Arne Nielsen

Vice President, Education

phone: 443.391.7284

fax: 443.259.4887

email: arnenielsen@nadadventist.org

Arne P. Nielsen believes that the real object of education, through the work of the Holy Spirit, is to transform the lives of students and “restore in man the image of his Maker … promoting the development of body, mind, and soul.” As a lifelong Christian educator, Arne believes that all children have the right to reach their God-given potential. He believes that the best way to accomplish this is by relying on God to lead, building trust and buy-in from educators, developing instructional leaders at the school level, and creating a differentiated system that provides resources and support for educators to grow and flourish.

Arne holds a Bachelor of Science Degree from Andrews University and a Master’s Degree in School Administration from Western Carolina University. He plans to resume his studies in the Leadership PhD program at Andrews University.

Previous to Arne’s coming to the NAD Education Office, he served as Vice President for Integrated Youth Ministries in the Florida Conference, leading Children’s and Family Ministry, Youth and Young Adults Ministry, Camp Ministry, and the Education Department in a joint venture to disciple God’s children. Previous to that position he served for four years as Superintendent of Education in the Florida Conference and three years as Superintendent of Education in the Idaho Conference. At these schools Arne taught physical education, health, and biology lab; coached gymnastics; and served as a boys’ dean, vice-principal, principal, and business manager.

Arne is married to Teen (Fraser) who has partnered with him in life for close to 40 years. Teen has supported Arne’s educational ministry by filling specific needs at each location where they’ve worked. Most recently she has served as financial aid advisor at Florida Hospital’s Adventist University and is currently an administrative assistant at World Headquarters in the office of Secretariat. Arne and Teen have three boys: Josh, a Business Marketer and Manager; Jake, a gymnastics instructor; and Jesse, an artist/entrepreneur.

Leisa Morton-Standish

Director, Elementary / Curriculum

phone: 443.391.7288

fax: 443.259.4887

email: leisastandish@nadadventist.org

Dr. Leisa Morton-Standish is the Director of Elementary Education at the North American Division. She brings broad teaching experience to the position, that includes teaching in small rural schools as well as in large urban schools. She has taught on the east and west coasts of the U.S, both in and out of the Adventist education system, and in Australia and New Zealand. She has also spent a considerable part of her career teaching at universities, including lecturing in the education departments at the University of Maryland, Washington Adventist University and Macquarie University, a large state university in Sydney, Australia, with over 40,000 students.

Leisa holds a PhD in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Maryland,an MA in Education from California State University and a Diploma in Education from Avondale College. Her research focuses on persuasive writing, classroom collaborative strategies, experiential learning and problem-based education. She has been published in major peer reviewed journals and has presented at major academic conferences. She has also actively participated in a number church and secular education committees, including sitting on the District of Columbia's early childhood task-force.

Leisa is married to James Standish, JD (Georgetown University), MBA (The University of Virginia), a consultant in public advocacy, law and media. She has three children, Shea (10th grade), Skye (7th grade) and Boyi (Kindergarten). Leisa is committed to Christ and the ideals of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. Her first love is the classroom where she can share her passion for learning and her love for Jesus.

Stephen Bralley

Director,
Secondary Education / Accreditation

phone: 443.391.7281

fax: 443.259.4887

email: stephenbralley@nadadventist.org

Before accepting the call to the NAD, Stephen Bralley worked as the Superintendent of Education for the Kentucky-Tennessee Conference, supervising PK-12 grade schools spread across western Tennessee and all of Kentucky. From 2010-2015, he was principal/multi-grade teacher Shoal Creek Adventist School. He was at Great Plains Academy and Enterprise Academy in Enterprise, Kansas, contributing in various roles as boys’ dean, teacher, and as  head administrator for 11 years. He started his teaching career in the public school system of Putnam County, Tennessee.

He is fully endorsed in Elementary and Secondary Education, specifically in the areas of Social Studies, History, English, Religion, and Civics. His academic background includes Little Creek Academy in Knoxville, Tennessee, Southern Adventist University, and Tennessee Technological University where he graduated with an Bachelor of Science degree in Education.

Stephen grew up in Cookeville, Tennessee. He met his wife, Tina, while they were both serving in Georgia-Cumberland Conference as camp staff at Cohutta Springs where eventually he would become the Youth Camp Associate Director.

Evelyn Sullivan

Director,
Early Childhood / REACH

phone: 443.391.7283

fax: 443.259.4887

email: evelynsullivan@nadadventist.org

Evelyn Sullivan is the Director for Early Childhood Education and REACH at the North American Division and brings administrative and teaching experience to the position. She joined the Columbia Union Education Department in 2008 as the associate director for early childhood education and REACH. In her more than 34 years working in the field of education, she has taught Pre-Kindergarten through 10th grade, served as principal, and also served as an associate superintendent.

Evelyn was born and raised in New York and has attended Seventh-day Adventist Schools from her early elementary years through graduate school. As a young student, Evelyn remembers teaching her four younger siblings what she learned in school. Teaching was her first love and she continues to use her education skills in her current role as early childhood director.

Evelyn attended Atlantic Union College and graduated with a B.S. degree in elementary education and a concentration in early childhood. Several years after teaching for the denomination, she completed her Master of Education with a concentration in administration from Atlantic Union College. She and her husband, Kevin, have three adult children and six grandchildren who brighten up their lives.

Martha Ban

Director, Technology & Support

phone: 701.248.0049

fax: 443.259.4887

email: marthaban@nadadventist.org

Martha Aastrup Ban is a third-generation Adventist educator. Knowing that she wanted to be a teacher at an early age, she began her teaching “career” in 8th grade as a tutor for 1st grade students learning to read. A graduate of Atlantic Union College (BS in elementary education) and Framingham State College (MS in Education with an emphasis in Reading and a CIT in Instructional Technology), she has taught all ages – from kindergarten through college—in Massachusetts (including several 1- and 2-room schools which resulted in a passion for helping our overworked/overwhelmed teachers in any way possible) and Maine.  She particularly enjoyed integrating technology into her teaching. While she loved working with all ages, she enjoyed grades 5-8 the most. “It’s a great age group and has great content to teach,” she says. Martha also was editor and writer for the Atlantic Union Teacher Bulletin and has worked extensively for Griggs International Academy as curriculum specialist, webmaster, and instructor.

After some two dozen years teaching, Mrs. Ban transferred her passion from classroom teaching to working for the North American Division Office of Education where she is the Director of Technology and Support. The majority of her responsibilities are with the technology aspects of our education system. Bottom line - she loves helping in any way she can with technology for our NAD educators.

Martha’s interests are technology and integrating technology with learning, camping, gardening, model railroading, reading, and being with family. She and her husband Gerry have been married for 30+ years. Gerry is Associate Director of Education for the Mid-America Union Conference. They have two children: Kaitlynn—a graduate of Atlantic Union College with a business administration finance/accounting major, who is working on adding veterinary medicine to her list of degrees—and Christopher, a software developer in Portland Oregon. They live with a menagerie of 3 cats, 2 dogs and fish in Lincoln, Nebraska —totally immersed in Adventist Education at its best.

Gordon Bietz

Associate Director, Higher Education

phone: 423.504.4005

fax: 443.259.4887

email: gordonbietz@nadadventist.org

Gordon Bietz is a graduate of La Sierra University, where he and his wife, Cynthia, were recently chosen as alumni of the year. He began his career in Northern California, and since has served as a teacher, pastor, president of the Georgia Cumberland Conference, and recently retired after 19 years as president of Southern Adventist University. In “retirement” he serves the North American Division of SDA as a part-time Associate Director for Higher Education and the Director of the Association of Adventist Colleges and Universities, a consortium of 13 Seventh-day Adventist institutions which collaborate on marketing and enrollment projects.

He has master’s and doctorate degrees from Andrews University, received a Merrill Fellowship from Harvard University where he attended classes at Harvard Divinity and Law Schools, and the J.F. Kennedy School of Government.

Dr. Bietz sees himself primarily as a pastor in whatever position he has held and enjoys sharing the love of God with people. He and Cynthia have twin daughters who each have three children with whom they enjoy spending what time they can find in a busy retirement.

Paola Oudri

Adventist Learning Community (ALC) Educational Professional
Development Coordinator

phone: 269.519.4074

fax: 443.259.4887

email: paolaoudri@nadadventist.org

Marc Grundy

Director of Marketing, Association of Adventist College & Universities

phone: 423.504.6321

fax: 443.259.4887

email: marcgrundy@nadadventist.org

Marc Grundy is the Director of Marketing for Higher Education at the North American Division.  He is passionate about Adventist Education and making it possible for every student to attend one of our schools, as he feels like education is one of the best evangelistic tools for sharing Jesus with those in and out of the Seventh-day Adventist church.

Marc holds a BS in Business Administration from Southern Adventist University, and an MBA in Marketing from the University of Tennessee.  He most recently worked as the Vice President of Enrollment Management at Southern Adventist University for 21+ years.

Marc is happily married to his wife, Meagan, for the past 21 years.  Meagan is also a graduate of Southern Adventist University (BS Nursing).  Marc and Meagan have two children; their daughter Gabriella (16) and son Hayden (13).  The Grundy Family enjoys traveling and have called the following places home:  United States (California, Oregon, Arizona, Washington D.C., Virginia, Alabama, and Tennessee), Australia, Japan, Thailand, Singapore, and Germany.