WIDA Welcomes Meg Van Voorhis as Chief Educator Learning Officer
September 25, 2023 | By WIDA Communications
Van Voorhis comes to WIDA from Lexia, a Cambium Learning Group company, where she was Director of Professional Learning.
MADISON, Wis. – WIDA, an educational services organization housed at the University of Wisconsin–Madison’s Wisconsin Center for Education Research, is excited to announce the appointment of Meg Van Voorhis as its inaugural Chief Educator Learning Officer (CELO). With her extensive experience and her commitment to our mission, Meg will play a pivotal role in furthering WIDA's vision of becoming the most trusted and valued resource for multilingual learner education.
"We are thrilled to welcome Meg to the WIDA team," Tim Boals, WIDA founder and director, said. "Meg's track record of success and her passion for delivering quality professional learning to educators makes her the perfect fit for this role. Her leadership will be instrumental in elevating and innovating WIDA’s professional learning services by further developing online learning and expanding delivery modes.”
Meg’s appointment to the CELO role marks a significant step forward for WIDA. In creating the CELO position, WIDA elevates the critical importance of professional learning and research in support of educators as the population of multilingual learners continues to grow. By 2025, 1 out of 4 children in U.S. classrooms will be a multilingual learner. In this role, Meg will lead a large team to help transform the organization as it continues to evolve to meet educator needs. The CELO role will also be responsible for WIDA Español, which offers educators who teach academic content and language development in Spanish a comprehensive system for supporting instruction.
Meg expressed her enthusiasm for joining WIDA, saying “I started my professional career as a dual language teacher who was committed to supporting multilingual learners. As I begin this new role with WIDA, I am so honored to have the opportunity to build on that commitment and work alongside dynamic teams to create impactful resources for educators.”
Meg comes to WIDA from Lexia, a Cambium Learning Group company, where she most recently served as the Director of Professional Learning. During her tenure at Lexia, she led a team of instructional designers and content specialists to create live, digital, and blended professional learning experiences for educators. She received her BA in history with a certificate in Spanish language and culture from Princeton University and her M.Ed. from the University of Michigan with a focus on K-8 education and ESL.
For media inquiries or further information, please contact:
Hannah Haynes, hrhaynes@wisc.edu
