John Bourdeaux is the President & CEO of AdvanceCT.
John Bourdeaux is an experienced leader with a track record of success in marketing and development, strategic planning, professional fundraising, and market research. Prior to joining AdvanceCT, he served as the Vice President of Advancement for the Connecticut Science Center, an organization dedicated to scientific exploration, teacher development, and educational transformation. At AdvanceCT, John’s focus is on operations, member development, and strategic initiatives. John brings valuable non-profit stakeholder engagement experience to AdvanceCT.
Prior to his work at the Connecticut Science Center, John served as the Director of Development for Hartford Stage and worked for the Melville Charitable Trust and the Partnership for Strong Communities, organizations focused on homelessness and affordable housing policy.
He has served in the development offices of the University of Chicago, The Hotchkiss School, and Yale University. In each of these positions, he was responsible for securing tens of millions in philanthropic support while promoting the mission of each organization, bringing many new supporters and advocates into the fold.
Early in his career, John founded and managed his own not-for-profit theater company in Chicago, IL, producing modern American drama and late-night improvisational comedy. He has also served as a consultant and board member for academic institutions as well as social action and arts organizations. John is a graduate of The Hotchkiss School and the University of Chicago.
Lisa A. Bowden is an accomplished educational leader with extensive experience in administration, curriculum development, and instruction. She currently serves as Assistant Executive Director at EdAdvance a Regional Educational Service Center located in Litchfield, CT. Throughout her career, Lisa has championed STEM education and the incorporation of experiential learning across all school curricula. She holds advanced certifications in educational leadership from Central Connecticut State University, an MBA from the University of Southern California, and a B.S. in Mandarin Chinese from Georgetown University.
Dr. Miah LaPierre Dreger is an experienced higher education leader and advocate for STEM access, innovation, and workforce development. With more than 27 years of teaching and administrative experience across Connecticut’s colleges and universities, she has advanced programs and initiatives that expand educational opportunities, strengthen student pathways, and build stronger connections between education and industry.
Dr. Dreger began her career as a faculty member in Computer and Information Systems before taking on progressive leadership roles as academic program coordinator, department chair, dean, and provost. She currently serves as Dean of STEM at Springfield Technical Community College, overseeing programs in engineering and physical sciences, mathematics, biology, computer technologies, applied technologies, and technical arts and design. In this role, she works closely with faculty, employers, and community partners to align curriculum with workforce needs, expand experiential learning, and create seamless pathways from high school to college, and from college to careers or transfer.
Previously, Dr. Dreger served as Interim Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs for CT State Community College, providing strategic oversight of all statewide academic divisions during the consolidation of 12 colleges into a single accredited institution, and served as Interim Associate Dean of Engineering, Science, and Technology at Central Connecticut State University. Across these leadership roles, she has led strategic planning, accreditation, curriculum development, equity initiatives, and industry partnerships that connect students to meaningful STEM opportunities, while fostering faculty development, innovation, and shared governance.
Her research and professional practice reflect a deep commitment to equity and access in higher education, particularly in expanding pathways for historically underrepresented and non-traditional students in STEM. She earned her doctorate in Educational Leadership from the University of Hartford, where her dissertation examined barriers to postsecondary participation for formerly incarcerated community college students. She also holds a master’s degree in Technology Education from Central Connecticut State University and a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and Secondary Education from Houghton College (now Houghton University).
Dr. Kathleen Schofield is the Executive Director of the Northeast Florida Regional STEM2 Hub. In this capacity, she works to assure access and opportunity for computer science and STEM learning across the northeast Florida region. Working as a liaison between the corporate community and the school systems, she brings the pulse of the needs for a 21st century workforce as she collaborates with educational systems across the region, bringing access to experiences with cutting edge technologies, such as robotics, coding, drones, augmented reality, and artificial intelligence to over 75,000 students by working with district leadership teams to develop and infuse innovative approaches to STEM instruction,into the school day. She works with informal education providers, as well, to increase access to STEM learning experiences in the after-school setting.
Prior to joining the STEM2 Hub, Schofield served as the STEM Supervisor for the School District of Clay County, serving over 36,000 students in 41 schools. There, she developed a nationally recognized STEM program, including the development of a regional partnership with Code.org to provide access to facilitator and teacher training and resources, which has led to over 1,500 teachers in Northeast Florida introducing computer science to over 90,000 children in grades kindergarten through high school.
Schofield gives back to the community through service on numerous state and national committees. She serves on the Board of Governors for the Boys and Girls Club of North Florida, and on the Dean’s Advisory Boards at UNF for both the College of Computer Science and the College of Education, bridging the colleges toward teacher preparation for delivery of computer science instruction. She held a post as a global leader in the STEM Learning Ecosystems organization, sharing the work in NEFL with other communities around the world.