McREL consultant Kathleen Dempsey named NCCC director

Denver—Kathleen Dempsey, a principal consultant at Mid-continent Research for Education and Learning (McREL), has been named the director of The North Central Comprehensive Center (NCCC).

The NCCC, which is operated by McREL, is a U.S. Department of Education-funded program that provides research-based services to state education agencies in Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, and South Dakota. Dempsey has served for two years as the NCCC liaison for Minnesota and will continue in that role, in addition to overseeing regional initiatives and multiple, ongoing projects in all five states.

“States are turning to the NCCC more and more to help them address federal priorities within a climate of diminishing budgets and higher accountability for increased student achievement,” Dempsey said. “I am excited to be able to help states build capacity and assist them through these challenging times.”

In addition to her NCCC work, Dempsey has provided professional development and consulting for a variety of McREL clients in the areas of curriculum development, instructional strategies, technology integration, and mathematics education. She holds an M.Ed. in educational supervision from The College of William and Mary (Williamsburg, Va.) and was formerly the secondary mathematics coordinator for a large district in Virginia.

McREL Principal Consultants Anne Tweed and Anne Lundquist will serve as associate directors. Lundquist also serves as liaison for Iowa and North Dakota; the remaining liaisons are Principal Consultant Jane Hill (South Dakota) and Lead Consultant Kim Malenoski (Nebraska).