Dr. Monica B. Smith-Woofter is the Program Director of Ed.D. in Education at James Madison University. Currently, she is an Assistant Professor for Educational Leadership in the Learning, Technology & Leadership Education Department. Her professional and research interests include mentoring and coaching educational leaders, conducting equity audits for continuous improvement, navigating and dealing with microaggressions, and investigating transformational changes within low-performing schools resulting in school success. Prior to this she taught high school mathematics, moved into administration and served in this capacity to include middle school, high school, and district office experiences. Smith-Woofter assisted with leading the efforts to establish three NC innovative high schools. Before her retirement, Dr. Smith-Woofter served as the Northampton County Schools Superintendent from 2014 – 2019. During this tenure, she received the 2018 Brad Sneeden Leadership Award in recognition of her strong commitment to life-long learning, unwavering integrity in leadership, and being a visionary leader who embraced transformational change.
As the Director of School Leadership, Betty Jo Wynham is committed to leading the leaders of nine public schools, serving as the principal’s evaluator, and also providing oversight for the division’s code of conduct. She is able to build, lead, and support high-impact teams by formerly serving as a high school principal, CTE director, assistant principal, instructional coach, special educator, athletic coach, and substitute teacher. In education, Betty Jo prioritizes hiring and retaining passionate personnel committed to educating students so that rigor, love, and academic success are accessible and attainable by ALL students. Her work creates learning environments that develop the whole child and expose them to learning experiences that assist them in finding their passions. Her hope is that students then use those passions to ignite their future academic success by being intrinsically motivated and extrinsically supported by the public school system to transfer those passions into successful careers.
Danielle A. Maxham is the Graduate Program Coordinator at James Madison University in Virginia. She possessed Masters Degrees in Educational technology and Counseling. She joined the College of Education in March 2024, where she supports admissions, enrollment, and student success for Learning Design and Leadership Education graduate programs and courses. In addition, she advises all students pursuing graduate certificates and master’s programs in the Learning Technology and Leadership Education Department and teach one course each semester. Her passion lies in advancing student success and addressing equity gaps in higher education. She has a particular interest in how educational technology and information systems can enhance advising practices and create more equitable and accessible learning experiences.
