Europe Director for Student Excellence

Dr. McMullen serves as the Director for Student Excellence, Department of Defense Education Activity-Europe (DoDEA-Europe). As the Director for DoDEA schools in Europe, Dr. McMullen oversees the operations of 66 schools located on U.S. military installations throughout eight countries in Europe. DoDEA-Europe schools are headquartered in Sembach, Germany and are structured into three districts which educate more than 26,000 students and employ more than 4,100 people.

Prior to her selection as Director, DoDEA-Europe, Dr. McMullen served as the Kaiserslautern District Superintendent where she focused on transforming schools to 21st century learning environments that provide opportunities for every student to be prepared for the 21st century workplace. In an effort to foster innovative teaching practice in the classroom, she implemented the $mart Money Program to support new and exciting ways for teachers to engage with students and to enhance student learning. Dr. McMullen served as the Senior Civilian Leader for DoDEA-Europe Schools during school year 2011-2012.

Prior to joining the DoDEA-Europe, Dr. McMullen served in a variety of teaching and educational leadership positions. She was named Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction of the Fort Benning Schools in 1990 and Superintendent in 1994. In 2002, Dr. McMullen was named Superintendent of the Georgia/Alabama District which included schools at Fort Benning, Ga., Warner Robins AFB Ga., Maxwell AFB, Al., and Fort Rucker, Al. In 2010, Dr. McMullen was selected Superintendent of the Kaiserslautern District.

Dr. McMullen earned her Bachelor's and Master's degrees in Education from Columbus State University in Columbus, Ga. She received her Educational Leadership Specialist degree in 1982 from Georgia State University in Atlanta, Ga. She earned her Doctorate of Education Degree in 1990 from Auburn University, Auburn, Al.

Dr. McMullen has been recognized for her leadership accomplishments. Most recently, the Kaiserslautern District was accepted into the Digital Promise League of Innovative Schools. The district is the first (and only DoDEA district) to be accepted into Digital Promise, a national coalition of school superintendents dedicated to harnessing technological innovation to drive better results for students. Dr. McMullen received AdvancED's National Excellence in Education Award in 2009 for her unparalleled leadership in promoting and advancing excellence in education. She was named Girl Scout's Woman of Achievement, participated in the Army Community of Excellence (ACOE) awards program at the Pentagon and received the Commander's Award for Civilian Service. She was named a Columbus State University Outstanding Alumni in 2002 and was inducted into the Columbus State University Hall of Fame in 2005.

Dr. McMullen holds high expectations for excellence. During her tenure, four Georgia/Alabama District Principals were named National Distinguished Principals and one Georgia/Alabama District Teacher was selected DoDEA Teacher of the Year. Most recently, a Kaiserslautern District Educational Technologist was named DoDEA Teacher of the Year.

Dr. Charles “Chas” Kelker currently serves as the Europe Region Chief of Staff for the Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA). Prior to his current position, Dr. Kelker served as the Chief of Education Policy and Operations at DoDEA Headquarters in Alexandria, Virginia, from May 2017 to November 2019.

DoDEA is responsible for planning, directing, coordinating, and managing prekindergarten through 12th grade educational programs on behalf of the Department of Defense (DoD). DoDEA is globally positioned, operating 166 accredited schools in 8 districts located in 11 foreign countries, 7 states, Guam, and Puerto Rico. DoDEA employs approximately 15,000 employees who serve more than 71,100 children of active duty military and DoD civilian families.

Previously, Dr. Kelker served as the DoDEA Pacific Chief of Staff, located at Torii Station in Okinawa, Japan, from November 2008 to May 2017. During his tenure with DoDEA Pacific, he was involved in the opening and closing of DoDEA schools in support of military transformation actions taking place across the Pacific-region. This included staffing, student meal programs, transportation, public affairs and procuring furniture and equipment to support schools.

Prior to joining DoDEA, Kelker was the Deputy Director, Manpower, Personnel and Support (J1), Headquarters United States Forces Japan at Yokota Air Base. He retired from the United States Air Force in February 2006 with 32 years of distinguished service in uniform and continued his federal service as a DoD civilian.

A native of El Paso, Texas, Dr. Kelker grew up in an Army family and spent his formative years living in various locations around the world. Dr. Kelker graduated in 1973 from a DoDEA school in Berlin, Germany. He went on to enlist in the USAF in August 1974 and has since earned a bachelor’s degree in occupational education from Wayland Baptist University, a master’s in human resources development from Webster University and a doctorate in education from Northcentral University.

Dr. Kelker is married to Regina Kelker who retired from the USAF during her final assignment as Director of Public Affairs at the Air Intelligence Agency in San Antonio, Texas. They have two sons and a daughter.

Mr. Young is no stranger to DoDEA Europe nor the CIL. Prior to coming to Europe, he served multiple roles in the Pacific East District, to include Staff Development Coach, Acting Principal and Special Education Assistant Principal, where he used his prior experience with Common Core to support College and Career Literacy and Mathematics implementation. Jorma arrived to DoDEA Europe in October 2017 as the CIL’s first Professional Practice and Improvement Specialist (PPIS) and became Acting CIL Chief in May 2018. He worked quickly to build relationships with district and school leaders and to embed a culture of analyze and adjust to support authentic action planning at the school, district, and region levels, leading numerous learning networks focused on improving student achievement.

Prior to joining DoDEA, Mr. Young served in a variety of roles within the Hillsborough County, Florida School District, beginning his career in 1999 as a drop-out prevention teacher and starting the district’s first AVID program in 2003. In 2007, Mr. Young was named Supervisor of Academic Programs for Hillsborough County where he coached leaders in educational reform and provided professional learning for over 5000 administrators, counselors, and teachers on eliminating the achievement gap and college and career readiness. 

In an effort to eliminate achievement and opportunity gaps for students, Jorma fostered partnerships with community organizations, such as Boys and Girls Club and 100 Black Men of Tampa Bay, and with institutions of higher learning, such as the University of South Florida and the University of Tampa to provide summer enrichment programs for students and Advanced Placement training for teachers. He forged relationships with not-for-profit educational organizations, to include AVID and the College Board, to provide high quality professional learning for leaders and teachers. As a district administrator, Mr. Young expanded the AVID program to all 73 secondary schools and 20 elementary schools within 2 years.   

Mr. Young spent five years with the College Board, focused on the State of Florida’s Partnerships for Minority and Under-Represented Students. He established strategic partnerships with Superintendents to increase student performance and college and career readiness. He worked collaboratively with these leaders to create systemic academic and support structures to eliminate the achievement and opportunity gaps. As Director, he coached, consulted and mentored Superintendents, District Staff and Principals in making data informed decisions, curriculum and instructional changes to align with College and Career Ready Standards, and ensuring equity and access for all students. He helped districts and schools to establish an Advanced Placement pipeline that increased enrollment by 50-100% and eliminated the achievement and opportunity gap at the same time.
He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Social Science and a Master’s degree in Educational Leadership from the University of South Florida (USF). Mr. Young is passionate about data analysis and use of data to improve student achievement.  This passion led him to earn a second Master’s degree in Management Information Systems from Nova Southeastern University.  

Jorma’s family lives in the Kaiserslautern Military Community. He and wife, Wendy, are proud parents of two teenaged daughters. Their eldest, Abigail, recently graduated from Ramstein High School, and attends college in the United States. Their youngest daughter, Madalyn, is a freshmen at Ramstein High School.