The Moodlerooms management team is comprised of educators, technologists and business leaders who have made teaching and learning -- and Web-enabled learning systems -- the centerpiece of their careers. Along the way, they’ve learned a lot about online learning and online learning systems. The good and the not-so-good. That’s why they came together to form Moodlerooms.
Lou Pugliese
Chairman and CEO
As an entrepreneurial business strategist with global vision and demonstrated talent for identifying emerging trends and new business opportunities, Lou has a successful history of driving the growth and success of some of the best companies in the industry. Lou currently serves as Executive Chairman of eThority, prior to which he held several senior executive positions, including Founding CEO of Blackboard, Inc. Lou has 23 years of startup and turnaround experience with major brands such as ETS, Telecommunications Inc., Scholastic Inc. and Turner Broadcasting. He is also a noted international speaker on technology innovation in education and has addressed a wide range of issues in education and education policy.
Martin Knott
Managing Director, Professional Services
A respected Baltimore business owner and entrepreneur, Martin has founded and funded numerous startups. He brings 30 years of senior-level experience from a multitude of businesses to Moodlerooms. Most recently, Martin established The Shepherd Group, a retained executive search firm, after serving as a managing director of three global search firms. Prior to entering the executive search industry, Martin was Owner/CEO of an engineering and construction company serving the mid-Atlantic region, as well as Chairman and CEO of a major real estate holding company.
Joseph McAvoy
Vice President, Corporate Development
With an extensive background in sales, marketing and corporate development, as well as a keen eye for establishing and evolving strategic partnerships, Joe brings a valuable understanding of key business principles that, through his leadership and guidance, will competitively place Moodlerooms in the e-learning industry. While active in the Baltimore community, Joe served as the Chairman of AMIE (Advancing Minorities’ Interest in Engineering) and The Michael McCrary Foundation and was an active Board Member in the Baltimore Police Athletic League, The African American Heritage Foundation and the Constellation Energy Senior Players Championship. He has successfully mentored many small and minority-owned businesses; Joe was recognized as the Industry “Trailblazer” recipient for Supplier Diversity in 2007 and earned the Award of Merit for Minority Business Development from the Maryland Black Caucus Foundation in 2008. Formerly a Vice President and 15 year veteran within the Allegis Group family of companies, Joe was instrumental to the growth and development of its national sales, marketing, chairman accounts strategy and global strategic alliances during his tenure.
Phillip J. Miller
Vice President, Products and Strategy
Phill brings over 12 years of experience leading creative initiatives to develop agile and intuitive Web applications that serve the diverse needs of the public and private sectors. Recently the Product Manager and Senior Solutions Architect for ANGEL Learning, Phill assisted in evolving the ANGEL LMS, originally conceived through research at the Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) CyberLab, and later adopted by institutions such as Penn State University, Michigan State University, and Indiana University. Recognized in 2002 for contributing the most significant undergraduate software in the Indiana Student Software Awards Competition, Phill has demonstrated his continued dedication to cultivating forward-thinking, educational technologies by contributing to various articles advocating new approaches for Mobile communication and Flexible Services Architecture. Phill also holds a Juris Doctorate and an M.B.A with a concentration in Venture and Technology Management from Indiana University.
David T. Mills
Chief Technology Officer
As co-founder and former Vice President and Chief Technology Officer of ANGEL Learning, Dave is recognized for his vision in the field of educational technology. As Chief Architect and Associate Director of the Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) CyberLab, Dave oversaw the evolution of the ANGEL LMS research to produce the first large-scale, enterprise CMS, integrated learning portal, application of intelligent agents and sharable content repositories. Today, Dave’s academic roots continue to drive his focus and commitment to the ongoing creation, innovation and application of diverse technologies to personalize teaching and learning, and ultimately, improve educational outcomes.
Tom Murdock
Chief Architect
Tom Murdock holds an AB in English Literature from Princeton University with a concentration in writing and teaching. For 15 years, he engaged students as a classroom teacher, a boarding school parent, a wilderness expedition leader, and an English department chairperson at Cranbrook Schools in Michigan, as well as St. Paul’s School in Maryland. As the administrator of many academic and arts programs, Murdock found ways to strategically link innovative, revenue-creation programs with the deeper tenets of a school's mission. He is a co-founder of Moodlerooms where he has worked to craft a balance between enterprise and open source teaching and learning software, as well as champion the needs of instructors who perform the most complex and demanding work of educational communities on a daily basis.
Christine Wyatt
Vice President, Sales
Joining Moodlerooms in 2009, Christine brought with her over 13 years of experience driving success in higher education and technology. Prior to arriving at Moodlerooms, Christine was a Senior Account Manager at ANGEL Learning, Inc.. Prior to ANGEL, she taught college English and Film Adaptation courses online. Christine has a Bachelor of Science in Radio/Television Production from Murray State University and an M.A. in American Literature and Film from Claremont Graduate University.
Todd Frager
Chief Financial Officer
With over 20 years of experience in software and technology-related financial management, Todd has an established record of success in significantly growing enterprise value within a variety of industries. Most recently the CFO of Spectrum K12 Solutions, a K12 enterprise special education software business in Towson MD, Todd played an instrumental role in all aspects of financing, financial management and executive team leadership, resulting in the recent, successful sale to Scantron, a provider of K12 testing solutions. Todd has also played key financial leadership roles throughout the mid-Atlantic region, including Catalyst IT Services, The Cedar Group and ADC Telecommunications. He also holds an M.B.A. from the University of Baltimore.
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Moodlerooms Accomplishments
Moodlerooms has grown tremendously over the last few years and has been acknowledged for its success.
Learn more about Moodlerooms' awards and recognitions.
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