MADISON COLLEGE - Key Persons
Ali oversees the research and data management functions of Madison College and serves as the Accreditation Liaison for Higher Learning Commission (HLC). Ali is the college's Public Records officer, is responsible for the College's planning process, and co-leads the Achieving the Dream initiatives.
Ali has held leadership positions in the healthcare, technology, and banking sectors. In his role prior to Madison College, he managed the Technical Project team at Bank of America in Charlotte, NC. where he was responsible for review and implementation of new workload changes in the data warehouse production environments.
He is a graduate of Schiller University in Heidelberg, Germany.
Arlyn Halvorson joined the Madison College District Board in July 2012. He was elected Board Treasurer in July 2014, and is the current vice-chair having previously served as board secretary. He works for the Dane County Highway Department and is president of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Union Local #65. During his spare time, he tends to the family farm in the Town of Dunn.
Beth Giles has spent her career in education at multiple levels and multiple systems. She began as a TA during her master's degree program at Miami of Ohio and quickly realized teaching was where she wanted to spend her energy. She went on to teach middle school in both public and private schools but the most impactful experience to her was being a Milwaukee Public Schools teacher. This work drove Beth to pursue a PhD in Curriculum and Instruction. Upon her completion, she taught in the teacher education field, lead teacher education efforts and ran the University of Wisconsin's Institute for Urban Education which provided UW System students with a pathway to become a well-prepared urban educator in the Milwaukee Public School District. She then led the University of Wisconsin Madison's Office of Education Outreach and Partnerships for many years. The office provided meaningful professional development opportunities for K-12 teachers and other education professionals. After a year in policy work at the Department of Public Instruction, Beth returned to higher education becoming the Associate Dean for the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Science at Madison College. Her love for Madison College and its mission is evident in the relationships she built with faculty, leadership and students. She is currently serving as the Interim Provost for the College and providing strategic leadership for Academic Affairs.
Job Titles:
- President
- President Bettsey L. Barhorst
Christopher Canty was appointed to the Madison College District Board as a member-at-large in July 2023. He resides in Madison and is an Enterprise Account Director for LinkedIn. He currently serves on the Board of Directors for 100 Black Men of Madison and received their Mentorship Award of Excellence in 2018. Canty earned a bachelor's degree in Business Administration from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Job Titles:
- Chief Information Officer
Cory Chrisinger is an experienced information technology professional with a demonstrated history of working in higher education technology services. Skilled in information security, risk management, systems engineering, network engineering, and IT leadership. Chrisinger has worked for over twenty years at a variety of institutions including University of Wisconsin-Madison, University of Wisconsin Colleges and Extension, and Madison College.
Cory holds a Bachelor of Science of Telecommunications Management from DeVry University, a Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) Certification, and is a graduate of the WLDI Academy for Leadership and Development.
Cory currently serves on the WiscNet Board of directors as the Technical College representative, WiscNet is a non-profit internet service provider, providing internet and technology services to state and local government organizations, libraries, K-12 public and private schools, as well as public and private colleges in Wisconsin.
Dr. Grady has a Ph.D. in Leadership for the Advancement of Learning and Service in Higher Education from Cardinal Stritch University, a master of science in Educational Psychology, and a bachelor of science in Educational Studies with an emphasis on Youth Leadership and Adult Education. She is also a licensed professional counselor.
She served as the associate vice-chancellor of academic support for inclusive excellence and is the university diversity officer at UW-Oshkosh. Prior to that position she was at MATC - Milwaukee, working with adult education and student accommodations and served as a counselor. Prior to her tenure at MATC, she worked at Gateway Technical College as a career counselor.
She has also taught at both technical colleges and universities. Throughout her career she has been very involved in issues of equity and inclusion and has led education and training initiatives focusing on equity and inclusion.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board
- President of Holtz Companies
Dan Bullock is the President of Holtz Companies/Holtz Builders, Inc. in Lake Delton and resides in Baraboo. He will serve as an Additional Member of the Madison College District Board of Trustees.
Mr. Bullock was adjunct faculty for Marion University from 1993-2006 and has also been an instructor for The Center for Financial Training and Herzing University. He earned a bachelor's degree from the UW-Madison School of Business and an MBA from UW-Oshkosh.
Mr. Bullock serves on the Sauk County Economic, Development Corporation Board, the St. Joseph Parish Finance Committee, Mahala's Hope Board, Financial Executives International Board, Madison Club Board, Far Eastside Business Association Board, Four Lakes Business Coalition Board, Club House Corporation, Board, Downtown Madison Incorporated Advisory Committee, In-Business Magazine Advisory Committee, Civitas civic leadership, Buckhorn Property Owner's Association Board, is a Baraboo Knights of Columbus Council Officer.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board
- Research Specialist for the Madison Metropolitan School District
Donald Dantzler is a Survey and Research Specialist for the Madison Metropolitan School District and resides in Fitchburg. He will serve as an Employee Member of the Madison College District Board of Trustees.
Mr. Dantzler was faculty and adjunct faculty for UW-Whitewater, and has also worked as a research associate at Wisconsin's Equity and Inclusion Laboratory and a project assistant for the UW System Administration Office of Inclusivity, Diversity, Equity, and Success. He earned both a bachelor's degree and masters degree from UW-Whitewater and is a doctoral candidate in the Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis program at UW-Madison.
Mr. Dantzler serves on the Board of the 100 Black Men of Greater Madison, the Program Committee for the Goodman Community Center, is the Mentorship Coordinator for the MKE Fellows Program, and Chair of the Policy & Procedures Committee for the Urban League Young Professionals of Greater Madison. He is also the Board Chairman of Communities Learning to Invest and Mobilize for Business.
Dr. Mark Thomas has served Madison College for the past decade, overseeing the college's policy, strategy, finances, administration, and operations. He currently is the college's Chief of Staff and Executive Vice President for Institutional Policy and Strategy. Prior roles at the college include Chief Operating Officer and Executive Vice President for Finance and Administration, as well as Chief Financial Officer and Vice President of Finance and Administration.
Prior to working at the college, Dr. Thomas held executive leadership positions in the public, private, and nonprofit sectors in Chicago and southwestern Michigan for 20 years, serving in roles such as Chief of Staff, Chief Financial Officer, Chief Administrative Officer, and Budget Director. He has lectured on finance and administration at the University of Chicago, Illinois Institute of Technology, and the University of Illinois-Chicago.
Dr. Thomas holds a doctorate degree in Higher Education Administration from Edgewood University; graduate certificate in Education Management from Harvard University; Master of Public Policy from the University of Chicago; and Bachelor of Business Administration from Western Michigan University.
Madison College President Dr. Jack Daniels will be honored for his 10-plus year legacy in Madison and Dane County with the Martin Luther King, Jr. Humanitarian Award. Daniels' community building, equity, and inclusion work, and creating a space where all students can achieve success, reflects the values of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Joe Maldonado was appointed to the Madison College District Board as an elected official member in July 2023. He resides in Fitchburg and is a Community Youth Development Program manager for the University of Wisconsin Division of Extension. Maldonado currently serves as an Alder on the City of Fitchburg Common Council. He is an alumni chapter member of Alpha Phi Alpha and leads their Go to High School, Go to College" initiative. Maldonado earned both a bachelor's degree and master's degree in Afro American Studies from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Job Titles:
- Chairman / Board Appointment Committee / Madison Area Technical College
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board
- Member of the Madison College District Board
Randy Guttenberg has been a member of the Madison College District Board since July 2014. He has been the superintendent of Waunakee Community School District since 2008 and prior to that was superintendent of Montello School District and assistant superintendent at Baraboo School District. Guttenberg earned his Master of Science degree in educational administration from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1997 and is currently a doctoral candidate in educational leadership and policy analysis. Guttenberg is a member of the Workforce Development Board of South Central Wisconsin, the Wisconsin Association of School District Administrators and the Association of Supervision and Curriculum Development. Locally, he is a member of the Waunakee Chapter of Rotary International and the Waunakee Area Chamber of Commerce.
Job Titles:
- Executive Assistant to the President & District Board
Rose Buschhaus has nearly 25 years of experience working in human resources. Rose has been with the college since 2009 and has served in a variety of roles within the Human Resources department including, Associate Vice President of Human Resources, Director of Employment and Employee Relations, and as a Human Resources Business Partner.
Rose earned a Juris Doctor degree, Master of Laws (LLM) from the University of New Hampshire Franklin Pierce School of Law, a Bachelor's degree in Environmental Science from Purdue University, and holds a certification as a Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) and is a SHRM Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP).
Shana Lewis was appointed to the Madison College District Board as a member-at-large in July 2023. She resides in McFarland and is an attorney and shareholder at Renning Lewis & Lacy in Madison. She is a member of TEMPO Madison, serves on the Board of Directors for the American Players Theater and is active in the Greenridge Park Neighborhood Association. Lewis earned a bachelor's degree in political science from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and a juris doctorate from the University of Wisconsin Law School.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board
- Member of the Madison College District Board
Shiva Bidar-Sielaff has been a member of the Madison College District Board since July 2015, when she was appointed as an employer member. She was elected as board secretary in 2016, and Board Treasurer in 2017. Bidar-Sielaff resides in Madison and is chief diversity officer at the University of Wisconsin Hospital & Clinics. She is an alder on the Madison Common Council, as well as an executive committee member on the Dane County Latino Support Network and co-chair of the Latino Health Council of Dane County. Bidar-Sielaff earned a Master of Arts in international policy studies from the Monterey Institute of International Studies in California. She was awarded a City of Madison/Dane County Martin Luther King Jr. Humanitarian Award in January 2010 and the YWCA Woman of Distinction Award in 2005.
Sylvia has been dedicated to serving Madison College's students and the district since 2014. Prior to working at Madison College, she worked at the University of Wisconsin Colleges, the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and the University of Florida.
Originally from Florida, Sylvia attended the University of Florida earning a B.A. in English, earned a master's degree at UW-Madison's La Follette School for Public Affairs, and a Ph.D. from UW-Madison's Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis program.
Tim Casper is leading a college-wide effort to improve student course success by providing faculty with specific student engagement best practices in the classroom.
Tim has been with Madison Area Technical College since 2011. Prior to Madison College, he was the deputy secretary of the Wisconsin Department of Revenue. He was a senior adviser to Wisconsin Governor Jim Doyle.
Tim has also held positions at the Wisconsin Department of Health and Family Services, the Wisconsin Legislature, and the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He earned a bachelor's degree from the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay, a master's degree from University of Wisconsin-Madison, and a doctorate from Edgewood College.
Valentina Ahedo oversees Madison College's Goodman South Campus; the School of Academic Advancement which offers programming in high school completion, developmental education and English Language Learning; the School of Human and Protective Services, with programming in protective services such as Criminal justice, Legal Studies/Paralegal, Human Services and Early Childhood Education; the Early Learning Campus; prison education programming, K-12 and workforce strategies; and the College Access Navigator unit, which works closely with our district's 61 high schools to better serve students with the college's career pathway options.
Having worked in higher education for twenty-five years, she is delighted and humbled to be part of an institution that commits itself to access, opportunity and success for all of its students and stakeholders. Having had the privilege of working alongside tireless advocates to expand opportunity in our communities, she is honored to continue this work, which is rooted deeply in her experience as a member of an immigrant family where she sought to make sense of the two worlds, the two cultures that she encountered daily.
Valentina has a bachelor's degree from UW-Madison, a master's from Iowa State University and expects a doctorate in education in 2024.