Administrative Team
Marlene C. Alvarez
Marlene C. Alvarez
Marlene is an earthen vessel who is blessed and highly favored by God. She strives to serve Him daily. She trusts God and believes that she can do all things through Him who strengthens her. She is married to Gary and her passions are serving God, reading, listening to music and working with young people. She works in Christian education because she enjoys educating and preparing young people for service in this world and wider service for the world to come.
Martha Aastrup Ban
Martha Aastrup Ban
Martha Aastrup Ban is both the editor of Teacher Bulletin and a writer. She has been affiliated with Teacher Bulletin for well over 25 years – the last 10 serving as editor. She is a third-generation educator. Knowing that she wanted to be a teacher, her teaching “career” began in 8th grade as a tutor for 1st grade students learning to read.
Although her Master’s degree is in Education – with an emphasis in Reading, her educational emphasis has migrated to the history and technology area. She loves to teach using anything techy. She has taught all ages – from kindergarten through college. While she loves teaching all ages, she loves grades 5-8 the most. It’s a great age group – and has great content to teach.
Aside from her work with Teacher Bulletin, Martha is currently self-employed. She contracts with Griggs International Academy for webmaster, course development and online teaching and the North American Division TDEC for an assortment of responsibilities.
Martha’s interests are technology, sharing ways to integrate technology, camping, gardening, model railroading, reading, and being with family. She and her husband, Gerry, have been married for 27 years. Gerry is principal at Adventist Christian Academy in Charlotte, NC. They have two children: Kaitlynn, a graduate of Atlantic Union College with a business administration finance/accounting major and Christopher, an incoming freshman to Southern University for a major in computer programming. They live with a menagerie of 3 cats, 2 dogs, fish, and a horse. Martha and Gerry live in Mint Hill, NC.
Millie Felt
Millie Felt
This is Millie Felt's bio.
Jerrell Gilkeson
Jerrell Gilkeson
Jerrell, came to the Atlantic Union Office in 2005. His mission is to help others perfect their "serve" for the Lord as he shares the grace of Jesus Christ with administrators, teachers, and students. Jerrell has taught all grades 1-12. He has been a principal, teacher, minister, chaplain, and counselor in Florida, Mississippi, Washington, California, Hawaii, and Massachusetts. He has enjoyed learning about science, technology, hiking, and reading but finds writing to be a current fascination. He loves to explore and learn with degrees in Religion, History, Educational Administration and Leadership.
Jerrell is married to Evelin Harper, a College Spanish and English as a Second Language teacher. They are very proud of their two daughters. Melody, is an artist (ceramics) and mother of their granddaughter, Violet. Julie, their youngest daughter, is a surgeon.
Davenia Lea Jones
Davenia Lea Jones
Davenia Jones Lea, Ph.D. is currently the Associate Director of Early Childhood Education for the Seventh-day Adventist Church, North American Division, Office of Education. She has over 20 years of experience as an early interventionist where she provided services to children with disabilities and their families as well as experience in higher education. Additionally, she has worked substantially in the field of culturally responsive teaching practices as well as effective programming for adolescent parents and their children.
She is a graduate of University of Maryland at College Park and her research expertise includes building effective relationships within families, culturally responsive practices, and effective communication and collaboration strategies. She is published in the Journal of Early Intervention, she is a contributing author to Culture in Special Education by Maya Kalyanpur and Beth Harry (2012) and has made extensive presentations at local, national, and international professional conferences such as the Association for Educational Research and (AERA), The Division of Early Childhood (DEC) and the International Conference on Education. She has also been an invited participant in the Seventh-day Adventist Integration of Faith and Learning Seminar in Thailand, a presenter for the promotion of Multicultural Education in Capetown, South Africa and for the promotion of inclusion for the SDA North Caribbean Teacher Conference in the Dominican Republic.
Davenia is very active in her church and community as well. Davenia is the wife of Derrick Lea and they have been married for seventeen years and they have two children, Jonathan and Morgan. Next to her relationship with God, her family is her greatest joy.
Arne Nielsen
Arne Nielsen
Arne P. Nielsen believes that the real object of education, through the work of the Holy Spirit, is to transform the lives of students and “restore in man the image of his Maker . . . promoting the development of body, mind, and soul.” As a lifelong Christian educator, Arne believes that all children have the right to reach their God-given potential. He believes that the best way to accomplish this is by relying on God to lead, building trust and buy-in from educators, developing instructional leaders at the school level, and creating a differentiated system that provides resources and support for educators to grow and flourish.
Arne holds a Bachelor of Science Degree from Andrews University and a Master’s Degree in School Administration from Western Carolina University. He plans to resume his studies in the Leadership PhD program at Andrews University.
Previous to Arne’s coming to the NAD Education Office, he served as Vice President for Integrated Youth Ministries in the Florida Conference, leading Children’s and Family Ministry, Youth and Young Adults Ministry, Camp Ministry, and the Education Department in a joint venture to disciple God’s children. Previous to that position he served for four years as Superintendent of Education in the Florida Conference and three years as Superintendent of Education in the Idaho Conference. School site employment for Arne began at Mt. Pisgah Academy in North Carolina followed by service at Maxwell Adventist Academy in Kenya. At these schools Arne taught physical education, health, and biology lab; coached gymnastics; and served as a boys’ dean, vice-principal, principal, and business manager.
Arne is married to Teen (Fraser) who has partnered with him in life for 31 years. Teen has supported Arne’s educational ministry by filling specific needs at each location where they’ve worked. Most recently she has served as financial aid advisor at Florida Hospital’s Adventist University and is currently an administrative assistant at World Headquarters in the office of Secretariat. Arne and Teen have three boys: Josh, a Business Marketer and Manager; Jake, a Fireman; and Jesse, a student.