Boston — Nov. 16, 2016 — The Virtual High School (VHS Inc.), a non-profit organization empowering schools with the industry’s best online learning programs, has appointed Dr. Karen Billings to its board of directors.
Currently the Principal at the BillingsConnects education technology industry consulting firm, Dr. Billings previously served as the Vice President and Managing Director of the Ed Tech Industry Network (ETIN) at the Software & Information Industry Association (SIIA) for 14 years. During her tenure, Dr. Billings oversaw strategic direction and initiatives that provided technology products and services to the K-12 and higher education markets on behalf of the division’s more than 200 member companies.
“I am so pleased to serve on the VHS Board of Directors, given the organization’s high quality, strong reputation, and unlimited growth potential.” said Dr. Billings. “I look forward to working with the other board members and VHS’s talented staff to support their mission and further their accomplishments.”
During her time at SIIA, Dr. Billings tripled the number of division members and founded programs that have supported hundreds of education businesses. She created the Innovation Incubator program, which identifies the most innovative and effective learning technologies and provides entrepreneurs with product development and distribution support. In addition to her work at SIIA, Dr. Billings partnered with entities such as ISTE, FETC, the SXSWedu Conference & Festival organizers, Campus Technology magazine and the ASU-GSV Summit partnership to judge startup competitions.
Before the SIIA, Dr. Billings served as an Adjunct Professor at Pepperdine University from 2002 to 2005. Prior to that, she was a Vice President and General Manager at bigchalk.
Dr. Billings has spoken at more than 150 conferences, authored four books and has been a trusted resource for the United Nation’s World Bank, trade publications and education associations. In 2012, she earned the educational publishing industry’s highest individual honor by being inducted into the Association of American Publishers Hall of Fame.
“In addition to her experience in management, product development, marketing and sales, Karen taught in K-12 and higher education classrooms for 12 years,” said Carol Ribeiro, President and CEO of VHS. “Her 50+ years of experience in the educational technology industry as well as in teaching brings invaluable perspectives to our board, and we are delighted to have such an outstanding individual working with us.”
Dr. Billings received a doctorate in mathematics and computer education from Columbia University Teachers College. She earned a master’s in mathematics education from the University of Oregon and her bachelor’s in curriculum and instruction/math education from the University of Northern Iowa.
About The Virtual High School Inc.
The Virtual High School (VHS Inc.) is an online learning pioneer. Since 1996, the nonprofit organization has set the standard for quality online education. VHS provides courses taught in global online classrooms for secondary school students and online professional development for educators. The organization also meets the unique educational needs of schools through custom course development and individualized course offerings. VHS design and delivery standards are the model used by the National Education Association in their recommended standards for online learning. The organization has won numerous awards, including the Stockholm Challenge Award for Global Excellence in Information Technology, and is a three-time winner of the United States Distance Learning Association’s (USDLA) award for Excellence in Programming and Excellence in Best Practices. For more information, visit www.TheVirtualHighSchool.org or call (978) 897-1900.
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