Founders
Dr. Randal Ernst
Co-Founder, Cultural Competence Center LLC
Professor Emeritus of Education at Nebraska Wesleyan University, Randy has been an educator for almost 40 years. Prior to becoming a professor, he was the social studies curriculum specialist for the Lincoln Public Schools (Nebraska) and was a cultural proficiency trainer working under the leadership of Dr. Thomas Christie. A psychology textbook author, Randy has written or edited many teacher’s guides, activity books, and articles appearing in The Oxford Review of Education, The American Psychologist, and The Teaching of Psychology. Honors include the NAACP Dedication to Children Award, Civic Nebraska’s Outstanding Administrator Award, and The Leola Bullock Multicultural Award for fostering multicultural understanding. In addition to facilitating workshops on cultural competence, Randy has helped lead seminars on well-being and resilience around the world. He believes well-being and cultural competence go hand-in-hand.
Dr. Dawn Mazzie
Co-Founder, Cultural Competence Center LLC
Dawn is an assessment and evaluation specialist for Lincoln Public Schools (LPS). Dawn has worked on the Cultural Proficiency Implementation Committee under the leadership of Thomas Christie as he navigated the district on its journey toward cultural proficiency. Dawn received the Leola Bullock Multicultural Award for her work promoting cultural awareness among school personnel, helping them to understand the importance of personal relationships and how one’s culture and socialization impact how they interact with others, especially students. Currently, Dawn serves on the YWCA-Lincoln finance committee. She is also the current vice-president and immediate past president of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated, Psi Chi Omega Chapter in Lincoln. Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated, is the oldest black Greek letter organization for college-educated women.
Dr. Teresa Wanser-Ernst
Co-Founder, Cultural Competence Center LLC
Teresa is a co-founder and full-time evaluation consultant with the Cultural Competence Center. Teresa specializes in evaluation and measurement consultation, survey development, data analysis and reporting, curriculum/standards alignment, and assessment development. Her evaluation expertise focuses on programs that support historically underserved populations. Prior to co-founding the CCC, Teresa was an assessment and evaluation specialist with Lincoln Public Schools, Nebraska (LPS) for more than twenty years. Teresa was a founding member of the LPS Multicultural Advisory Committee and served as a steering committee member since its inception. Teresa is an active member of the American Evaluation Association (AEA) and the National Council on Measurement in Education (NCME) and serves on the HopeLNK, Lincoln/Lancaster County Suicide Prevention Coalition.