ACE Board of Directors Candidates
Craig Woods Video Production Manager in the Office of Communication and Marketing at Oklahoma State University Craig Woods serves as the video production manager in the Office of Communication and Marketing at Oklahoma State University. He manages the teams that produce educational videos and the long-running television programs "Oklahoma Gardening" and "SUNUP." Craig came to OSU in 1991 as a temporary employee for Fire Service Training, creating training videos for emergency services. He became a producer/director for OSU Agriculture in 1997. In 1996 Craig earned a Bachelor of Science in journalism and broadcasting and a Master of Science in educational psychology in 2017. Craig is a graduate of Class 18 of the Oklahoma Agricultural Leadership Program through Oklahoma State University. He has been a member of the advisory board for the Digital Media Institute at Northern Oklahoma College since 2002. Craig has also volunteered as a trainer and adult leader for a local Boy Scouts troop. Highlights of his ACE contributions include: Since joining ACE in 2001, Craig has held key roles, including chair of the electronic media learning community, 2016 ACE Conference co-chair and the 2020-2022 professional development director for the ACE Board of Directors. Currently, he is the co-coordinator for the ACE Mentorship Program. Additionally, Craig has won countless C&A awards over the years for his video productions. Craig's involvement with ACE has been invaluable, helping him make lifelong friends and gain a breadth of understanding of communication units across the country. He credits much of his leadership development to the opportunities the association provided and believes ACE plays a vital role in our industry and in advancing our members. |
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Candidates for Learning Community Director
Cassie Ann Kiggen Chief Communications Officer for the University of Georgia’s College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences (UGA CAES) and UGA Extension Cassie Ann Kiggen serves as the chief communications officer for the University of Georgia’s College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences (UGA CAES) and UGA Extension. As a member of the college’s executive leadership team, she leads the development and execution of strategic communication plans and oversees public relations, internal communications, external editorial operations, crisis communications, digital marketing, and creative content strategy. Cassie Ann manages an award-winning team of communications professionals responsible for translating brand strategy into innovative, audience-focused storytelling that elevates CAES’s reputation across Georgia and around the world. Representing Georgia’s No. 1 industry—agriculture—she and her team advance the priorities of CAES and UGA Extension through multimedia reputation-management campaigns and results-driven communications initiatives that strengthen the college’s brand and impact. Her work has been honored with the 2025 Top Women in Marketing Trailblazer Award from Ragan Communications, Georgia Trend’s 40 Under 40 recognition in 2024, and the Rising Star Award from the Association of Communications Excellence. Prior to joining UGA, Cassie Ann served as director of communications for the National Venture Capital Association, where she led the association’s strategic communications, public policy messaging, brand development, multimedia content strategy, and media relations to support and amplify the U.S. venture ecosystem, startups, and entrepreneurs. She also served as an officer of communications at the United Nations Foundation, where she developed and implemented strategic communication plans to advance the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), focusing on global brand positioning, media engagement, and digital outreach. Cassie Ann also served as senior manager of strategy and communications at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. In this role, she led multimedia campaigns for Fortune 100 and Fortune 500 companies across key issue areas, including international affairs and trade, healthcare, immigration, and innovation. She also managed the Chamber’s national storytelling campaign website dedicated to small businesses, startups, and entrepreneurship. Cassie Ann graduated from the University of Georgia Honors College with bachelor’s degrees in both international affairs and Spanish. As an undergraduate, she studied international relations and politics at the University of Oxford and continued her studies at the Real Academia de Historia y Arte de San Quirce in Segovia, Spain. She earned her M.A. in international communications, with specializations in strategic communications and intercultural leadership, from the School of International Service at American University in Washington, D.C. |  |
Michelle Olgers Communications Officer at the Foundation for Food & Agriculture Research (FFAR) Ensuring people have the information they need to benefit professionally and personally has been the guiding force behind Michelle Olgers’ marketing and communications career. As a communications officer at the Foundation for Food & Agriculture Research (FFAR), Michelle combines her professional expertise and personal interests in agriculture to support FFAR’s vision of a world in which every person has access to affordable, nutritious food grown on thriving farms. Prior to joining FFAR, Michelle was the inaugural director of marketing & communications for Virginia State University’s College of Agriculture. During her tenure there, she built a team of communication professionals and developed and executed strategies to support the university’s Cooperative Extension and Agricultural Research Station programs. She served four of those years as co-chair of the 1890s Land-grant University Communications Committee. She also served as chair of the Communications Committee for the Southern Region Program Leadership Network, Cooperative Extension System. A long-time and active member of ACE, Michelle has contributed to the organization in numerous leadership capacities, including learning community co-chair, marketing committee member, state representative, member of the ACE 2026 conference planning committee and a multi-time conference presenter and moderator. She received ACE’s 2020 Leadership & Management Learning Community Award of Excellence and was also a writer/editor for the National Land-Grant Impact Database team. Michelle is a graduate of VALOR, Virginia’s premier leadership development program for agriculture professionals, and of LEAD21, the national leadership program for land-grant university agricultural professionals and their USDA/NIFA and non-government organization partners. In 2024, she earned the Animal Agriculture Alliance “Animal Ag Allies Certificate,” strengthening her skills as a confident advocate for and communicator about animal production agriculture. Earlier in her career, Michelle held marketing and communications roles at non-profit organizations, government agencies, advertising agencies and a Fortune 500 financial institution. She holds a bachelor’s degree in English and Art History from Mount Holyoke College. Michelle credits ACE with providing the skills, connections and professional community that have shaped her growth in agricultural communications. |
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Candidate for Treasurer
Julee Stephenson Senior Director, Marketing, Communications and External Relations, Office of Engagement and Extension at Colorado State University. Julee Stephenson serves as senior director of marketing, communications and external relations for the Office of Engagement and Extension at Colorado State University. In this role, she leads efforts to increase learners and communities’ awareness, reach, enrollment, and engagement with the division's programs and resources. Julee brings over twenty-five years of experience across industries leading organizations and programs, including work in corporate affairs, employee and customer communications, charitable giving strategy, federal/state government affairs, and reputation management. This deep background of continued learning has fostered her approach to discovering what's possible in developing people and system-wide processes that enable organization success. Julee currently serves as vice chair of the Dean’s Advisory Board for the Boston University College of Arts and Sciences and on the board of EFAA in Colorado. She holds an MBA from Johns Hopkins University, a bachelor’s degree from Boston University, and a master’s certificate in project management. I am interested in serving on the ACE board to support the future of ACE and how we encourage, engage, and support new members and their continued development. Over my career I have served on numerous nonprofit boards, typically serving in development and communications positions including as committee chair. I've managed budgets from $2M-25M. It's this balance of experience as well as commitment to ACE's growth and our current and future members that drives my interest in serving. |  |
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Candidates for Member Services Director |
Shelby Dittman Social Media Coordinator, Texas A&M AgriLife Marketing and Communications With more than a decade of experience in social media management, Shelby Dittman has built a strong career shaping digital strategy and brand presence across higher education and public agencies. She entered the field of higher education social media in 2021 when she joined Texas A&M University, where she developed and executed content that supported institutional goals and strengthened audience engagement. In 2022, Shelby transitioned to Texas A&M AgriLife, a comprehensive organization within The Texas A&M University System that encompasses multiple state agencies and the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. In her role, she manages social media strategy and daily operations for several major accounts, including Texas A&M AgriLife, the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service, Texas A&M AgriLife Research and the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Texas A&M University. Her work focuses on elevating organizational visibility, supporting statewide initiatives, and creating cohesive, mission-driven storytelling across platforms. |
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Sonya Moore-Davis Strategic Communications and Engagement Professional for Langston University’s Sherman Lewis School of Agriculture and Applied Sciences Sonya Moore Davis is a strategic communications and engagement professional serving Langston University’s Sherman Lewis School of Agriculture and Applied Sciences (LU-SL/SAAS). Langston University is Oklahoma’s 1890 Land-grant University. Sonya holds a Bachelor of Arts in education from the University of Central Oklahoma and will pursue a Master of Science in strategic communications fall 2026. With a career that encompasses early childhood education through higher education, extensive corporate regional management experience, industry research and development, and land-grant Extension outreach, Sonya brings a strong commitment to strengthening professional networks, enhancing member engagement, and advancing collaborative learning opportunities across the land-grant system. Sonya also serves as secretary for the 1890 Land-grant Universities Communications Committee and co-leads the ACE Learning Community: Publishing & Graphic Design. In her current role, Sonya leads media and communications initiatives that support research, Extension, and teaching programs serving diverse audiences including students, faculty, producers, youth, community partners, and policymakers. She has successfully coordinated large-scale conferences, statewide outreach initiatives, and youth workforce development programs while building strategic partnerships across the 1890 land-grant network and national agricultural and Extension organizations. Deeply committed to mentorship, member inclusion, and professional growth she has a proven track record of developing resources, training opportunities, and collaborative spaces that empower professionals at all career stages. Her leadership approach centers on strengthening member connection, expanding professional development opportunities, and ensuring ACE members feel supported, valued, and equipped to succeed in their roles. As a candidate for the ACE Board of Directors, Sonya is passionate about fostering meaningful member engagement, enhancing onboarding and retention strategies, supporting leadership development pathways, and strengthening communication channels that connect ACE members across institutions and disciplines. She is dedicated to advancing ACE’s mission by cultivating a welcoming, collaborative, and forward-thinking professional community. |
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Candidate for Diversity Director
Cyril Ibe, Ph.D. Interim Communications Coordinator for Central State University’s 1890 Land-Grant Programs Cyril Ibe, Ph.D., is the interim communications coordinator for Central State University’s 1890 Land-grant Programs in Wilberforce, Ohio. In his current position, Dr. Ibe’s responsibilities include, among other things, editing and production supervision of most land-grant print and digital publications; coordination of special projects such as Homecoming, and Memorandum of Understanding agreements; hosting/production of the Research Connection Podcast; and supervision of videographers and media specialists in land-grant communications. For nearly a decade, Dr. Ibe worked as a reporter for Pioneer Press Newspapers in north suburban Chicago. A CSU alumnus, he has held several positions at his alma mater, including as assistant professor of journalism and digital media; and host/producer of Miami Valley Journal, a weekly, hourlong public affairs program on WCSU-FM, from 2009 to 2013. He earned a bachelor’s degree from Central State in mass communications with a minor in French. He earned his master’s degree in journalism from Ohio University, Athens, Ohio, where he worked as a writer for university relations. His doctorate is in health science research from Trident University in Cypress, California. |
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Dee Shore Retired from North Carolina State University as Department Head of Communications Dee Shore joined ACE about 30 years ago and has found it invaluable to her growth and development as a communicator. She has served as an ACE state rep (we used to have those) on the 2023 Asheville conference planning committee and, most recently, on the Writing and Media Relations Learning Community’s leadership team. She’s excited about the possibility of giving back to the ACE community as retiree director. Dee’s career spans 40 years — starting as a daily newspaper reporter and continuing at North Carolina State University. Her career has focused on storytelling, publications editing and media relations at both the college and university levels. She’s also served in several leadership roles, most notably as department head of what was then a 40-member full-service communications operation in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. Although Dee formally retired from NC State in 2021, she has remained engaged as a CALS freelancer and part-time staff member. In 2024, she became part-time communications lead for the N.C. Plant Sciences Initiative, a fast-growing, forward-focused effort aimed at solving complicated agricultural challenges through interdisciplinary research, education and outreach. Fond career memories include early adoption of web and social media technologies; supporting national award-winning disaster education and recovery efforts; launching CALS’ magazine; learning to create videos, audio clips and podcasts to make written stories more engaging; and spending time on assignments in Mexico, Brazil, Moldova and Canada. Dee is grateful to have found so many friends and mentors within ACE to keep her learning, questioning and growing as a communications professional. |
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Voting Opening Soon