We Are OFERAI

Dr. Michael A. DeJesus III is a founding board member of OFER AI and a strategist, executive advisor, and systems leader with nearly two decades of experience across higher education, state government, nonprofit leadership, economic development, and regional policy systems. He is the Founder and Principal Advisor of MDJ Advisory, where he applies his proprietary Strategy-to-Execution™ method to help mission-centered executives and boards translate complex priorities into clear decisions, aligned systems, and disciplined execution.

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Throughout his career, Dr. DeJesus has worked at the intersection of public policy, institutional strategy, organizational leadership, and implementation. He has advised senior leaders, overseen complex program and grant portfolios, strengthened governance and accountability structures, led multi-institutional initiatives, and built partnerships among government agencies, colleges and universities, nonprofit organizations, funders, businesses, and community stakeholders. His work has advanced educational access, student success, economic mobility, workforce opportunity, institutional collaboration, procurement equity, and organizational change.

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His track record includes overseeing a $24 million statewide higher education portfolio spanning 52 colleges and universities, expanding an HBCU-MSI consortium from 10 to more than 30 institutions, securing more than $2 million in grant funding over four years, certifying more than 100 minority- and women-owned businesses through a statewide economic development program, and leading a regional student success convening that achieved a 92 percent participant satisfaction rating.

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In addition to his service with OFER AI, Dr. DeJesus serves on the boards of the Academy for Advanced Studies and Youth Leadership Henry, contributing his experience in education, leadership development, governance, and community engagement.

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At OFER AI, Dr. DeJesus leads the forum’s work on AI Strategy, Ethics, and Trust. He brings a systems-thinking perspective shaped by his experience across public, nonprofit, educational, and economic systems. His work connects policy, people, governance, and implementation, helping leaders consider not only what AI can do, but how it should be adopted, governed, and evaluated responsibly. His approach is grounded in operating discipline and accountability: clarity over complexiy and measurable progress over hype.

Dr. Ansley A. Abraham is a founding board member of OFER AI, bringing 40 years of leadership at the Southern Regional Education Board (SREB) and a legacy of expanding access and opportunity in higher education to the forum. He joined SREB in 1985 as a research associate and, in 1993, was appointed founding director of the SREB-State Doctoral Scholars Program, a role he held until his retirement in July 2025 (SREB).

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Under his direction, the program grew into a nationally recognized model for producing Ph.D.s who pursue faculty careers, supporting more than 2,200 scholars with financial aid, mentoring, and professional development — nearly 90% of whom complete their doctorates, on average two years faster than the national norm (SREB).

 

He also founded and led the annual Institute on Teaching and Mentoring, the largest national gathering of underrepresented minority Ph.D. scholars. His contributions have earned him the 2010 John Hope Franklin Award, the 2021 Arthur A. Fletcher Lifetime Achievement Award, and the 2022 Presidential Award for Excellence in Science, Mathematics and Engineering Mentoring (SREB). He holds a B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. in sociology from Florida State University (SREB).

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At OFER AI, Dr. Abraham leads the forum's topic sections on the Sociology and Human Impact of AI Integration, Research Fellowships, Equitable Access, and Equitable Benefits, bringing decades of experience building inclusive pathways to opportunity and mentoring emerging scholars to ensure the forum's approach to responsible AI adoption reflects a deep commitment to access, equity, and the people affected by these changes.

Susan Campbell-Lounsbury, Ph.D., is a founding board member of OFER AI, bringing more than 30 years of experience in higher education policy, data analytics, and research to the forum. She most recently served as Director of Postsecondary Data and Analytics at the Southern Regional Education Board (SREB), where she coordinated the SREB State Data Exchange and produced widely used publications, including the SREB Fact Book on Higher Education (SREB).

 

She now operates independently through her own practice, Evidence In Action, advising organizations on data strategy and evidence-based decision-making.

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Earlier in her career, Susan served as Assistant Vice Chancellor for Research and Policy Analysis with the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia, and held roles in education program evaluation and student affairs (SREB). She holds a Ph.D. in Higher Education from Pennsylvania State University, an M.S. in Higher Education and Student Affairs from Indiana University, and a B.S. in Psychology from Louisiana State University (Penn State HEPAC).

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At OFER AI, Susan leads the forum's topic section on Data Collection, ETL, Data Strategy, Analysis and Reporting, and AI in Data — drawing on decades of hands-on experience building data pipelines and reporting systems to ground discussions in practical, evidence-based approaches to how AI intersects with data work.

Craig Shuey is a founding board member of OFER AI, bringing more than 30 years of enterprise IT leadership and consulting experience to the forum. He is currently Principal Consultant at Durable Data, where he helps small and mid-sized organizations secure, modernize, and simplify Microsoft 365, Entra ID, and cloud infrastructure.

 

He previously spent 16 years as Information Technology Director at the Southern Regional Education Board (SREB), leading enterprise cloud migration, cybersecurity, and the organization's early data and AI governance initiatives, and eight years as Solution Engineer and Owner of Perfect Affinity, Inc., delivering IT consulting to small and midsize businesses.

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Earlier, Craig served as Group Vice President of Information Services at First Capital Bancorp, holding full executive oversight of IT operations and a $1,000,000 technology budget.

 

He began his career at Coca-Cola and then General Electric, before joining Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC), a Global 100 company, as a Technology Migration Services Specialist advising Global 1000 organizations on large-scale modernization programs worldwide.

 

Craig studied Data Processing and Chemical Technology at DeKalb College, Georgia State University, and Southern Polytechnic State University, earning an Associate of Science from DeKalb College. He is a Microsoft Certified Trainer with MCSE certifications in Exchange Server and Internet/Proxy, and has delivered technical training for Microsoft events and state agency CIOs nationwide.

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At OFER AI, Craig provides strategic direction on governance, infrastructure, and the practical realities of deploying AI responsibly in business settings, grounding the forum's conversations in real-world experience.

Alan Richard is an Advisory Board member of OFER AI, bringing more than 25 years of experience in journalism, communications, and public policy advocacy to the forum. He currently works as an independent writer, editor, and communications/PR consultant based in Atlanta, Georgia. He most recently served as Director of Communications for the Southern Education Foundation (SEF), a 155-year-old education and civil rights organization, where he led media strategy and public communications on issues of educational equity and access across the South.

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Earlier, he served two stints with the Southern Regional Education Board (SREB) — first as Director of Communications from 2006 to 2011, and later as Media Relations officer from 2020 to 2022 — guiding the organization's press engagement and public-facing communications across its member states.

 

As a journalist, Alan covered education and rural policy issues nationally for Education Week, twice earning national first-place awards from the Education Writers Association, and his reporting has appeared in The Washington Post, PBS NewsHour, The Hechinger Report, The Nation, and other outlets.

 

He began his career at newspapers in his native South Carolina, including The State in Columbia, and holds a bachelor's degree from the University of South Carolina.
 

At OFER AI, Alan brings a communications and public-trust perspective to the board, helping ensure the forum's conversations on AI governance stay grounded in how policy, media, and public perception intersect — translating complex AI issues for the audiences the board aims to serve.