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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

THE UNITED STATES DISTANCE LEARNING ASSOCIATION (USDLA) ANNOUNCES ANNUAL ELECTION OF OFFICERS AND BOARD MEMBERS

Boston, MA - The United States Distance Learning Association (USDLA) recently elected its 2005-2006 slate of officers and board members at its Annual Meeting held in Long Beach, California in conjunction with the Training 2005 Fall Conference and Expo, the official distance learning conference provider for the Association.

Elected President of the Association was Mr. Paul Roitman Bardack of Rockville, Maryland. Mr. Bardack is CEO of My Jewish Learning, Inc., a transdenominational website of Jewish information and education geared towards learners of all ages and backgrounds. Also elected was Executive Vice President and President Elect, Dr. Don Olcott, Jr., Executive Director of the Division of Extended Programs, Western Oregon University in Monmouth, Oregon; Kris Phelps, Educational Marketing Manager, Credit Program, of Iowa State University in Ames, Iowa as Senior Vice President for State Chapters; and Dr. Jolly T. Holden, School of Education, American InterContinental University in Marietta, Georgia, as Chair of the Advisory Board. Dr. Deborah Harrison, Director for Distance Learning Research at Texas A&M University in College Station, Texas became Chair of the Board and Dr. Darcy W. Hardy, Assistant Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs and Director of the UT Telecampus in Austin, Texas became Chair Emerita.

USDLA Board Members elected to three year terms include Russ G. Colbert, Jr., Global Education Market Director, Polycom, Inc., Austin Texas; Dr. Mary Beth Susman, Director of Education Services for Rocky Mountain Public Broadcasting Systems in Denver, Colorado; and William H. Jackson, Dean, District School Board of Collier County, Naples, Florida.

Other Board Members reappointed include Marshall E. Allen, Chair Emeritus and Conference Chair. Mr. Allen is the Director of the Institute for Telecommunications at Oklahoma State University in Stillwater, Oklahoma; Marvin E. Bailey, President for the Center for Interactive Learning & Collaboration in Indianapolis, Indiana; Michael Baker, Chair Emeritus, and Vice President of Business Development at VBrick Systems in Gainesville, Georgia; Dr. Andy DiPaolo, Executive Director of the Stanford Center for Professional Development in Stanford, California; William A. Eastham, Vice President for Membership from Burke, Virginia; Dr. Denzil Edge, President and CEO of The Learning House in Louisville, Kentucky; Dr. John G. Flores, CEO of the United States Distance Learning Association. Also reappointed was Dr. Richard Hezel, President of Hezel Associates in Syracuse, NY; Donald S. Lake, Director of the Center for Distance and Online Learning for the Los Angeles County Office of Education as Secretary; Dr. Janet McMahill, Chair Emerita, Interim Dean at the School of Education at Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa; Dr. Pamela S. Pease, President of Pease and Associates of Santa Fe, New Mexico; Marci Powell, Education Advocate for SBC in San Antonio, Texas; Reggie Smith III, Manager of Advanced Distributed Learning and Training at Booz Allen Hamilton in Alexandria, Virginia; Dr. Ray Steele, Chair Emeritus, Director of CICS at Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana; James E. Vautrot, President and CEO of BAF Satellite & Technology of Melbourne, Florida as Treasurer; Dr. Carter D. Ward, Executive Director of the Missouri School Board Association in Columbia, Missouri; and Julie E. Young, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Florida Virtual School in Orlando, Florida.

About USDLA
The United States Distance Learning Association is a non-profit organization formed in 1987 and is located in Boston, Massachusetts. USDLA promotes the development and application of distance learning for education and training and serves the needs of the distance learning community by providing advocacy, information, networking and opportunity. Distance education and training constituencies served include pre-k-12 education, higher and continuing education, home schooling as well as business, corporate, military, government, and telehealth markets. The USDLA trademarked logo is the recognized worldwide symbol of dedicated professionals committed to the distance learning industry. For more information visit www.usdla.org or call 800.275.5162.