Evansville Native Candice Dodson Named to Lead Educational Technology Association

On May 6, Evansville native Candice Dodson, will begin as executive director of the State Educational Technology Directors Association (SETDA), which is comprised of educational technology directors and colleagues from the state departments of education of all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Bureau of Indian Affairs, American Samoa, the Northern Mariana Islands and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Dodson currently serves as the Director of eLearning for the Indiana Department of Education. She has devoted her entire professional life to education; she is a longtime SETDA state member, a past SETDA Board Chair, and was the 2016 recipient of the SETDA Leader of the Year award. The Consortium for School Networking (CoSN), in partnership with EdScoop, named her one of the Top 25 Innovators that changed education over the last 25 years in 2017.

In her new role, she will continue to champion SETDA’s tradition of state leadership and advocacy to leverage technology for all learners and ensure equity of access through policy and practices.

“I am honored to have the opportunity to lead SETDA as executive director. I’m truly excited about reimagining the impact of the SETDA community, serving and expanding the value of SETDA membership, and showcasing the importance of the SETDA voice on important issues facing public education,” Dodson said. “I want to focus on SETDA’s unique position to foster collaboration among our members, strategic partners, and other education leaders and policymakers in how technology can personalize and provide solutions for learning in today’s digital age.”

“Candice was a natural choice for SETDA Executive Director,” said Julia Fallon (WA), SETDA Board Chair. “Her enthusiasm and demonstrated leadership are highly valued by her SETDA colleagues and our partners, and we are excited to see where SETDA will go from here under her tenure.”

Dodson is a native of Evansville, a graduate of Central High School  and formerly was an educator and administrator in the Evansville Vanderburgh School Corporation. In the EVSC she served as a fifth grade teacher, media specialist, teacher of Gifted and Talented, an Integrating Curriculum and Technology Specialist (ICATS), and supervisor of Core Experiences. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Indiana University, a Master’s degree in education from Indiana State University; an administrative license from the University of Southern Indiana; and attended the Leadership Institute at Brown University in multiple years.