Dallas-Based Online Learning Firm Establishes Board of Directors with Higher Education and Technology Leaders

iDesign welcomes seasoned board members bringing decades of expertise in online learning, education technology, K-12 transformation, and finance

DALLAS, Sept. 23, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- iDesign, the pioneering instructional design firm which has worked with hundreds of colleges and universities to build affordable online programs tightly linked with the labor market, today announced the appointment of three nationally recognized leaders to its Board of Directors: Dr. Amelia Manning, Dean of the School of Professional Advancement at Tulane University; Thomas B. Evans, Founder and Managing Partner of Skyline Merchant Partners; and Dr. Vernon Johnson, Founder of Accelerate Learning (STEMscopes).

"Amelia, Tom, and Vernon each bring extraordinary experience advancing innovation in higher education and digital learning — spanning university leadership, education entrepreneurship, and K-12 transformation," said Paxton Riter, CEO and co-founder of iDesign. "Their combined expertise will strengthen our ability to help institutions reimagine the student experience and scale online learning in ways that not only serve more students, but facilitate richer learning experience and higher quality outcomes."

The appointments come as iDesign continues a period of remarkable growth and industry recognition. Over the past year, the company launched its Innovation Fellows program to spotlight emerging leaders in digital learning and expanded its institutional partnerships — most notably a statewide collaboration with the University of Tennessee System to help address critical teacher shortages.

The firm also partnered with the University of Arkansas–Pulaski Technical College to develop new energy workforce training programs—and launched a new AI-driven initiative with Quality Matters, leveraging iDesign's Build platform to explore human-AI integration in instructional design and advance quality assurance standards in online learning.

With the addition of Manning, Evans, and Johnson, iDesign has strengthened its Board of Directors with leaders who will help guide and shape the company's strategy amid a period of immense change in the educational landscape.

About the New Board Members

Amelia Manning is a distinguished leader in online and adult education, known for her transformative leadership and student-centric innovation. She currently serves as Dean of Tulane University's School of Professional Advancement, following a 20-year tenure at Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU), where she was instrumental in the institution's rise as a national leader in online learning.

As SNHU's Chief Operating Officer, Manning oversaw global operations, academic delivery, and student services, more than doubling enrollment and pioneering predictive analytics systems to enhance student retention. She is widely recognized as a trailblazer in data-driven education strategy and a champion for expanding access and success for working adult learners.

Thomas B. Evans is a seasoned education entrepreneur and investor with a long track record of founding and scaling impactful ventures in higher education. As Founder and Managing Partner of Skyline Merchant Partners, a Dallas-based firm focused on high-growth education businesses, Evans has helped drive innovation and access across the sector. He is also the co-founder and Executive Chairman of the American College of Education (ACE), a fully online institution and certified B Corporation, emphasizing both academic excellence and social responsibility. Earlier in his career, Evans was a co-founder and board member of Academic Partnerships (now Risepoint), playing a key role in its growth as a pioneering force in online program management for universities. Prior to Skyline, he was a partner at Best Associates, where he helped launch and scale multiple education enterprises.

Dr. Vernon Johnson brings over three decades of leadership in both K-12 public education and edtech innovation. A former superintendent in Richardson Texas and Rochester Minnesota, and Deputy Superintendent of Indianapolis Indiana, Dr Johnson was recognized for improving student outcomes, school choice, and teacher/leader training. In the private sector, Dr. Johnson has served as CEO of Voyager Learning, Epic Learning, Virtual School Network, and Accelerate Learning (STEMscopes), where he led national efforts to improve literacy, math, and STEM education.

He was also part of the founding team of Academic Partnerships (now Risepoint), helping shape its early strategy to expand online learning access through university collaboration. He currently advises education companies on strategic growth and impact, serves as an Operating Partner for the Vistria Group, and is on several boards including, ESS.com, a national leader in staffing substitute teachers and support personnel, and Cognita, a global network of over 100 K-12 schools serving more than 100,000 students worldwide.

About iDesign: iDesign partners with colleges and universities to build, grow, and support online and blended programs. Committed to empowering faculty, iDesign combines instructional design expertise with emerging technologies to create innovative programs that meet the evolving needs of learners. Its tools — including Build and Align — blend human-centered design with advanced analytics to help institutions deliver scalable, high-quality learning experiences. To learn more, visit www.idesignedu.org.

SOURCE idesignedu.org