Pat Yongpradit

Chief Academic Officer code.org

Lead of TeachAI

Pat Yongpradit has spent his career making computer science and AI education more inclusive worldwide. As CAO of Code.org and leader of TeachAI, he’s helping educators reimagine what’s possible in the age of AI.

Jennifer Taylor

President and CEO

Northern Virginia Technology Council

Ryan Torbey

Dr. Ryan Torbey is a K-12 computer science education researcher. He currently works as a research associate at the Texas Advanced Computing Center (TACC), home of WeTeach_CS. He is an advocate for expanding computer science education in K-12 schools and believes that every student should learn the foundations of artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, and computer programming. In 2021, he was one of the inaugural winners of the Cognizant Foundation's Innovation in Computer Science Education Awards. Throughout the past decade, Dr. Torbey has advanced participation in computing as a K-8 technology teacher, professional development provider, consultant, and researcher. He spurred systemic change in Texas through his work as co-founder of CS4TX, a statewide initiative to expand computer science education (something he hopes to accomplish again for Virginia through the launch of CSforVA). Prior to joining TACC, Dr. Torbey served as the deputy director for the Center for Evolving Computer Science Education at American Institutes for Research and as the principal investigator for AI by 8 (NSF Grant # 2434579), a research practice partnership developing unplugged AI language arts instruction for early elementary learners.

Katie Henry

Katie Henry, M.Ed. is Head of North America at the Micro:bit Educational Foundation. She brings 15 years partnership and fundraising experience to design and scale physical computing learning initiatives, recently helping to raise $3 million for projects in the US and Caribbean. Prior to this role, Katie served as Director of Learning for BirdBrain Technologies, facilitating professional learning for thousands of teachers worldwide. Katie is a licensed educator, administrator, and technology coach whose expertise has been recognized through invitations to contribute to U.S. and international policy efforts, including the State-Federal STEM Summit in Washington, DC, and as a U.S. Speaker in Morocco with the U.S. Department of State.  

Steff Forbes

Steff Forbes is the Coding & Robotics Portfolio Manager at Pitsco Education, where she leads efforts to bring hands-on, technology-rich learning experiences to K–12 classrooms. The daughter of a high school history teacher turned principal, Steff grew up understanding the vital role educators play in shaping opportunities for all students. With more than two decades of experience supporting schools nationwide, she is deeply committed to helping teachers feel confident and supported as they inspire students to explore, create, and problem-solve through computer science and robotics. A lifelong learner and sports enthusiast, Steff believes that hands-on learning much like teamwork on the field can ignite curiosity, build confidence, and empower students to make the world better.

Perry Shank

Senior Director of Research and Development

CodeVA

Thomas Ball

Thomas (Tom) Ball is a co-founder of the influential SLAM software model-checking project and creation of the Static Driver Verifier tool for finding defects in Windows device drivers. Tom is a 2011 ACM Fellow for ‘contributions to software analysis and defect detection’. As a manager at Microsoft Research, he nurtured research areas such as automated theorem proving, program testing/verification and empirical software engineering, and their application to industrial scale software engineering problems. Since 2015, he worked to bring the BBC micro:bit to market, establish the Microsoft MakeCode platform to support CS education efforts, and create Jacdac, a new plug-and-play system for microcontrollers (https://github.com/jacdac). He currently works on micro:bit apps, which provide new ways to use the micro:bit inside and outside the classroom (https://github.com/microbit-apps). 

Karie Huttner

Dedicated to inspire all learners to become active creators of knowledge both in the physical and virtual environment through a constructivist based approach to learning, I am....  Experienced in using technology and technology integration in the classroom; Fluent in Spanish; Dedicated to enthusiastic and dynamic teaching as a means of creating and nurturing a lifelong love of learning for all learners.  My blog - https://icreateilearn.weebly.com/ documents just some of my learning journey.

Ramon Kristoffer Torres

Ramon Kristoffer Torres, an educator based in Emporia, Virginia, with a degree in Education major in Computer Technology from the Philippines. I bring 18 years of experience in teaching and coaching students in Computer Science, including preparing them for competitions around the world. Currently, I serve as a Computer Science teacher at Sussex County Public Schools, where I continue to inspire and guide the next generation of tech leaders.

Theresa Goltermann

Dr. Theresa Goltermann is a Technical Education and Computer Science teacher in Yorktown, Virginia, with over 30 years of experience in STEM education. She brings students hands-on learning through global collaborations, robotics, and fieldwork. Theresa also supports educators as an adjunct professor at Regent University and a STEM + CS facilitator with CodeVA and the Virginia DOE. She is a 2025 NSTA STEM Fellow, DoD STEM Ambassador, NNSTOY National STEM Fellow, and LEGO Education Ambassador. Her honors include Virginia’s 2024 Middle School Computer Science Teacher of the Year and 2018 Region 2 Teacher of the Year. She holds advanced degrees in Educational Leadership and Educational Technology.

Michelle Pealo

Michelle Pealo has been an educator in Virginia for the past 20 years, teaching computer science to elementary-aged students as both integrated into core subjects and as a stand-alone course. She now works as a curriculum lead for CodeVA, a nonprofit organization devoted to supporting and expanding K-12 computer science education across the commonwealth of Virginia and beyond. Her devotion to inspiring students to create, rather than consume, technology has led her to present at local, state, and national conferences on integrating CS with cross-curricular lessons with a focus on creative self-expression and inclusivity.

Clair Wise

Clair is a retired elementary teacher from Howard County, Maryland. Starting out teaching grades 3-5, she then moved to Gifted/Talented instruction, and finally finished her career as an instructional technology teacher for students in grades PreK-5. Clair became interested in coding in 2013 and worked with parents of her students to develop a 501(c)3 to promote computer science to elementary-aged girls called HowGirlsCode.  The non-profit ran after school classes and a summer camp where girls learned mindfulness, yoga, robotics, and coding. Post retirement, Clair works as a project manager and a facilitator for Maryland Center for Computing Education and as a facilitator for CodeVA. In her free time, Clair loves to spend time with friends and family, enjoy the beauty of nature, read, and learn something new!

Jon Stapleton

Jon Stapleton is the Curriculum Development Supervisor at CodeVA. Their work focuses on developing and documenting high-quality learning experiences in computing for K-12 students, where they can express their creativity and perspective by making things with code.

Michael Taylor

Michael Taylor has nearly a decade of experience designing curricula and leading instructional sessions across diverse technology domains, including web development, data science, UI/UX, and cybersecurity. His teaching emphasizes practical skill application and real-world relevance, empowering learners to confidently bridge the gap between theory and practice.