Team

Kris Maul has almost two decades of experience working in professional licensure regulatory compliance. He has supported institutions with students in all 50 states and U.S. territories. Kris received his Juris Doctor from Hamline University.

His experience includes:

• Researching, analyzing, and interpreting professional licensure laws, regulations, rules, and policies
• Creating comprehensive student resources to navigate all stages of professional licensure
• Auditing graduate and undergraduate curriculum for compliance with professional licensure standards
• Advocating for institutions and individual applicants with state licensure boards and agencies
• Presenting about professional licensure to regulators, institutions, and students
• Creation of professional licensure disclosures and disclaimers for higher education institutions

Nan Kalke received her PhD in Organizational Leadership and Policy Development from the University of Minnesota in the higher education track. She has experience working in a not-for-profit, land-grant university at the University of Minnesota and a for-profit, online university at Capella University.

Her expertise includes:

• Managing the research team that keeps The Bookmark updated and provides overall quality assurance
• Centralized end-to-end specialized accreditation
• Standardized and content-specific curriculum content analysis
• Self-study writing, gathering evidence, and site visit coordination
• Program and operational management
• Site-based learning
• Principal investigator on university projects with the state of Minnesota
• Comprehensive program evaluations
• Individualized training competency assessments
• Graduate faculty instructor

With 20 years of experience in communications, advocacy, and public affairs, Bethany is a seasoned professional and an expert in managing strategic communications and leading successful initiatives.

Bethany received her master’s in public policy at the University of Minnesota’s Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs.

Her expertise includes:

• Managing and designing communications programs
• Implementing social media, traditional communications, and influencer strategies
• Developing content for firm’s communications channels
• Designing digital engagement strategies
• Researching and seizing new market opportunities

Dr. Emily Bogus brings nearly two decades of experience in educator licensure, policy research, and higher education compliance. With a background spanning regulatory affairs, state approvals, and accreditation, she has helped institutions navigate complex licensure landscapes across all 50 states.

Emily’s doctoral research focused on teacher licensure mobility and reciprocity, topics she continues to champion in her consulting work.

Her expertise includes:

• Conducting legal research and regulatory analysis on occupational licensure across all U.S. states and territories
• Guiding cross-functional teams through accreditation processes, including a 2,000+ page accreditation report
• Designing and maintaining licensure compliance databases used institution-wide for decision-making
• Reviewing legislative and regulatory developments to assess impact on institution and licensure compliance
• Building licensure pathways for new and apprenticeship-based programs
• Presenting at national conferences on educator licensure mobility and reciprocity

Allen Clarkson has worked in higher education, with a focus on compliance, state government relations, and accreditation for 20 years.

Allen holds a J.D. from Michigan State University College of Law and an M.S. in Technology Management from Marshall University. Most importantly, Allen is a father to four; all of his hobbies revolve around them.

His experience includes:

• Managing multi-state legislative teams to navigate complex policy landscapes
• “Unraveling” state-level regulatory requirements to ensure institutions can offer seamless professional pathways to their students
• Compliance Specialist for educator preparation accreditation and healthcare workforce rulemaking
• Securing state-level authorization and financial aid eligibility for distance education institutions

Si-Dam finds where work slows down and builds the systems that fix it. He develops and maintains The Bookmark and HELP’s internal CRM, and handles the automations and integrations that keep operations running for staff and members. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science from The University of Texas at Dallas. When something is hard to use, slow, or fragile, Si-Dam makes it better.

His expertise includes:

• Turning operational friction into practical solutions
• Building and maintaining The Bookmark and HELP’s internal CRM
• Connecting core platforms through automation and integrations
• Keeping critical systems accessible, secure, and reliable