Meet the eLearning Team

Mary Ashmore, President and CEO

Mary has more than a decade of experience developing leading online educational teaching and learning products. With a degree in Business Administration, Mary is an educational visionary who strives for excellence. With a deep conviction that online resources are the most powerful educational tools currently available, she is committed to unlocking the potential of these resources for teachers and students around the world. Mary is dynamic, unconventional, and an icon for quality in product development and implementation.

S Masters, South Africa

Mr Masters completed his postgraduate degree in Finance, Taxation, and Financial Accounting at Rand Afrikaans University (RAU). He completed his articles at Deloitte & Touche in Johannesburg where he qualified as a Chartered Accountant. At Deloitte he provided services to some of South Africa's largest companies including Johnnic Holdings Limited, Invicta Holdings Limited, The Scaw Metals Group and UCS Solutions. Subsequently he was seconded to the Deloitte office in the United States.

J. Alan Baumgarten, Chief Instructional Designer

Alan began his career as a freelance writer and broadcast media producer before turning his career focus to secondary education in 1991, teaching English and computer technology at an inner-city school in Long Beach, California. In 1995 Alan began writing technology-related textbooks for publishers like DDC and Thomson South-Western. His book Exploring the Internet: A Cyberspace Odyssey was the first educational text of its kind to teach basic HTML authoring. He also developed Web sites for a burgeoning Internet market. He has worked with numerous corporations, government entities, and non-profit organizations on Web communications, e-learning, and application development—both desktop and browser-based. Alan joined eLearning Systems International in 1998 as the editor of Learners Online, and he has played a key role in all product development projects.

Rem Jackson, Director, Marketing Initiatives

Rem Jackson is an education technology pioneer. In 1994, he led the team that founded Classroom Connect, a high-tech company dedicated to helping K-12 educators integrate technology into their instruction. He created the company’s professional development programs including the Connected Classroom Conferences, Connected University, and onsite professional development workshops and camps. Rem joined eLearning Systems International in 2007 as the director of special marketing initiatives aimed at strengthening ESI's product brand in the education marketplace. An entertaining and informative presenter, Rem speaks to thousands of educators every year on technology topics at national and regional conferences where his ability to guide participants through complex technical issues has helped teachers, administrators, media specialists, technology coordinators and all educators more easily infuse technology into their curriculum.

JD Gonzales, North American Sales Director, Western Region

JD graduated from Dallas Jesuit College Prep and Summa Cum Laude from SMU in 1974. He lived and studied abroad in Madrid, Spain before graduating from Texas Southern University School of Law in 1979. JD was active in the Dallas commercial real estate market from 1987 to 1996, at which time he founded Graphique Apparel, Inc. JD is currently the Chairman of the Fr. Patrick H. Koch, S. J. Jesuit Alumni Association, and he has acted as president of the Dallas Jesuit Alumni Association, Adopt a Kid of Texas and St. Thomas Aquinas Booster Club, and as VP of the Dallas Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. He is a graduate of Leadership Dallas, a program aimed at developing diverse leaders to serve as catalysts for positive social change, and he is a motivational speaker to inner-city youth.

Angela Karem, Instructional Technology & Product Development Consultant/Advisor

Angela Karam has comprehensive experience in instructional design/technology and professional development. She has developed multimedia-based educational products designed for corporate, K-12 and higher education audiences over the past ten years. She has had numerous opportunities to evaluate the educational and training needs of broader audiences, as well as have deepened conversations with singular audiences to assess individual learner needs. Angela believes that technology allows us to create visually pleasing, interactive, and personally enriching activities that take users beyond traditional learning and allows them to learn in comfortable, engaging, self-paced environments. As a creative individual and artist, she finds that instructional technology engenders freedom and variety in applying instructional techniques. Angela has a Master’s degree in Modern European History and is currently working on her Ph.D. in Instructional Technology at the University of Texas at Austin.

Todd Peeler, Executive Director, Social Studies

Todd received is BS in Social Sciences and Secondary Education, with a concentration in History from Appalachian State University; and recently completed a Masters in School Administration from Gardner-Webb University. Todd currently serves as Project Director for two Teaching American History Grants. A National Board certified secondary history teacher, he has taught various levels of both Civics & Economics and United States History for over 15 years, and he is a veteran instructor of Advanced Placement U.S. Government and Politics. Serving on the state curriculum committee from 2002-2004, Todd helped develop curriculums for both US History and Civics & Economics. He also helped develop a state course of study for AP US Government and Politics published by the NC Dept. of Public Instruction.

Toni Templeton, Instructional Specialist

Beginning her career in education as a Montessori preschool teacher provided Toni with a foundation of student-centered values. After five years in the three year-old classroom, she accepted a position as science teacher at a second-chance drop out recovery charter high school in Austin, Texas. Finding that she enjoyed alternative education and had a knack for engaging challening at-risk students, Toni became an instructional specialist and teacher trainer for the district. Today, she continues to train teachers, with a focus on classroom management, technology integration, and instructional strategies.