State Partners

Jeremy Heneger serves as the Director of Assessment and previously served as the Assistant Director for Statewide Assessment for the Nebraska Department of Education for six years. During that time, he oversaw test development, the alternate assessment program, classroom assessment supports, and accessibility supports. Mr. Heneger has played a key role in the development of the state’s new assessment system: Nebraska Student-Centered Assessment System (NSCAS). He is working on his Doctorate in Education Leadership from Doane University, and previously served as a Curriculum Director and a high school English language arts teacher for several Nebraska districts.

Trudy Clark is a retired educator who served students, staff, and communities for 36 years. For the past three years, she has worked with principals and other educators who are on track to obtain their specialists/doctorate degrees from Doane University. For the past 18 months, Dr. Clark had the rewarding experience of working at the State level in the NDE with educators throughout Nebraska.

Audrey Webb has served as the Science Education Specialist at the Nebraska Department of Education since June 2020. Prior to her work at NDE, she taught high school physics, biology, and physiology in the San Francisco Unified School District. In addition, she was a member of the San Francisco Teaching Residency program, a program designed to train teacher candidates in equitable instruction and assessment, cultural relevance, and restorative practices. She holds a B.A. in Biology and Sociology from St. Olaf College (2011) and a Master of Education from Stanford University (2016).

Deborah Riddle has worked for the Alaska Department of Education and Early Development (DEED) for the past 8 years in a variety of jobs: School Improvement program manager, math content specialist, Title I Administrator, CTE Administrator, Assessment Administrator, and now as the Division Operations Manager. She was born and raised in Alaska but moved to Montana for about 15 years, where she taught middle school math and science.

Coming Soon!

Katie Murnion has taught science in the state of Montana for over four years. She has experience teaching a wide range of grades and topics, from 7th grade life science to 12th grade physics. She has a passion for science with a degree in Microbiology and a degree in Secondary Science Education from the University of Montana. She is excited to join the OPI Assessment Team and lend her science education expertise to the development and delivery of Montana’s science assessments. Katie is a midwestern transplant, living in Montana since high school with her family. She lives in Helena with her husband and two pet rabbits.

Colet Bartow was the School Library Specialist in the Content Standards and Instruction division from 2007 to December 2016, before being hired as the Content Standards and Instruction Director. As of July 2020, she became the Senior Manager for the OPI Teaching and Learning Department, supervising Content Standards and Professional Learning, Career Technical and Adult Education (CTAE), and Assessment. Ms. Bartow spent 13 years as a teacher-librarian before joining the OPI in 2007. Colet completed her M. Ed. In Curriculum and Instruction at Montana State University, and B.A. in English with endorsements in secondary English, School Library Media, and English as a Second Language at the University of Montana. Her first computer was a Radio Shack TRS-80. Her first job in a library was as a third-grade student.

Gwen Perea Warniment has served in various roles in public education for over two decades, ranging from classroom teacher and instructional coach to non-profit and state leadership. Dr. Perea Warniment is passionate about student voice and culturally and linguistically sustainable education. In her current role, she advocates and works for system-level transformation toward that end.

Marybeth Casey joined the New York State Education Department as an Associate in the Office of Curriculum and Instruction in 2006 after 12 years in teaching and 10 years in the private industry. Since joining the Department, her primary responsibilities have included middle level education initiatives as well as NYSED guidance, policy, and regulations pertaining to the K-12 program requirements and the New York State diploma requirements. In 2018, Ms. Casey became the Director of Curriculum Services, managing all content areas in the Curriculum Office and the CTE office. In February of 2020, she was appointed as NYSED’s Assistant Commissioner of Curriculum Instruction and Early Learning overseeing the offices of Curriculum & Instruction, Career and Technical Education, Education Design and Technology and Early Learning. She is a graduate of the State University of N.Y. at Albany with a B.S. in Economics and the Sage Graduate School of Education with an M.S. in Education. She resides with her husband Tim in Poestenkill, NY, and is the very proud mother of 2 adult daughters, Kate and Caroline.

Ann Crotty is an Associate in Instructional Services in Science in the Office of Curriculum and Instruction for the New York State Education Department.

Barb Marquer has been with the Wyoming Department of Education (WDE) for five years. In her first year, she was the science standards consultant. Ms. Marquer has been Supervisor of Standards for the last 4 years. Prior to WDE, she was a Registered Nurse for 15 and served in a DOD STEM program for 9 years.