Eric Loeffel, Chief Executive Officer
"My sixth-grade teacher at Fort Allen Elementary in Greensburg,
Pennsylvania, was Mr. Stratton. He was my first male teacher (if memory serves me
right), but — most importantly — he created my first project-based learning experience.
We completed projects individually and in groups, and we regularly made presentations
in front of the class. I still remember some of those projects, because it gave
me a great sense of accomplishment to start with an idea and end with a finished
product, such as a paper or presentation!"
Eric Loeffel has led CompassLearning since 2005. During that time, the company achieved
a major turnaround and became recognized as the leading U.S. provider of K-12 educational
software, winning the EDDIE awards in 2008, 2009, 210 and 2011, and taking BESSIE
awards in 2009, 2010, and 2011. He led CompassLearning’s relocation to Austin, Texas,
in 2006, and, recently led it through its change of control to Marlin Equity Partners
from Readers Digest Association and its acquisition of Renzulli Learning. Prior
to joining CompassLearning, Eric was president and CEO of Isochron Data Corp., a
venture capital-backed software company in Austin, Texas. He enjoyed similar success
as the president and CEO of OnQ Technology, Inc., a private international semiconductor
services company. Prior to that, Eric held various positions at Intuit, the makers
of TurboTax, Quicken, and QuickBooks. He earned a bachelor’s degree in accounting
from San Diego State University and an MBA from the Anderson Graduate School of
Management at UCLA.
Trey Chambers, Chief Financial Officer
"Throughout elementary and secondary school, I loved math-related classes. However, when I was a junior in high school, my English teacher, Ms. Duncan, instilled in me a love of literature. She had a keen ability to drive interesting discussions related to classic novels by driving fantastic, interactive discussions about what we read. Upon completing that class, I decided to apply to the Liberal Arts school at the University of Texas, where my work enriched my studies in the Business school. I graduated with degrees from both schools, and I would never have taken that path had it not been for Ms. Duncan and her passion for teaching."
Trey Chambers was appointed CFO of CompassLearning in May 2010. He brings more than
16 years of financial management and technology industry experience to CompassLearning,
as well as relevant public company experience. Prior to joining CompassLearning,
Trey was vice president of operations and CFO at Reddwerks Corporation, a leading
provider of warehouse performance management solutions for some of the world's largest
companies. Before that, he served as CFO for the $2.6 billion Transportation and
Standard Products segment of Freescale Semiconductor, a multi-billion dollar provider
of semiconductors for the transportation, networking, and wireless markets. During
his tenure at Freescale, Trey also served as the corporation's chief audit officer.
Prior to his time at Freescale, he was controller and later vice president of finance
at Metrowerks, a global provider of software development tools. He also was in audit
at PriceWaterhouse. Trey is a graduate of the University of Texas at Austin with
a Bachelor of Business Administration in accounting and a Bachelor of Arts in Plan
II, a liberal arts honors program. He is a CPA.
Rebecca Bristol, Vice President of Product Development
"My high school history teacher and advisor, Dr. Murray,
challenged me to exceed my expectations of myself. Writing and history were not
my forte or interest, but his insistence on essays without ‘glib generalizations
or brainless regurgitations’ challenged me both to learn historical facts and to
analyze them, develop a thesis, and prove it. Unwilling to accept anything less
than my best, patiently working with me beyond normal office hours, and consistently
pushing me to my limits despite my complaints and disinterest in the field, he taught
me history while giving me an invaluable gift — the ability to think and write."
Rebecca Bristol oversees technology development across all aspects of CompassLearning,
from the engaging, industry-leading content to the algorithms behind personalized
learning path prescriptions. As an evangelist for innovation, she focuses on shaping
the company's technical strategy. Since joining CompassLearning in 2004, Rebecca
has held various positions, including director of engineering, where she managed
a team of engineers responsible for the company's software architecture, design,
development, and quality assurance. Rebecca is a seasoned software veteran with
more than 13 years of experience in the defense, communications, and consumer industries.
She has served in engineering and consulting positions at the NSA, Nortel Networks,
Dell Computers, Southwestern Bell, Mary Kay, and Ford and has instructed computer
programming classes at Austin Community College. Rebecca holds an MBA from the McCombs
School of Business at the University of Texas at Austin, a master's degree in software
engineering from UT Austin, and a bachelor's degree in computer engineering from
the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor.
Ann Henson, Vice President of Curriculum and Instruction and Customer Support and Services
"When Dr. Helen Red Cheek walked into my graduate-level
class in a bright muumuu and cowboy boots, I thought, ‘This class is going to be
a joke.’ Five minutes later, I was hooked. Her passion for teaching poor children
on the Indian reservation was contagious. Her class was a high-expectation boot
camp for learning strategies for teaching math to struggling students. I’ve never
worked so hard in a class, learned so much, or felt more transformed. I came into
her class motivated by a love of mathematics, but left motivated to teach kids who
hated it."
Ann Henson oversees the development of curriculum and instruction materials for
all CompassLearning courseware and assessment solutions. Ann offers a wealth of
curriculum and instruction knowledge developed throughout her 23 year tenure at
CompassLearning and her prior experience in public education. At CompassLearning,
she has worked in the area of professional development as an education consultant,
supported sales activities as a senior curriculum and instruction specialist, and
managed and worked a sales territory as an account executive. As vice president
of sales operations, she led a sales support team responsible for pre-sales support
activities, development of sales tools, and sales training, and served as primary
liaison for sales to other departments within CompassLearning. Prior to joining
CompassLearning, Ann was a high school math and computer science teacher and worked
at a district level on curriculum development. Her final role in public education
was director of instructional technology for a K–12 school district where she not
only was responsible for a district-wide technology plan but also experienced CompassLearning
from a customer viewpoint. Ann holds a bachelor's degree in secondary mathematics
education from Oklahoma State University and has completed graduate work in curriculum
and instruction with an emphasis on elementary mathematics.
Quannah Hopper, Vice President, CompassLearning Impact Teacher Academy
"Charlotte Jeffries, my high school English teacher and
journalism sponsor, taught me, a 16-year-old looking for her identity, not just
a class or subject. She uncovered my best qualities while addressing my academic
and personal challenges. She convinced me to edit the school newspaper, helped strengthen
my ties to school and community, and inspired me to become a teacher. As a professional,
I encountered her again when she was on a committee to which I demonstrated digital
content. Unsurprisingly, she was impressed with my work and had suggestions for
improvement!"
Quannah Hopper oversees CompassLearning’s professional development programs and
implementation solutions. Quannah’s multifaceted background in education continues
to enrich her 15-year career at CompassLearning, during which she has focused primarily
on curriculum alignment and professional learning. As an elementary school teacher
and district technology leader, she was responsible for establishing best practices
for technology integration. Quannah’s CompassLearning career journey began in 1995.
Her responsibilities at CompassLearning have included directing both content alignment
and the development of assessment products; as well as serving as an education consultant,
regional professional development director, and a member of the sales team. Quannah
earned a bachelor's degree in elementary education and a master’s degree in education,
specializing in curriculum and instruction, from Oklahoma State University.
Carol Howard, Director of Human Resources
"I continue to be thankful for Ms. Gonzalez, my high school
math teacher. In grammar and middle school, I was afraid of math and just wanted
to get through each class and put it behind me. Ms. Gonzalez took the time to work
with me, before and after school, to help me realize math is so much more than just
numbers on paper. She challenged my way of thinking and made it fun. I ended up
taking high-level math and statistics classes in college. I use math every day in
my job and strive to pass my appreciation of math to my children."
Carol oversees CompassLearning’s human resources department. She brings more than
17 years of successful human resource experience and leadership to the company.
She specializes in developing strategic and tactical plans, aligning human resources activities
to business goals for maximum impact, and guiding leaders in organizational change.
Prior to joining CompassLearning, Carol served as vice president of human resources
for Lombardi Software, Inc. Carol has a Bachelor of Science in Healthcare Administration
from Texas State University, as well as a Master of Business Administration and
a Master of Science in Organizational Leadership and Ethics — both from St. Edward's
University.
Fred Waugh, Vice President of Marketing
"I always had an affinity for reading, but Mr. Williams, my high school English teacher, saw I also had a talent for writing. Due to his ability to hear my unique voice, and because of his guidance and encouragement, I began to see myself as a writer, too. Because of him, I pursued - and earned - my bachelor's degree in journalism from Boston University."
Fred brings more than a decade of successful marketing leadership experience to
CompassLearning. Most recently, he served as the vice president of marketing and
vice president of alliances at Convio. By helping redefine engagement and fundraising
in the nonprofit sector through innovation in technology and ideas, Fred guided
the company from its infancy to an $80 million publicly traded company. Prior to
Convio, he held numerous marketing and product development roles at leading companies
in the technology sector, including Tivoli, Sun Microsystems, and Compaq Computer.
Fred has an MBA from University of Pittsburgh’s Joseph M. Katz Graduate School of
Business.
Arthur VanderVeen, Vice President of Business Strategy and Development
"I still remember vividly an enrichment project I did
in seventh grade when a friend and I were assigned the challenge of redesigning
our small town — what were all the services required, and how much did they cost?
Over the course of two weeks, we called the directors of the town police department,
fire department, utilities, hospital, etc., to gather the information we needed.
The project taught me that people learn best when they’re trying to solve real-world
problems and that ‘school’ shouldn’t be confined to a building or a book. This belief
has shaped my approach to teaching and learning ever since."
Arthur brings extensive experience as a district administrator in New York City,
the largest school district in the country. He founded and led the NYC Innovation
Zone (iZone), an active community of 165 schools using digital technologies and
innovative instructional approaches to personalize learning to the needs of individual
students. Under his direction, the iZone launched the largest district-level, online
and blended learning program in the country. Arthur earned his Ph.D. in English
from the University of Texas at Austin, his master’s degree in divinity in educational
psychology from the Princeton Theological Seminary, and his bachelor’s degree in
English from Colorado College.