COO featured in statewide business magazine
July 25, 2024
Dr. Tondaleya Green Jackson, Chief Operating Officer of the Center of Excellence for Educator Preparation and Innovation at Voorhees University (EPI Center) is being spotlighted in a magazine recognizing the contributions of women.
Dr. Jackson is a 2024 South Carolina Women in Business Award recipient. She is one of 69 women being featured in the July issue of Greenville Business Magazine, Columbia Business Monthly, Charleston Business Magazine, and B2B: The Grand Strand. These women have positively impacted education, health care, law, real estate, marketing, finance, nonprofits, and more. The awards ceremony occurred on Wednesday, July 24, 2024, at 10 a.m. at the Hyatt Regency in downtown Greenville.
Dr. Jackson states in the magazine that one of her greatest professional accomplishments to date was her role in launching the EPI Center, a national, 501(c)3 organization leading innovation in teacher effectiveness.
“Under my leadership as director, now chief operating officer, I have recruited and developed top talent which further advances our aims. I work directly with the CEO to inform, support, and implement strategy and operational planning. Some of my direct forecasting has helped to position the nonprofit well for expanding our impact in the future. My work in the higher education community has supported the nonprofit’s solid standing as an innovative leader in a learner-centered education community,” said Jackson.
The EPI Center, established in 2021 to address teacher shortages and academic disparities in South Carolina and the nation, has experienced tremendous growth. It has received numerous grants to advance its work including a grant totaling $18.9 million from the U.S. Department of Education (USDE) to prepare teachers to improve student learning outcomes under the Supporting Effective Educator Development program. In 2023, the USDE awarded the EPI Center a $26.7 million Teacher and School Leader Incentive Program grant to elevate educator effectiveness and improve student achievement in Fairfield County School District and Georgetown County School District. The EPI Center is a growing business enterprise working closely with educators in more than 25 K-12 public school districts across South Carolina. It provides individualized, competency-based instruction, support services, stipends, and virtual coaching to help eligible educators achieve their professional career goals debt-free. Opportunities are available for currently certified teachers and those seeking to become certified. The EPI Center is located at 423 College Street in Batesburg-Leesville, SC.
In addition to her work with the EPI Center, Dr. Jackson also serves as an associate professor at Voorhees University located in Denmark, S.C. She is also the current President and State Chair of South Carolina Women in Higher Education, an organization that supports the encouragement, empowerment, and professional development of faculty, staff, and students who identify as women and work or take classes in higher education entities within South Carolina.
Dr. Jackson began her educational career as a public-school teacher. She is a licensed educator with certifications in English Language Arts, Secondary Administration, Supervision, and Online Teaching. She has served in various capacities, including academic administrator, faculty member, and program facilitator at diverse higher-education institutions. A Fulbright Hays Scholar, she has traveled to and done research in Ghana, Nigeria, and Barbados. Her research focuses on adult learners and transfer students at historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs).
Link to article: https://www.greenvillebusinessmag.com/2024/07/02/497209/south-carolina-women-in-business-2024
