About REL Southwest

Regional Educational Laboratory (REL) Southwest partners with key stakeholders in Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas to develop evidence that can inform consequential decisions about policy, programs, and practice. Key stakeholders include organizations with decision-making authority and the ability to influence education policy and practice, such as state and local education agencies, school boards, institutions of higher education, and student, family, and community organizations. RELs partner with these organizations to improve educational outcomes for students.

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Our team

REL Southwest is led by the American Institutes for Research (AIR) with support from the following partners:

  • Decision Information Resources
  • Empirical Education
  • Gibson Consulting
  • RAND Corporation
  • School Readiness Consulting
  • WestEd

Tamara Linkow

Director, REL Southwest

Garry Davis

Deputy Director

Billie Jo Day

Partnership Task Lead

Sonica Dhillon

Training, Coaching, and Technical Support Task Lead

Yinmei Wan

Applied Research Task Lead

Laura Checovich

Dissemination Task Lead

Preeya Mbekeani

Partnership Director, Building Pathways for Student Success (BPSS), Arkansas

Nathan Burroughs

Partnership Director, Leading Early Childhood Achievement and Development (LEAD), Oklahoma

Brenda Arellano

Partnership Director, Southwest English Learner Literacy (SWELL), New Mexico

Steven Hurlburt

Partnership Director, Supporting Early Career and Aspiring Teachers (SECAT), Louisiana

Kylie Klein

Partnership Director, Texas Education Agency Tri-Agency Workforce Priorities (TTWP), Texas

Lauren Artzi

Toolkit Development Co-Lead, Providing Reading Interventions for Students in Middle School (PRISMS) Toolkit

Jon Potter

Toolkit Development Co-Lead

Governing Board

The REL Governing Board helps REL Southwest prioritize the education needs of the region, provides strategic guidance on REL work to maximize local effectiveness, and leverages members’ regional networks to amplify and disseminate REL products. REL Southwest Governing Board members represent wide-ranging expertise and experience.

 

  • Erin Brewer, Oklahoma Parent Legislative Action Committee
  • Dr. Cade Brumley, Louisiana Department of Education
  • Alisa Cooper de Uribe, New Mexico International School
  • Dr. Bryan Duke, University of Central Oklahoma
  • Superintendent Lindel Fields, Oklahoma State Department of Education
  • Jackie Govan, Arkansas State Collaboration Office
  • Dr. April Grace, Oklahoma Public School Resource Center
  • Dr. Patricia Jimenez-Latham, Office of Senator Cindy Nava
  • Dr. Kelli Joseph, St. Helena Parish School District
  • Dr. David Kauffman, Austin Independent School District
  • Dr. Rebecca Kilburn, University of New Mexico
  • Courtney Lincoln, Forward Arkansas
  • Dr. Sarah McKenzie, University of Arkansas
  • Commissioner Mike Morath, Texas Education Agency
  • Secretary Jacob Oliva, Arkansas Department of Education
  • Secretary Mariana Padilla, New Mexico Public Education Department
  • Dr. Don Schillinger, Louisiana Tech University
  • Stacy Smith, Arkansas Department of Education
  • Dr. Libbie Sonnier, Louisiana Policy Institute for Children
  • David Sullivan, Kiowa Tribe
  • Dr. Lori Taylor, Texas A&M University
  • Iris Tian, Texas Education Agency
  • Ashley Townsend, Louisiana Department of Education
  • Mayra Valtierrez, New Mexico Public Education Department
  • Dr. Lindsay Whorton, The Holdsworth Center