Meet Learn It’s Senior Team

Adekunle “Ade” Ayinde, Regional Vice President (Northeast). Ade has worked in the education sector for over 10 years and brings a variety of experiences and talents to his position with Learn It Systems.  He began his career in education at A Better Chance in Boston, MA, where he served as Associate Director of the College Preparatory Schools Program.  As the Regional Vice President for the Northeast, Ade uses his educational background and industry experience to manage program operations in New York, Connecticut, and Massachusetts.  Ade graduated cum laude from Morehouse College with a Bachelors Degree in History and a minor in African American Studies.  Ade also obtained a Master’s Degree in Educational Administration with a concentration in Administration, Planning and Social Policy from Harvard University.  Additionally, Ade was awarded a fellowship at the Institute for the Recruitment of Teachers at Phillips Academy in Andover, MA and is a member of the Golden Key National Honor Society.

Jerrelle F. Francois, Senior Education Consultant. In her 30-year career with Baltimore City Public Schools, Jerrelle served as a Teacher, Department Head, Middle School Assistant Principal, Middle and High School Principal, and Assistant Superintendent for Secondary Schools. Following her retirement from City Schools, Jerrelle continued her involvement in education as an Adjunct Faculty Member at Coppin State University and Morgan State University. At Learn It Systems, Jerrelle works directly with the Regional Teams to facilitate program contracts and works directly with district personnel to ensure program implementation complies with current practices and standards for the education community.

Raquel Whiting Gilmer, Vice President of Legal and Government Affairs. Raquel brings more than 15 years of experience in the legal, public policy, and education arenas to the Learn It Systems Executive Team.  At Learn It Systems, Raquel oversees our Legal, Compliance, Education, and Government Relations teams.  Additionally, she oversees program operations in our non-public school services division.  She has worked actively in Democratic politics for many years, managing senate campaigns and serving as a Senior Fundraiser for the Bill Bradley for President campaign in 2000.  Raquel currently serves on several non-profit boards including the Education Solution Forum.  A former associate at Arent Fox, Raquel received her J.D. from the University of Virginia School of Law and her undergraduate degree from Princeton University.

Leigh Hannan, Senior Director of Human Resources. Leigh brings more than 14 years of experience in Human Resources to Learn It Systems and has worked in the education sector for nearly all of her career. Prior to working at Learn It Systems, Leigh served as the Director of Human Resources and Training Development for KLC School Partnerships and worked with several emerging education companies at Educate, Inc. At Learn It Systems, Leigh oversees staffing, training and development, and human resources operations.

Bruce Henson, Regional Vice President, Midwest Region. Bruce brings over 7 years experience in the educational field and over 20 years in operations and management.  He began his career in education with Sylvan Learning as an Area Manager then to Regional Manager and more recently to Director of Business Development with Knowledge Learning Corporation, where he was responsible for the growth of over 7 states and 7,000 students.  Bruce specializes in alternate funding sources and brings with him a wealth of experience in summer school programs. Bruce comes to Learn It Systems with a true passion for the success of both the company and the students.

Marybeth Jones, Director of Education. Marybeth has worked in the field of education for seventeen years. She began her career with Chicago Public Schools. In addition to teaching at the elementary level, Marybeth served as the Summer School Bridge Program Lead Teacher, Chairperson of the Social Science Curriculum Development Committee, and a member of the Least Restrictive Environment Plan Writing Team.  At Learn It Systems, she oversees curriculum, instruction, and alignment.

Brian K. Libutti, Regional Vice President (West).  Prior to joining Learn It Systems in 2010, Brian served as Regional Director for Educate Online and managed their expansion throughout California.  Brian began his career in education working on adolescent behavioral studies for Rand, West Ed, and UCLA.  He also has extensive experience working with NPOs which includes administering urban conservation projects for the Los Angeles Conservation Corp. Brian oversees program operations in the Western US.

Russell Lum, Vice President of Technology. Russell has 16 years of information technology experience in various industries, including grant-based research, pharmaceuticals, healthcare, telecommunications, interior design, independent consulting, and K-12 education.  At Learn It Systems, Russell oversees all aspects of technology: vision, strategy, and execution, which enables the successful management and delivery of services.  Prior to joining Learn It Systems, Russell was the Executive Director of Technology for Education Station, a division of Educate, Inc. based in Baltimore, Maryland.

Michael Maloney, President & CEO. Michael Maloney, founder and CEO of Learn It Systems, has been involved in educational endeavors for almost 20 years.   Prior to founding Learn It, Michael directed all school partnership development activities nationally for Catapult Learning, a division of Sylvan Learning, and led the establishment of the company’s supplemental academic intervention programs in more than 50 school districts nationwide. Michael also has more than 10 years of experience in business development and product management for education organizations, as he served as Regional Director of Sales for Kidbiz 3000, Senior Product Manager at Mindsurf/Hifusion and Production and Digital Media Manager at the Smithsonian Institution museum complex in Washington, D.C.  As President and CEO of Learn It Systems, Michael oversees the vision of the company, its operations, sales, and marketing, and takes personal pride in every program we provide.

Dr. Ebbie Parsons, III, Chief Operating Officer. Dr. Ebbie Parsons, III is responsible for management oversight of Learn It Systems’ operations, business development and education quality.  Prior to joining Learn It, Ebbie served as the Chief Operating Officer of Mosaica Education, Inc. where he oversaw the global operations of over 90 charter and private schools in 9 states, Washington, D.C. and India.  Ebbie began his career in Education with Hartford Public Schools where he served as the Acting Chief Operating Officer during his training as a Broad Resident. Through this prestigious professional development program, he received extensive training in leading schools and driving student achievement in urban education settings. Prior to Hartford Public Schools, Ebbie managed American Express’ internal global operations investment portfolio and his earlier career experience also includes serving as an engineering manager and project engineer at Medtronic.  Ebbie earned a B.S. in Industrial Engineering from Florida A&M University, an MBA from the University of Minnesota, an Executive Certificate in Performance Management from Harvard University, and a Doctorate in Educational and Organizational Leadership from the University of Pennsylvania.

Michael Robinson, Vice President of School Partnerships. Michael has worked in the education sector for more than 20 years and brings more than 10 years of sales team management experience to the Learn It Systems Executive Team. Prior to joining Learn It, Michael served as the Senior Vice President for School Partnerships at LinkIt! where he oversaw training for administrators on data-driven decision making, generated several million dollars in sales, and helped school districts achieve Adequate Yearly Progress goals. Michael also held the role of Measurement Consultant for Psychological Corporation. He has also served as the National Director of School Partnerships for Catapult Learning where he won the President Sales Award. At Learn It Systems, Michael oversees our sales team, contract acquisition, and overall sales efforts.

Christian Ruiz, Regional Vice President (South). Prior to joining Learn It Systems in 2009, Christian earned an MBA in Marketing from the University of Miami and has held executive positions at national educational services companies including The Princeton Review, Education Station, and Platform Learning. At Learn It Systems, Christian oversees our program development, operations, and implementation in the South.

Cregg Seymour, CFO/VP of Finance and Central Operations. Cregg brings over 15 years of finance, operations, and general management experience.  For the past 10 years Cregg has worked in the Education Industry.  Cregg partnered with the founding members to help build Learn It Systems from the ground up.  Prior to joining Learn It Systems, Cregg worked for Educate, Sylvan, Catapult, and Education Station. Cregg currently manages Finance, HR, and Central Operations.  Cregg’s focus is on growing the business, maximizing revenue, and ensuring profitability.  Cregg earned his MBA from the R.H.S School of Business at the University of Maryland in Corporate Finance and has a B.A. in Psychology from Denison University.

Matt Stringer, Vice President of Business Development. Matt brings over 12 years of education industry specific sales and management experience to his role at Learn It Systems. Matt is responsible for all business development strategy and process management to identify new markets and business opportunities nationally and across all lines of business. Matt has extensive experience working closely with public and non-public school administrations to develop and implement customized educational solutions for accelerating student success. Matt has also experienced tremendous success in driving rapid growth for the organizations he has worked with.  Most recently, Matt was the Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Progressus Therapy, the nation’s leading provider of school-based therapy services and special education solutions. At Progressus, Matt was responsible for all business development, client management and marketing functions. Prior to Progressus, Matt was the Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Catapult Learning where he lead the company’s strategic sales initiatives for public and non-public school services. Throughout his career in the education industry Matt has also held numerous progressive direct sales and management roles with companies such as Education Station, Knowledge Learning Corporation, Calvert Education Services, and Mindsurf Networks.

Carlos Tronza, Regional Vice President (Mid-Atlantic). Carlos joined Learn It Systems in 2007 and has made an enormous impact on company growth into new markets and increased revenue and student enrollments. He quickly earned the position of Regional Vice President of the Mid-Atlantic Region. With steadfast determination, Carlos and his team have successfully launched the Learn It programs in the Mid-Atlantic Region which is comprised of New Jersey, Maryland, Virginia, Delaware, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Puerto Rico. Within these areas, the organization now provides educational services to more than 7,500 students. Prior to joining Learn It Systems, Carlos oversaw educational programs for Knowledge Learning Corporation and Educate Inc. Before embarking into the educational services industry and with a finance background, Carlos worked with one of the largest investments banks on Wall Street.