Meet Our Team
Meet the educators, leaders, and practitioners whose experience, collaboration, and shared commitment are advancing dual enrollment nationwide.
Our Staff
Melissa Madigan is our Executive Director, with nearly 20 years of experience in California public schools, as well as service on two non-profit boards. She brings a wealth of knowledge and passion for dual enrollment as a promising and attainable educational pathway for all students. As a former teacher and principal of Ghidotti ECHS in Nevada County, Melissa not only led Ghidotti to state and national recognition as a National Blue Ribbon Exemplary High Performing School and was nominated for the TH Bell Excellence in School Leadership award, but also created a climate of excellence, inclusivity, and community presence. Melissa says she has seen first-hand the enormous impact dual enrollment opportunities have on students, their families, and their community. It is a life-changing process.
Laurena McCormack is our Program & Operations Manager at DualWorks, where she brings a strong foundation in educational administration and a genuine passion for expanding student opportunity through dual enrollment.
Before joining the DualWorks team in 2023, Laurena spent several years with the Escondido Union High School District, first as an Educational Services Secretary and later as a Cost Accounting Technician — roles that gave her a well-rounded perspective on how schools operate from both the programmatic and financial sides.
Laurena’s commitment to dual enrollment is deeply personal. Growing up in a low-income school district, she didn’t have access to the same dual enrollment opportunities as students in neighboring districts. That experience drives her to ensure that all students have equal access to the pathways that can shape their futures.
Outside of work, Laurena enjoys paddleboarding with her husband and two-year-old daughter, spending time at the beach, traveling, and perfecting her latest sourdough bake.
Dr. Moore is our Senior Advisor, and has been in education for twenty-seven years, beginning as a high school English teacher. She then worked as an administrator for the county offices of Riverside and San Bernardino, assisting schools and districts with educational technology and literacy. She has served as a high school assistant principal, coordinator of secondary education, principal, director, and Assistant Superintendent prior to taking her current position as Superintendent.
She holds a Bachelor of Arts in English from Vanguard University, a Master of Arts in Education with an emphasis in Instructional Technology from Chapman University, and a Doctor of Education with an emphasis in K-12 Leadership from the University of Southern California. She is passionate about preparing all students to follow their dreams beyond high school.
She has been an international presenter on topics including dual enrollment, educational technology, digital badges and student assessment.
Jennifer Montgomery is our Program Manager, with more than 30 years of experience as an education leader helping schools create opportunities that positively impact students. Throughout her career as a teacher, counselor, principal, and district leader, she has built a reputation for bringing people together, developing strong partnerships, and turning ideas into sustainable programs that improve student success.
Jennifer has been leading dual enrollment initiatives since 2017 and became a Certified Dual Enrollment Leader in 2020. She works alongside K-12 districts and college partners to expand equitable access to college opportunities while helping teams develop practical systems that support long-term success. Her collaborative approach focuses on building trust, strengthening partnerships, and creating solutions that meet the unique needs of each community.
Most recently, Jennifer served as Principal of Eleanor Roosevelt High School in the Corona-Norco Unified School District after serving as the district’s Coordinator of Counseling Services. Whether facilitating strategic planning, coaching educational leaders, or supporting the development of dual enrollment pathways, Jennifer is passionate about helping organizations move from vision to action while keeping students at the center of every decision.
Our Coaches
Dr. Owen Crosby
Dr. Owen Crosby has 28 years of educational leadership experience and currently serves as the Superintendent in the Shasta Union High School District. Prior to his current position, he was an Assistant Superintendent of a high school district, Principal at two large comprehensive high schools, an Assistant Principal, a District Coordinator of Curriculum and Instruction, an Activities Director, Mathematics teacher, and soccer coach. Dr. Crosby earned a Bachelor’s of Science in Mathematics Education from Western Michigan University; an MA from California State University, Fullerton; and his doctorate degree from the University of Southern California. He and his wife Michele are raising three children—Nik, Andrew, and Ella—and love supporting their children on the lacrosse field and baseball diamond and completing home improvement projects together.
Dr. Krista Herrera
Dr. Krista Herrera is an award-winning educational leader, speaker, and consultant who was named the 2024 National Innovative Thought Leader of the Year by Tech & Learning. With more than 15 years of experience in K–12 and higher education partnerships, she is committed to expanding access, opportunity, and student success through dual enrollment. Her work focuses on helping schools and colleges build innovative programs that empower students to earn college credit, accelerate their goals, and reimagine what is possible for their future.
Finy Prak
Finy Prak has proudly served as the principal of Middle College High School for the past decade, guiding the school to broad recognition for its academic excellence and unwavering commitment to student success. Under her leadership, the school has been named a California Distinguished School, a National Blue Ribbon School, and a U.S. News & World Report Best High School, and it has earned a place on the Educational Results Partnership (ERP) Honor Roll. In 2025, the program made history when 98% of the graduating class earned an Associate of Applied Arts degree.
Dr. Nick Richter
Dr. Nicholas Richter is a math teacher, administrator, coach, and district level director who has worked with Dual Enrollment directly for the last 12 years. The first foray into Dual Enrollment was at a small, rural, high school which had been underperforming with underrepresented student groups. After incorporating Dual Enrollment into the school daily and yearly schedule, huge gains were made academically, including increasing A-G rates as well as having 65% of the graduating senior class taking one or more Dual Enrollment classes. As a Director, Dr. Richter has also overseen an early college program. Dr. Nicholas Richter is a passionate educator who has seen the transformative power of Dual Enrollment programs and advocates for them in every HS across the country.
Lisa Stanley
Lisa Stanley is the Coordinator of Continuous Improvement and Support for the Placer County Office of Education and brings more than 15 years of experience in educational leadership. Having served as a teacher, assistant principal, district curriculum leader, and county office leader, she specializes in continuous improvement, leadership development, and systems change. Lisa is passionate about expanding equitable access to dual enrollment and college and career pathways, partnering with K–12 districts, county offices, and higher education leaders to build sustainable systems that increase opportunities and improve outcomes for students.
Our Dedicated Board Members
Ms. Randall is the President of a mid-size southern California community college. In her experience as Vice President of Instruction at four different California community colleges, Ms. Randall has had oversight of the development and success of many dual enrollment agreements. Her passion and belief in the benefits of dual enrollment has been an ongoing aspect of her educational career. She has played a pivotal role in her current and past positions in the creation of numerous educational programs and recognizes the value of dual enrollment programs in creating equitable outcomes for students. Ms. Randall has played a critical role in the exponential growth of dual enrollment in California high schools and development of more effective practices in that area. Ms. Randall has served on numerous committees including the California Community College Chancellor’s Office Advisory Committee for Dual Enrollment.
Dr. Erin Craig has over 20 years of experience in teaching, leading, and operating K-12 schools and community colleges. She specializes in early and middle colleges, charter schools, instructional leadership, innovative school reform, and dual enrollment. Dr. Craig runs the Center for Innovation and Learning at Golden West College and instructs the doctoral K-12 school finance course at USC’s Rossier School of Education. She has served as a middle college high school founder, director of curriculum and instruction, principal, assistant principal, department chair, college math professor, and math teacher. Dr. Craig received her Ed.D. in Educational Leadership specializing in K-12 Urban Schools at the University of Southern California. Dr. Craig is a founding board member for CCEMC.
Dr. Ragusa, an Assistant Superintendent in a K-12 district in Southern California, opened a Middle College high school as a counselor in 2006. That experience inspired a passion for dual enrollment which propelled her to return to that same school in 2014 to serve as principal for three years. In that time, she and her team focused on an intrusive counseling model which more than doubled the number of Associate Degree recipients at the high school within two years. Then, as an Educational Services Administrative Director for a large K-12 school district, Dr. Ragusa maintained a strong relationship with the local community college and supported a Middle College high school as well as Dual Enrollment programs at comprehensive high schools. In her current role as Assistant Superintendent, Dr. Ragusa looks for ways to expand the reach and impact of Dual Enrollment programs with the goal of exposure to college coursework for all high school students. She has been a member of the California Coalition of Early and Middle Colleges since 2014.
Dr. Tu Moua Carroz is the Assistant Superintendent of Educational Services for the Roseville Joint Union High School District. She has served as a systems-level leader across multiple PreK–12 school districts and has held a variety of roles throughout her career, including Youth Development Specialist, Teacher, Reading Specialist, Assistant Principal, Principal, Director of Family and Community Engagement, Area Assistant Superintendent, and Associate Superintendent.
In her current role, Dr. Carroz provides leadership and oversight for all aspects of the district’s educational programs. These include dual enrollment, career and technical education, multilingual services, curriculum and instruction, professional development, data, assessment and accountability, state and federal programs, digital learning, special services, and adult education.
Dr. Carroz is deeply committed to creating multiple pathways to success for all students. She believes every student should be fully engaged in their high school experience and prepared for post-secondary opportunities—whether entering the workforce, attending a community college or four-year university, or serving in the military.
Her contributions to education have been recognized at both the state and national levels. Dr. Carroz is the recipient of numerous awards, including the UC Berkeley Center for Race and Gender Studies Award, the UC Berkeley Asian American Research Center Graduate Student Award, the American Association of School Administrators (AASA) Educational Administration Graduate Scholarship Award, and the CSU Sacramento “Woman I Fly Award” for advancing student academic success and educational equity. She also received the Threading the Needle of Hope Award from Project HMONG and was honored with the prestigious National Milken Educator Award for the state of California in 2010, while serving as a school principal. As school principal, Dr. Carroz’s school was nominated for the National Blue Ribbon Award and earned the Title I Academic Achievement Award twice, in 2009 and 2010.
Dr. Carroz holds a Doctor of Education from the University of California, Berkeley; a Master of Arts in Educational Leadership from Brandman University; and a Bachelor of Arts in History with a Minor in Education from the University of California, Davis.