Opinion Leaders

Jack O'Connell
Chief Education Officer 		Considered a leader amongst state school chiefs nationwide, Jack O’Connell brings years of public service and expertise to the SI&A team as its Chief Education Officer. During his two terms as State Superintendent of Public Instruction and twenty years as both a state Senator and Assembly member, Mr. O’Connell focused on closing the achievement gap and preparing students for a rapidly changing global economy by holding high standards for all students. He remains a strong supporter and facilitator of partnerships between schools, businesses, communities, and philanthropies in order to engage students with challenging, real-world education experiences. Mr. O’Connell earned his Bachelor of Arts degree from California State University, Fullerton and a secondary teaching credential from California State University, Long Beach. As a former high school teacher and author of the legislation creating the California High School Exit Exam, he led a comprehensive effort to increase rigor and improve student achievement in California high schools.

Kevin Gordon
President 		Widely viewed as among the top education advocates in California, Mr. Gordon is President of School Innovations and Advocacy. Along with CEO Jeff Williams, Gordon leads our company's efforts to provide the very best services available to school agencies across budget and finance, curriculum and instruction, categorical programs, human resource management, school facilities construction and education technology. The longtime Executive Director of the California Association of School Business Officials (CASBO), Mr. Gordon previously served as the Chief Lobbyist and Assistant Executive Director of the California School Boards Association (CSBA). He has also served as Chief of Staff to Congressman Robert T. Matsui and as a legislative advocate for the California Building Industry Association. He holds a master's degree in public administration from the University of San Francisco. Prior to that, while completing his undergraduate degree in communication studies at University of California, Davis, he was recruited by the IBM Corporation and served three years in its national marketing division for large systems.

Gerry Shelton
Vice President — Education Policy 		Before joining SI&A, Gerry Shelton was the Chief Consultant to the California State Assembly Committee on Education since 2006. The primary jurisdiction of the Committee on Education is K-12 education, including issues such as accountability, curriculum, facilities, career technical education, special education, teacher preparation and school finance. Born in the San Francisco Bay Area, Mr. Shelton completed his undergraduate and graduate education in the University of California system, served as an instructor at U.C. Davis for four years, and was a professor at C.S.U. Sacramento for fourteen years – all in economics with a specialization in state and local government finance and public policy. He also worked in the Department of Education from the early 1990's until 2006 in both program and fiscal capacities, including serving as the Department’s chief financial officer, where he and his staff represented the Department during the development of the state budget and in a number of areas related to fiscal policy and education finance.

Scott Hill
Vice President — National Education Policy 		Scott Hill is known at both state and national levels for his experience in establishing and implementing standards-based reforms in K-12 schools. He has worked with SI&A since 2004, with the exception of 2007-08, when he served in a public role as California's Undersecretary for the Office of Education. Prior SI&A, Mr. Hill was a partner at Camelot Consulting LLC, providing strategic planning, business-to-government, and advocacy services. In other service as the Chief Deputy Superintendent of Public Instruction, he directed daily operations of the California Department of Education, including school Districts and school finance. He directed the statewide revision and implementation of School Accountability Report Cards (SARCs) called for in California Senate Bill No.1400. Also the former Executive Director of the California Academic Standards Commission and Curriculum Commission, Mr. Hill worked as Communications Director for the George Lucas Educational Foundation and as a Senior Policy Analyst for the California School Boards Association. He earned his undergraduate degree in political science from George Washington University, and holds an M.A. in government from the University of Virginia.

Rick Carder
Director — Categorical Support 		Rick Carder, who has had 33 years of education experience with certificated, classified, managerial and executive personnel, is responsible for SI&A’s categorical planning program division. He brings to SI&A a strong background in school and program management, budgetary oversight, instructional assessment and leadership. Mr. Carder is a past president of CAASFEP (California Association of Administrators of State and Federal Education Programs), the current president of NAFEPA (National Association of Federal Education Program Administrators), and is also a respected speaker on state and federal categorical compliance issues. Prior to working with SI&A, Mr. Carder was the Director for Categorical Programs for Grant JUHSD and worked in many additional positions throughout his long tenure in public education. He holds a Masters of Education from the University of La Verne and a B.A. in Physical Education and Communication Studies from California State University, Sacramento.

S. Lee Funk, Ed.D.
Director — Special Education 		With over thirty years as an educator in California, Dr. Lee Funk brings wide ranging experience to SI&A. Besides ten years as a superintendent, Dr. Funk worked as an assistant superintendent, staff developer, principal, and teacher. He has earned respect for his dedication to students with disabilities and has chaired steering committees as well as governing councils for agencies providing regional services in special education. Dr. Funk has presented throughout the state on issues related to instruction, alternative schools, and special programs. While serving as superintendent he was named “Administrator of the Year” by the Butte County Association of California School Administrators and as a “Star Administrator” by Future Farmers of America. Dr. Funk is an active member of numerous professional organizations including Council for Exceptional Children, Phi Delta Kappa, the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, and Educators for Social Responsibility. Dr. Funk holds a doctorate from the University of San Francisco in Organization and Leadership, a Master’s degree in Special Education and a Bachelor’s in Liberal Studies, both from California State University Chico.

Tom Chorneau
Managing Editor — Cabinet Report® and Categorical Connection 		Mr. Chorneau was until recently senior capitol correspondent for the San Francisco Chronicle. He has spent more than twenty years as a political and government reporter for a number of news organizations including the Associated Press and the Los Angeles Daily News. He has received a number of awards over the years including first prizes from the California Newspaper Publishers Association and the Best of the West regional journalism competition. Mr. Chorneau is a graduate of California State University, Long Beach.

Abe Hajela
Chief Counsel 		Mr. Hajela served as the Lead Counsel for the California School Board Association in the precedent-setting Williams v. State of California legislative settlement. He brings more than a decade of experience in the field of education law, including stints as Special Counsel to the California School Board Association, Legal Counsel for the San Francisco Unified School District, and as a litigation attorney for the Sacramento firm of Olson, Hagel & Fishburn. He earned his juris doctorate in 1994 at the Hastings College of Law in San Francisco.