ABOUT US : Staff

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR/PRESIDENT
Henry (Hank) G. Cram, Ed.D.

Dr. Cram was appointed Executive Director of the Middle States Commission on Secondary Schools (MSCSS) in July of 2005 following a long affiliation with MSA as a member of the Strategic Planning Advisory Committee, chair of both domestic and overseas evaluation teams, and representative for the Association at various conferences.

Dr. Cram has been involved in education for over 35 years. Prior to his appointment as Executive Director, Dr. Cram served as the Director of Staff Development for the New Jersey Association of School Administrators (NJASA). He has held a variety of teaching and administrative positions in New York and New Jersey including Superintendent of Schools for the Rancocas Valley Regional School District from 1988 to 2003. In addition, he has been a part-time lecturer at the Rutgers Graduate School of Education and an Instructor in the New Jersey Provisional Teacher Program at Rowan University.

Dr. Cram holds degrees from William Paterson University, Montclair State University, Fordham University and a doctorate in Educational Administration from Rutgers University. He has served as a consultant to school districts on a variety of topics and is the author of numerous works, including two books on change in public education and brain-based instructional practices.

Dr. Cram can be reached at hcram<at>cess-msa.org or 267-284-5000

DEPUTY EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Kenneth D. Kastle, Ed.D.

Dr. Kastle joined Middle States as an Associate Director in August, 1999 and was appointed Deputy Executive Director in November 2004. Dr. Kastle served as a social studies teacher, assistant principal, and as a high school principal, all within the Centennial School District in Bucks County, Pennsylvania. He earned his undergraduate degree from The Pennsylvania State University, his master's degree from Temple University, and his doctorate from the University of Pennsylvania. Dr. Kastle oversees development of the Commission’s accreditation protocols and processes. Dr. Kastle also works with all secondary and post-secondary career & technology schools and is responsible for overseeing the Commission's authorization by the U.S. Secretary of Education for recognition as an accrediting agency that enables post-secondary schools to be eligible for Title IV funds. Dr. Kastle was formerly a member of the AFG Advisory Committee and chaired numerous AFG Validation Team visits before joining the staff.

Dr. Kastle can be reached at kkastle<at>cess-msa.org or 267-284-5000

ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR for NORTHERN REGIONS
Arthur Albrizio

Mr. Albrizio joined the MSA team in January of 2009 as the Associate Director for Northern Regions. He earned his undergraduate degree from Trenton State College (now TCNJ) and graduate degree from Seton Hall University both in NJ. A teacher of Industrial Arts and Technology in Englewood, NJ, he went on to serve as a school counselor and then Supervisor of Student Personnel Services at Red Bank Regional High School in Monmouth County, NJ. He served as principal at Red Bank Regional for nine years before retiring. Out of education for a year and working as a project manager for a construction company, he returned to public education in the summer of 2006 as an interim principal at Holmdel HS (NJ) where he worked the last two years prior to joining the MSA team.

Mr. Albrizio can be reached at aalbrizio<at>cess-msa.org or 267-284-5036

ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR for PK-12 Schools
Jacqueline L. Gilbert

Mrs. Gilbert joined Middle States in July 2006 as Associate Director for the Northern Regions and has worked with member schools in New Jersey and New York. With the retirement of Steve Heft in January 2009, Mrs. Gilbert assumed the responsibilities associated with the PK-12 Department formerly known as the Committee on Institution-Wide Accreditation (CIWA). As the Associate Director for PK-12, Mrs. Gilbert serves as the liaison between the Elementary and Secondary Commissions. In addition, she is the link between MSA and Pre K- 12 schools, as well as the designated associate for all schools located overseas. Additionally, Mrs. Gilbert is the primary contact for accrediting associations that work cooperatively with MSA. A longtime volunteer for the organization, Mrs. Gilbert brings experience from team service, from team chairing, and from membership on the Strategic Planning Reports Advisory Committee. Mrs. Gilbert holds degrees from Douglass College (Rutgers University) and William Paterson University. Her experience includes teaching at the elementary, high school and college levels, curriculum design and performance assessment. Mrs. Gilbert most recently served as the World Languages Curriculum Supervisor for the West Orange, New Jersey School District.

Mrs. Gilbert can be reached at jgilbert<at>cess-msa.org or 267-284-5042

ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR for PUBLIC SCHOOLS and CHARTER SCHOOLS
Lynn McLean

Mrs. McLean joined Middle States in July 2003. Mrs. McLean's experience includes teaching at the elementary, middle, and high school levels, program development, consulting and evaluation for students with special needs, and building level administration. She has completed doctoral coursework at Oakland University, Rochester, Michigan. Mrs. McLean's responsibilities at CSS include working with the AFG protocol, as well as with public school members and the growing membership of charter schools in the region. In addition, Mrs. McLean serves as liaison to the Strategic Planning Reports Advisory Committee and will oversee workshop offerings.

Mrs. McLean can be reached at lmclean<at>cess-msa.org or 267-284-5040

ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR for WESTERN REGIONS
John Plesha, Ph.D.

Dr. Plesha conducts workshops, performs technical reviews of accreditation objectives, and provides support for public and private schools in the western portions of Pennsylvania, New York, and Maryland. He also analyzes team reports in preparation of Advisory and Commission meetings and coordinates all CSI and Reflections Five-Year Renewal visits and reports. Having completed a long career as a public school teacher and administrator, Dr. Plesha is the retired principal of Seneca Valley High School and currently serves on the adjunct-faculty at Duquesne University.

Dr. Plesha can be reached at jplesha<at>cess-msa.org or 412-487-6612

ASSISTANT DIRECTOR for PK-12 Schools
Kelly Christian

Ms. Christian joined the Middle States Association in November 2007. She has a B.A. in International Affairs from The George Washington University. Her experiences abroad, ranging from a semester of study in Spain to working with students in Latin America and Africa, provides an international perspective to the Middle States Association. As Assistant Director for PK-12 Schools, Ms. Christian works with Ms. Gilberton those schools with both elementary and secondary grade levels, as well as with all the overseas schools engaged in the accreditation process through MSA.

Ms. Christian can be reached at kchristian<at>cess-msa.org or 267-284-5037

IT Coordinator
James Green

Mr. Green joined the Middle States Association in July 2004 in the position of Assistant Director for CIWA. He has his undergraduate degree from The College of William and Mary and his masters degree from Drexel University. As the IT coordinator, Mr. Green oversees the use of technology in the MSA office.

Mr. Green can be reached at jgreen<at>cess-msa.org

EVALUATION SERVICES COORDINATOR
Suzanne Ogle

Ms. Ogle joined the staff in April, 2000. She has an Associate Arts degree from Villanova University. Her background in the travel industry managing a travel agency and working for an international airline has been a wonderful asset in servicing the needs of our international clientele. Ms. Ogle has the responsibility for building the evaluation teams for all stateside schools undergoing accreditation.

Ms. Ogle can be reached at sogle<at>cess-msa.org or 267-284-5034

INFORMATION & BILLING SPECIALIST
Ms. Leslie Green

Ms. Green joined the staff in 1986 as a secretary for the Commission on Higher Education. After two years, she moved to the Commission on Secondary Schools and has become the primary conduit to the CSS database. Her responsibilities include the maintenance of all information about our member schools. She serves as liaison to the Association Office for all billing questions and answers. Ms. Green also oversees the preparation of materials for the semi-annual Commission meetings and handles all progress reports for those schools addressing the maintenance of accreditation under a traditional protocol.

Ms. Green can be reached at lgreen <at>cess-msa.org or 267-284-5039

PK-12 PROJECT ASSISTANT
Ms. Audra Moyer

Ms. Moyer joined the MSA staff as the PK-12 Project Assistant in the spring of 2010. Her current duties include staff support for all PK-12 activities, with primary responsibility for maintaining the database and files for all PK-12 members. In addition, Ms. Moyer manages team building activities for all domestic PK-12 schools. Ms. Moyer is a graduate of Philadelphia University.

Ms. Moyer can be reached at amoyer <at>cess-msa.org or 267-284-5033