Honoring the Professionals Who Helped Build IACDE
The Role of a Founding Strategic Consultant
The IACDE Founding Strategic Consultant community recognizes professionals whose early leadership, expertise, service, encouragement, and support contributed to the establishment and development of the International Accrediting Commission for Digital Education.
As IACDE continues to grow, our organizational structure is designed to preserve the wisdom and professional connection of our founding community while allowing participation to remain flexible, meaningful, and respectful of each individual’s time.
Founding Strategic Consultants maintain a valued relationship with IACDE without carrying routine administrative responsibilities, weekly reporting requirements, recurring meetings, or continuing operational assignments.
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β Strategic Project Management
β Change Management
β Operational Excellence
β Stakeholder Engagement
β Organizational Transformation
β Spiritual Wellness
Founding Strategic Consultant
Kahla LaPlante, PhD
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Dr. Kahla LaPlante is a strategic project-management and change-management professional whose work focuses on helping organizations strengthen operations, navigate transition, and translate complex goals into practical, sustainable action. Her professional background reflects strengths in operational excellence, stakeholder engagement, organizational transformation, and process improvement.
Dr. LaPlante brings a perspective that recognizes the connection between effective systems and the people who work within them. Her experience supports thoughtful consideration of how organizations can improve workflows, clarify responsibilities, engage stakeholders, and manage change in ways that promote both accountability and healthy institutional culture.
Her professional interests also include spiritual wellness and community health. Her work reflects a commitment to purposeful leadership, organizational clarity, and approaches that help leaders and institutions pursue meaningful, sustainable growth.
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Dr. LaPlante contributed to IACDE during its formative development by offering professional insight related to institutional operations, administrative systems, organizational development, and sustainable growth. Her contribution helped reinforce the importance of building an organization with clear processes, adaptable systems, and a people-aware approach to institutional leadership.
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β Higher Education Operations
β People-Centered Leadership
β Leadership Development
β Professional Engagement
β Team Development
β Organizational Culture
Founding Strategic Consultant
Ciara Owens, MS
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Ciara Owens, M.S., is a higher-education operations professional, people-centered leader, mentor, leadership-development consultant, and published author. Her professional work centers on helping individuals and teams grow, strengthening organizational culture, and supporting institutions as they develop the systems and relationships necessary for meaningful progress.
Ms. Owens brings a leadership perspective grounded in the belief that institutional effectiveness depends on more than policies and procedures. Sustainable organizations also require engaged professionals, healthy communication, aligned teams, clear purpose, and leaders who are prepared to encourage growth in others.
Her work in mentoring and leadership development reflects a commitment to cultivating capable, mission-focused people. Through her professional experience and continuing doctoral study, she brings insight into how institutions can support leadership growth, professional engagement, and a culture of shared responsibility.
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Ms. Owens contributed to IACDEβs early development through her insight into people leadership, professional engagement, organizational development, and institutional culture. Her contribution helped emphasize the value of building a Commission that is not only structurally sound, but also collaborative, encouraging, and attentive to the professionals and institutions it serves.
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β Market Research
β Needs Analysis
β Standards Research
β Pricing Analysis
β Competitive Review
β Strategic Planning
Founding Strategic Consultant
Lisa Maricondo, DBA
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Dr. Lisa Maricondo, DBA, contributed to the early development of IACDE through research, analysis, and strategic planning support. Her work helped inform the Commissionβs understanding of the accreditation landscape, institutional needs, market conditions, and the practical considerations involved in developing a sustainable digital-education accrediting organization.
Dr. Maricondoβs contributions included researching relevant standards and professional expectations, examining comparable organizations and service models, considering pricing structures, and helping identify the needs of institutions that may seek accreditation or related support.
Her analytical perspective supported IACDEβs efforts to develop its early direction with greater awareness of the needs of digitally focused institutions. Her work reinforced the importance of aligning standards, services, communication, and pricing with the realities facing emerging and established educational organizations.
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Dr. Maricondo contributed to IACDE during its formative development through market research, standards research, needs analysis, competitive review, and pricing analysis. Her contribution helped provide a stronger informational foundation for early planning, including consideration of institutional expectations, service needs, accreditation-related standards, and sustainable organizational positioning.
She helped support a careful, research-informed approach to IACDEβs developmentβone that recognized the importance of understanding the institutions the Commission seeks to serve, the broader digital-education environment, and the practical factors that influence institutional participation.
