WILLIAM C. LIEDTKE III, President, Alpha Plus Educational Systems
William Liedtke began leading the Alpha Plus team in January 2024 and was previously Vice President in QSP Capital LLC and affiliated restaurant concepts, including Bricktown Brewery Restaurants, Jimmy’s Egg, and S&B’s Burger Joint. Prior to his work with QSP, Mr. Liedtke had a distinguished career in the energy industry including serving as President of a Canadian company with global oil-and-gas enterprises and as an Independent General Partner in Merrill Lynch’s Oklahoma Venture Partners. He also served as Special Assistant on Energy, Indian Affairs and Drug Policy to Governor Henry Bellmon, Oklahoma’s first education governor. A member of the State Bar of Texas, Mr. Liedtke has a Bachelor of Arts degree from Amherst College and a Juris Doctor from the University of Texas School of Law.
BENNIE NEWTON, Executive Vice President / Sales Manager
Bennie Newton grew up in western Oklahoma where education has been a family tradition. He graduated from Southwestern Oklahoma State University in Weatherford in 1980, and later received his master’s degree in School Administration from SWOSU. Mr. Newton’s career includes teaching, coaching, and school administration; he served 12 years as principal and 21 years as superintendent. He used Alpha Plus tools in his district and says it was what drove Central High Elementary to the prestigious National Blue Ribbon School award! In June 2020, he retired and became Alpha Plus Sales Manager. In January 2024, Mr. Newton was promoted to Executive Vice President.
Susanne Dougherty, Vice President, Professional Development
A National Board-Certified Teacher, Susanne Dougherty taught 3rd through 5th grade students for 18 years and was an elementary school administrator for eight years. She has a business degree from the University of Oklahoma and earned two master’s degrees from the University of Central Oklahoma, one in elementary education and the second in elementary administration. Ms. Dougherty retired after 26 years as an Edmond Public School teacher/principal and joined Alpha Plus as a facilitator in 2022.
HOLLY DUDLEY, Vice President, Curriculum & Assessments
Originally from Georgia, Holly Dudley moved to Oklahoma in 2016. She graduated from the University of West Georgia with a Bachelor of Science degree in Early Childhood Education. She worked as an elementary school teacher in Grades 1 through 4 for ten years. She was drawn to education because of her desire to improve the lives of children through quality education and instruction. Ms. Dudley joined Alpha Plus in 2022 and brought her passion for teaching to her role as a professional development facilitator for two years. She now leads the curriculum team at Alpha Plus with the mission to elevate instruction and student success in a measurable way.
WENDY S. PRATT, Vice President, School & Data Services / Government Relations
A Lindsay High School alum with a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Central Oklahoma, Wendy Pratt’s public service career began as Deputy Press Secretary for Governor Henry Bellmon who signed into law historic education reforms in 1990. For the next 20 years, she worked closely with State Superintendent Sandy Garrett and served as Communications Director for the State Department of Education from 1998 to 2011. Ms. Pratt joined Alpha Plus in 2013 as Marketing Director then Chief Information Officer before being named a vice president in 2024.
Alpha Plus Professionals
RON BRUMMETT, School-Improvement Facilitator
With his bachelor’s degree in education from Southern Nazarene University in Bethany, Ron Brummett earned his master’s degree in educational administration from Northern Arizona University. He has 35 years of experience in Kindergarten through 8th grade public education in Arizona, Kansas, and Oklahoma public schools. He spent eight years teaching and 27 years in school administration; he retired after 13 years as principal within Yukon Public Schools. Mr. Brummett joined Alpha Plus as a School Improvement Facilitator in June 2023.
PENNY GOOCH, School-Improvement Facilitator & ELA Content Specialist
With more than 35 years of experience in education, Penny Gooch served mainly in Guthrie and Edmond schools. She taught kindergarten, second grade, sixth grade science, and vocational home economics then served as a Title I Reading Teacher, an instructional coach, Director of Federal Programs and later Elementary Education. From 2006-2008, Ms. Gooch was Director of Reading and Literacy at the Oklahoma State Department of Education and is a Reading First and RSA expert. She retired from her position as principal Orvis Risner Elementary, Edmond, in June 2021 and joined Alpha Plus as a School Improvement Facilitator in July 2023.
DONNA RICE-JOHNSON, Math Content Specialist
Donna Rice-Johnson grew up in Oklahoma City and graduated from John Marshall High School. She earned a bachelor’s degree in business from the University of Oklahoma. After a few years in retail, she earned her teaching certification, then a master’s degree in Applied Mathematics, and National Board Certification. After teaching Grades 6-8 math at Taft Middle School, she taught algebra, geometry, pre-calculus, and AP Calculus for 13 years at Northwest Classen High School. Ms. Rice-Johnson joined Alpha Plus in December 2022 as resident “Math Nerd.”
NICHELLE REED, School-Improvement Facilitator
Nichelle Reed is a School Improvement Facilitator with Alpha Plus. Mrs. Reed has taught elementary, middle school, and high schools in Oklahoma for 19 years. After graduating from the University of Central Oklahoma with a Bachelor of Arts in Education, Nichelle traveled extensively as a dance educator in the U.S. After returning home to Oklahoma, she taught English Language Arts, Writing, Reading, and Classical Literature for Oklahoma City Public Schools, Mcloud Public Schools, and Norman Public Schools. A champion for teachers and their need for powerful resources in each classroom, Ms. Reed joined Alpha Plus in July 2023.
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