years to public education, Cathleen is thrilled to extend her commitment to student success through Bright Thinker. With experience as both a teacher and a principal, Cathleen has worked passionately to support at-risk students across all grade levels, from Pre-Kindergarten to 12th grade. Cathleen has demonstrated her leadership as the principal of both a Dual Language Elementary campus and a Disciplinary Alternative School, garnering multiple awards and nominations for her exceptional contributions. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration and a Master’s Degree in Educational Administration. Additionally, she has authored the book “The Hiring Handbook for Principals.”

Bright Life

Cathleen has been married for 30 years and has an 18 year old son who is a music major at the University of North Texas.

Interests

Reading, boating, fashion and shopping.

Client Services & Implementation

Ross Parker

Throughout Ross’s life, he has learned many useful skills for many diverse workplace experiences. He has a background in both the Corporate World and in the Nonprofit Sector, which provides for many unique opportunities at Bright Thinker. He has a passion for Education and Learning, and is driven to see that others succeed and grow in their daily lives. Ross’s background includes management, leadership, and administration, which he hopes to use in furthering the future of Bright Thinker.

Bright Life

Ross enjoys spending time with his family and friends. He enjoys reading books on Art, History, and Science Fiction. He looks forward to making the world a better place each and every day.

Interests

History, Art, Reading, Gardening and Spending time at the Beach.

Accountant

Marlene Dooly

After 18 years in the Finance and Accounting Department of ResponsiveEd Texas, Marlene retired from her position as Accounts Payable Manager. In February of 2022 she moved to a part time position under the ResponsiveEd umbrella and is now responsible for much of the billing for Bright Thinker curriculum.  With a love for both people and numbers, Marlene has enjoyed guiding coworkers through the unpleasant but necessary maze of accounting.  This passion has also extended beyond the workplace into a ministry of teaching and helping groups and individuals with personal finance and budgeting.

Bright Life

Marlene has dabbled in murder mystery dinner theater playing roles like a librarian named Rita Book and a preacher’s wife named Helen Brimstone.

Interests

Reading, acting, playing with spreadsheets, enjoying time with family including three beautiful grandchildren, and playing with her adorable little dog Taffy.