2024 TAA Council Elections - Cast Your Vote
Six candidates are running for two open positions on the TAA Council, the association’s governing board.
View the candidate bios and position statements below and then vote by clicking the "Cast Your Vote" button. To be eligible to vote, individuals must be members in good standing. If you are a TAA member and cannot vote electronically, contact Kim Pawlak at [email protected] or (507) 459-1363 to request a paper ballot.
The deadline for voting is Friday, March 22.
Learn more about Council Member Roles & Responsibilities | Meet the Current TAA Council
Candidates
Dean Bartles
 Position Statement
"I am a strong advocate for both two and four year academic institutions and would like to devote some of my time to assist TAA in furthering its mission."
Bio
Dr. Dean Bartles is a seasoned operations professional with four decades of management experience in manufacturing and technology. He is currently the President and CEO of the Manufacturing Technology Deployment Group, Inc., a not-for-profit holding company of both the National Center for Defense Manufacturing and Machining (NCDMM) and Advanced Manufacturing International, Inc. (AMI).Dr. Bartles served as the President of the National Tooling and Machining Association and was previously the Director of the John Olson Advanced Manufacturing Center at the University of New Hampshire. Dr. Bartles was the founding Executive Director of the Digital Manufacturing and Design Innovation Institute in Chicago and the Chief Manufacturing Officer of UI LABS. Dr. Bartles worked for General Dynamics Corporation for 31 years where he was responsible for setting up and running manufacturing operations in Egypt, Turkey, and the United States. Between 2001 and 2014, Dr. Bartles increased sales at his Strategic Business Unit within General Dynamics Corporation from $135 million to over $600 million. Before his time at General Dynamics Corporation, Dr. Bartles worked for Fairchild Republic Company as an Industrial Engineer for approximately 5 years.Dr. Bartles served as the 2016-2017 President of the North American Manufacturing Research Institute, the 2016 President of the Society of Manufacturing Engineers, the founding Chairman of the Smart Manufacturing Leadership Coalition, and the Chairman of the Board of the National Center for Defense Manufacturing and Machining. He graduated from Indiana State University earning a PhD in Technology Management with a concentration in Manufacturing Systems.
Donna Battista
 Position Statement
"I believe my experience as an industry expert with insights into the print and digital authoring experience and understanding of US courseware market could be a unique and critical perspective for the TAA."
Bio
Donna Battista, Managing Director, Top Hat. As Top Hat’s Managing Director, Donna is responsible for the strategic vision and execution of the Learning Solutions go-to-market with a focus on growing Top Hat into a leading provider of affordable and engaging courseware in key disciplines. Donna has 20 years of experience leading content and product development in higher education, and led the creation, development, launch and growth of the Business MyLabs, the leading courseware solution in the business and economics disciplines. Donna’s previous experience includes Vice President of Business, Economics and the UK Global Publishing division at Pearson and Vice President of Product for the education vertical at Burning Glass.
Tasha Egalité
 Position Statement
"Currently, I am employing my skills through the roles of an online education committee member for the Association of Applied Linguistics and a Literacy New Jersey tutor. Additionally, I have authored articles such as Ed web: supporting rural education professional development and more recently Just try your best: A pandemic reflection on Early Childhood Education. According to Ruth (n.d.), 'The way a team plays as a whole determines its success. You may have the greatest bunch of individual stars in the world but if they don’t play together, the club won’t be worth a dime'. As a newly minted PhD, it is important to build a network and a cohesive team which allow all to empower each other, foster collaborative thinking and help grow organically. During my tenure, I hope leverage my value such as being a new academic doctor, innovation, intellection, efficiency, an insatiable appetite for information and building relationships to show the TAA's uniqueness which celebrates all parts of the publishing process and sharing knowledge on it."
Bio
As a new PhD, Tasha Egalite unravels what it means to be an academic doctor. Tasha is a professional learning specialist and trusted collaborator to all professionals from executives to learning managers to assistants who seek solutions and a more engaged professional experience. Tasha’s work is a product of a natural anthropological spirit to search for answers to questions that may be overlooked or unexpected. Her insights can be uncovered in presentations such as a Passion for Learning and Research, Reimagining PD with film and Ways not to give up on learning a language – available through association libraries such as TAA & NABE.
Steven "Tony" Skaggs
 Position Statement
"I am enthusiastic about serving on the TAA Council to contribute my passion for education and dedication to supporting academic authors. As an experienced educator and advocate for diversity in learning, I aim to bring fresh perspectives to TAA initiatives. During my term, I aspire to champion innovative approaches to content creation, leveraging technology and fostering collaboration among authors. I am committed to promoting diversity and inclusion within TAA and advocating for the rights of authors across disciplines. By actively engaging with Council members and TAA's broader community, I hope to contribute to the association's mission of excellence in scholarly writing and empower authors to navigate the evolving landscape of educational publishing. I look forward to the opportunity to serve and collaborate with fellow Council members to enhance the impact of TAA in supporting academic authors."
Bio
Steven A. “Tony” Skaggs is an educator and assistant professor at the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio. His academic journey includes a Bachelor of Science and a Master of Physician Assistant Studies in 2000 and 2001, respectively. In 2021, he achieved a Ph.D. in Interdisciplinary Learning and Teaching, specializing in instructional technology. He is passionate about promoting learner-centered teaching strategies and integrating technology into education, fostering a shift from traditional lecture-centric approaches to practical, critical thinking-based methodologies. His research focuses on the intersection of technology and education, with a keen emphasis on addressing diversity disparities among lower socioeconomic status individuals. He has contributed to this field with four peer-reviewed articles, six manuscripts in development, and a published book chapter. Additionally, I've shared my expertise at numerous conferences, including two on the international stage.
David Stehlik
 Position Statement
"I'm a novice member, but I will become more if you let me serve you through this role. During my term, I would first serve to learn how the organization is attending to its core competencies, leveraging them for better membership futures. I'll ask strategic questions and encourage strategic options. During my term I hope to encourage the Association to take an explicit position (word and action) that leverages an AI-invasive and AI-assistive future, turning it to the Association membership's advantage."
Bio
David Stehlik is a passionate strategist, educator, faculty mentor, and advisor, his leadership roles and career span academia, nonprofits, and healthcare within Midwest America and across Southeastern Europe, including as the founder of Fourscene, a strategy and business education consultancy. He’s a certified instructor of the Continuous Innovation Framework, Business Model Canvas and Design Thinking methodologies, is trained and certified in case method and simulation-based instruction and is committed to increasingly experiential forms of learning and educating. David earned a BA from Hillsdale College, an MHA and MBA from the University of Saint Francis, and a DSL (Doctor of Strategic Leadership) from Regent University. Today, he's an Associate Professor of Management and Leadership and the Associate Division Director at the Keith Busse School of Business and Entrepreneurial Leadership (University of Saint Francis, Fort Wayne, IN). He's a member of the Association of Professional Futurists (APF), a Design 4 Delight Certified Educator (Intuit), a Certified Practitioner of the Entrepreneurial Mindset Profile (Eckerd College), and CompTIA A+ ce, Network+ ce, and Security+ ce certified. Until this year, he taught a 4/4 academic year teaching load (or more). His recent courses include Business Strategy (Capstone for Business Students); Franciscan Values and Ethics in Business; Introduction to Business Principles; Entrepreneurship and Small Business Management; and Entrepreneurial Thinking. He's had one book published and edited a compilation volume with peers (editor self-published).
Niti Villinger
 Position Statement
"I hope to attend the online meetings, and also contribute some ideas on how to make the organization thrive during times of change, as well as the need for more diversity and inclusion of various perspectives related to scholarly writing, and academia."
Bio
Dr. Niti Villinger is a former professor of business management at Hawaii Pacific University where she taught for 12 years. After a very international career, which spanned five countries, Dr. Villinger, and embarked on a career focused on international business studies. She has been an active member of TAA since its inception. She hopes to contribute her time and knowledge and constructive activities which engage teachers and professors to develop their talents as writers and scholars. She does bring an international dimension to the table while also, emphasizing the core teaching capabilities which are often also expressed in writing.
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