ABOUT US
University Leadership
Meet the team at the forefront of effective teacher preparation.
Mission & Philosophy
Learn in the way you plan to teach.
We’re educating teachers around the world to be resourceful, tech-savvy educators through an online, collaborative, activity-based learning system designed for tomorrow’s students in a dynamic and diverse world.
President
Dr. Susanne H. Thompson
Dr. Susanne H. Thompson is the president of Moreland University, a Colibri Group education brand. Susanne has been in the education industry for 32 years, serving as a public educator in Pennsylvania as a classroom teacher, building administrator, director of curriculum and instruction, and superintendent of schools.
She has extensive experience in the education industry and has held leadership and executive-level positions at organizations like Discovery Inc. and Discovery Education, Northwestern Lehigh School District, and the Carbon Lehigh Intermediate Unit. In 2022, Susanne was selected as one of the “Most Inspiring Women in Business” by Aspioneer Magazine.
As a creative and decisive thinker, Susanne prioritizes people, performance, innovation, and active listening while building ownership and partnership within cross-functional teams both internally and externally to deliver customer and business results with a values-based, mission-driven spirit.
Advisory Board
Dr. Emily Feistritzer
Dr. Emily Feistritzer founded TeachNow Inc. in 2011. With over 50 years of experience in education, Dr. Feistritzer has been cited for her innovative approaches to teacher preparation.
A former high school math and science teacher — as well as an educator and director of teacher corps at the University of South Carolina — Dr. Feistritzer founded two education organizations that conducted and distributed the most up-to-date research in the field: the National Center for Education Information and the National Center for Alternative Certification.
In 2011, she re-imagined the existing model of teacher preparation through TEACH-NOW®. The program allows college graduates, veterans, and other career-switchers to earn teacher certification in the U.S. and overseas. Its success led to the creation of Moreland University, which enables students to earn master’s degrees in education, as well as obtain a teaching license recognized internationally.
Dr. James Edmond, Jr.
Dr. Edmond is the director of partner engagement for the Modern Classrooms Project, an organization that empowers students to master key content and skills through a proprietary instructional model.
During Dr. Edmond’s 26-year career in public education, he was a middle school teacher, an elementary principal, and a district administrator. He also held positions as the president of the Association of Wisconsin School Administrators and was a board member for the National Association of Elementary School Principals.
Dr. Edmond is a nationally recognized leader with a proven record of helping organizations grow and achieve high levels of success. He has a passion for Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) and equitable instructional practices in education. His mission is to ensure all learners, educators, and leaders have access to the necessary tools for achieving the highest personal and professional versions of themselves.
Dr. Kathy Bihr
Dr. Bihr serves as the vice president of programs at The First Tee of Los Angeles and is the co-founder and managing partner of Academic Solutions, a full-service tutoring and mentoring center.
With over 30 years in education —working in both K-12 public education and the non-profit sector — Kathy’s expertise ranges from program development to leadership to creating sustainable, equitable learning environments for youth. She also serves on the board of directors for Project Tomorrow, which supports the innovative uses of STEM resources in K-12 schools and communities; advises entrepreneurs through an EdTech accelerator; and provides coaching to non-profit leaders working in the sports and entertainment field. In addition, Dr. Bihr serves as adjunct faculty for the Rossier School of Education at the University of Southern California.
Dr. Michael Q. Roth
Dr. Roth is an educational leader who has served in K-12 districts as a social studies teacher, principal, director of curriculum, assistant superintendent, and superintendent. He is currently chief academic officer/deputy superintendent of the Allentown School District, Pennsylvania’s third-largest urban district.
A notable career achievement, Dr. Roth leveraged grant funding to outfit 940+ classrooms with technology and professional development to support renewed pedagogical practices.
Previously, Dr. Roth worked at Houghton Mifflin Harcourt and Discovery Education as the vice president of professional services and director of professional development, respectively. Currently, Dr. Roth is an adjunct professor for Delaware Valley and Buena Vista universities; he also serves as an instructor in the CLIU 21 School Superintendent Certification Program that he helped design. In 2019, Dr. Roth was awarded the Service to the Profession Award by the Pennsylvania Association of School Administrators.
Dr. Beth Salyers
Dr. Salyers is obsessed with the art and science of learning. A former middle school teacher who got frustrated with the promise of education versus the reality, Beth set out to harness the structures of learning in a way that didn’t perpetuate the status quo.
After earning her Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction, she began helping people build individual and collective agency within organizations. Her company, Custom Learning Atelier (CLA), helps stakeholder-focused businesses and organizations be more effective, sustainably, when it comes to how their people and audiences learn.
Since its founding in 2020, CLA has become a Certified B Corporation and a business member of One Percent for the Planet. Additionally, CLA regularly works with other Certified B Corporations, purpose-driven companies, NGOs, national associations, state and local agencies, and non-profits across several industries. Beth was born in Ohio, raised in North Carolina, and now lives in New Orleans.
Marla Wilson
Marla Wilson is New America’s vice president of development and partnerships. New America is a civic platform and think tank, primarily for public policy issues and advocacy.
Wilson is a powerful business driver whose entrepreneurial instincts and clarity of vision have carried multiple organizations through rapid and continuous financial growth. She has defined long-term organizational strategic goals and built key client relationships in a leadership capacity with Discovery Education, American Heart Association, March of Dimes and as an independent business consultant.
Wilson has dedicated her career to transformational initiatives that support equity, diversity, and inclusion for under-represented groups to advance socioeconomic equality. She strives to make a difference in the lives of disadvantaged communities and sectors globally.
Wilson holds a Bachelor of Communications from the University of Central Oklahoma.
Commitment
To Students, faculty, and staff
Moreland University’s advisory board is committed to ensuring our programs provide relevant education that’s up-to-date on current business, industry, labor, and professional employment practices. The board serves as a connection to practitioners and ensures Moreland University is at the cutting edge of developments in the field of education.
Earn your education degree online.
Teach anywhere in the world.
It’s easy to get started with Moreland University. Connect with us to learn more about our programs and how Moreland fits your career goals.