Biography

Sondra Smith served EDUCAUSE from 2011-2018 as the director of professional learning, director of special projects, and director of analytics outreach and education. Throughout her tenure she facilitated initiatives and projects to advance the association and build the profession. These included an award-winning digital badging program; the Leading Academic Transformation community of practice; liberal arts college engagement; analytics outreach and education; and expert panels, summits and special programs on topics including analytics, student success, and innovation.

Her work has been informed by higher education leadership and program development experiences. She served St. Lawrence University as Co-Chief Information Officer for Information Technology and the Director of Educational Technologies at St. Lawrence University among other positions (2001-2011) as she established a consulting practice. 

Smith served on national program committees and as a peer reviewer. She was a 2009 Frye Leadership Institute Fellow (leadingchangeinstitute.org). In 2006, she co-founded the Upstate New York Technology Directors group, now part of the New York Six Liberal Arts Consortium (newyork6.org). She developed regional programming for UNYTD and other entities.

Smith launched her career in New York State K-12 public educational system as a teacher and technology trainer. She was a charter member of the New York State Academy for Teaching and Learning, earning both her M.S. in Education and B.A. from Potsdam College at SUNY.

Smith resides in northernmost New York State, where her family operates a third-generation dairy farm. Learn more and connect via LinkedIn (SondraHedgerSmith), Instagram (@ReallySincerelySondra), or SincerelySondra.com.