FCIS Team
LEARN ABOUT DR. HODGES
Dr. Barbara Hodges began her tenure as Executive Director of FCIS on July 1, 2010. Before assuming her FCIS duties, Barbara served as Head of School at Holy Comforter Episcopal School for 17 years in Tallahassee and President of the FCIS Board of Directors. Her prior experience includes serving as a Curriculum Development Specialist and teacher in North Carolina, and teaching at schools in both Virginia and Florida. Currently, Dr. Hodges has served as President of the Florida Association of Academic Non-public Schools (FAANS), a member of the Board of the Independent School Association Network (ISAnet), and the Chair of the International Council Advancing Independent School Accreditation (ICAISA). Other related professional experiences include serving on the Board of Regents of the Episcopal Diocese of Florida, the Florida Council of Independent Schools (FCIS) Board of Directors and the North Carolina Association of Educators’ Board. Dr. Hodges has presented on a state and national level on the topic of governance, including being a keynote speaker of the Independent School Chairs Association (ISCA) Conference, held at the Harvard Club. In addition, she has been a presenter at the NAIS Annual Conference.
Dr. Hodges has identified her vision for FCIS “to be a premier independent school association with a strategic board, proactive legislative advocates, and a streamlined quality accreditation process that provides outstanding member services, while utilizing strong communication, up-to-date technology, and marketing to operate with efficiency and professional excellence.
LEARN ABOUT MELISSA ALTON
Melissa Alton joined FCIS as Director of Accreditation in 2014. Melissa began her teaching career as a Teaching Assistant at UNC-Charlotte, where she also worked in the Writing Resource Center and later served as an instructor and the President of the Adjunct Faculty Association. While living in Charlotte, she was also employed as an Educational Consultant with Manus Academy and as a summer instructor at Charlotte Country Day School. Melissa moved to Brevard County, Florida in 1999. In that year, she began working at Florida Air Academy as a teacher and as Tutoring Director. During her tenure at Florida Air, Melissa served as English Department Chair, Senior Class Advisor and Assistant Principal. She became the academy's Principal in February 2012. An English instructor by trade, Melissa has taught literature and language arts to students in grades 6-12 and at the college level. She holds a BA from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, an MA from UNC-Charlotte, and an M.Ed. from the University of Florida.
Melissa’s experience with accreditation includes intensive coursework on school improvement through the University of Nebraska, service on multiple school visiting teams, and leadership in her previous school’s accreditation efforts. She currently serves as chair of the ICAISA Directors of Accreditation group. As Director of Accreditation, Melissa serves as a resource for member schools as they engage in the challenging work of self-examination and school improvement.
LEARN ABOUT NICOLE ROBISON
Nicole Robison joined FCIS as the Director of Professional Development in 2022. Nicole most recently served as the Head of Middle School and Curriculum Coordinator at St. Mark’s Episcopal School in Palm Beach Gardens. Throughout her 12 years at St. Mark’s, Nicole vertically aligned the school’s curriculum, coordinated professional development, and established a new teacher mentoring program. Prior to her work in leadership, Nicole was an English teacher both in Florida and Pennsylvania with a specific concentration in writing. Nicole’s love of writing came from her time working in the Writer’s Center at LaRoche University where she earned a B.A. in Secondary English Education and English Language and Literature.
Dedicated to on-going professional development of others as well as herself, Nicole also holds an M.Ed. in Curriculum and Teaching from Penn State.
LEARN ABOUT EVELYN MCCULLOCH
Evelyn McCulloch is the Director of Technology and Accreditation Support for FCIS Florida Council of Independent Schools. She provides strategic leadership and direction for FCIS technology operations; management of accreditation, registration, and in-service portals and support of the accreditation process for 150 independent schools.
Prior to her role at FCIS, Evelyn and her team built i-Tech for schools. The team had the honor of supporting over 50 independent schools across the state of Florida — empowering educators, enhancing learning through technology, and helping shape the future of education together. Evelyn brings 20 years of experience as an educator and school administrator in local and global schools including Park Maitland School and The International School of Beijing, China. While at Park Maitland, Evelyn served as the Director of Teaching and Learning, spearheading innovative technology and curriculum.
In addition, Evelyn serves on the Board of Directors for Konekte Haiti, a non-profit organization that empowers teachers and students in Haiti for a globally connected future. She is a Google Certified Trainer and has been a conference presenter at FETC Future of Education Technology Conference, FCIS Annual Conference, LLI Lausanne Learning Florida, Adobe and Flip #StudentVoice is Magic Summit, and the Orlando Learning Summit.
Evelyn and her husband are the proud parents of three children, all adopted from the foster care system of Central Florida.
LEARN ABOUT KEARA DANGER
Keara Danger joined the FCIS staff in February 2003. She graduated from the University of Florida with a Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology. Keara started her career with Olsten Services, a staffing company specializing in placement of highly qualified employees in temporary and permanent positions. At Olsten, she served as an employment placement and payroll specialist. In 1996, seeking more of a challenge, Keara began working for The DRB Group, a hospital medical equipment repair company. As the Vice-President of Administration, she was responsible for overseeing the day-to-day operations and accounting.
After working in the business world for 10 years and being a stay-at-home mom for 3, she embarked on her career in education which was always one of her passions. As the Director of Business and Operations, she is now responsible for handling in-service, certification, accounting and many other administrative duties.
LEARN ABOUT LAUREN OLIVA
Lauren Oliva joined FCIS as the Assistant Director of Professional Development and Member Services after 14 years in both public and private schools. Lauren began her career as a public school history teacher after studying Art History at the University of Central Florida, where she taught a variety of rigorous classes across all student levels — from sophomores in Advanced Placement World History to seniors in Advanced Placement Research. While she served as schoolwide new teacher mentor, department chair, and head of the Collaborative Improvement Team, her passion for school improvement inspired her to pursue a Master’s Degree in Educational Leadership. After six years in Seminole County Public Schools, Lauren then transitioned to Lake Highland Preparatory School, where she supported students, faculty, and staff in both teaching and administrative capacities.
She coordinated professional development, onboarded new teachers, spearheaded initiatives to foster collegiality among “staffulty,” and led the Social Studies Department while continuing to teach in the classroom. In her current role as Assistant Director of Professional Development and Member Services, Lauren works closely with Nicole to ensure FCIS member schools receive the highest quality support for their faculty and staff.