Senior Leadership

President & CEO (opens in new window) | Chief Operating Officer | Senior Vice President, Programs | Executive Director, Dedicated Funds and Initiatives | Vice President, Advancement | Assistant Vice President, Communications | Controller | Director, Human Resources

Terrance Kraling
Chief Operating Officer
Terrance Kraling joined Scholarship America in April 2008 as Assistant Vice President/Director of Planning and Analysis, becoming Chief Operating Officer in October 2008. He brings with him more than 20 years of business operations, technology leadership and consulting experience.

Kraling is a seasoned business unit manager with proven leadership abilities in the creation and improvement of business processes and product/service development. He has managed professional service organizations in both the public and private sectors in software, education technology, telecommunications, and business and IT consulting.

Before joining Scholarship America, Kraling served as the director of a business intelligence and information management consulting practice at Digineer. He has also held a variety of operations and professional service senior management positions at Sagebrush Corporation, Comm-Works Inc., Ambient Consulting, Lightning Rod Software, and Ovation Communications. He began his career in education, where he served as the Director of Information Services for Independent School District #622 for 12 years.

In this position, Kraling works to support our strategic directives by implementing and enhancing our processes and products, blending strategy and execution, and leveraging technology, data and human resources.

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Donald E. Lassere
Senior Vice President, Programs
Donald E. Lassere was named Senior Vice President of Programs, overseeing Scholarship Management Services and Dollars for Scholars, in November 2007. He has served as Vice President for Scholarship America's Scholarship Management Services program since January 2006. Through Scholarship Management Services, Scholarship America is the nation's largest developer of scholarship and tuition reimbursement programs, managing programs for more than 1,000 corporations, foundations, associations and individuals. As Senior Vice President of Programs, Lassere works to foster synergy between Scholarship America's major initiatives and oversees critical endeavors throughout the organization.

Prior to joining Scholarship America, Lassere held a variety of positions in marketing and senior management, at Bell Atlantic Corporation (now Verizon), Ernst and Young LLP, and Enron. Lassere's most recent position was Vice President, Sales & Marketing for Gallup Worldwide Consulting/The Gallup Organization, where he was responsible for sales and marketing initiatives for human resources, market research, customer management and strategic management solutions to Fortune 500 companies in the Northwest United States.

He holds a bachelor's degree in business administration from the University of San Francisco, an MBA from Harvard Business School and a law degree from Georgetown University Law Center.

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Rhianna Quinn Roddy
Executive Director, Dedicated Funds and Initiatives
Rhianna Quinn Roddy became Scholarship America's first Executive Director, Designated Funds and Initiatives, in January 2009, taking overall responsibility for designated funds, with a focus on the strategic leadership of the Families of Freedom Scholarship Fund. 

Before joining Scholarship America, Quinn Roddy held the position of Chief Marketing Officer for Lighthouse International. As a key member of the organization’s executive turnaround team, she helped stem multimillion-dollar losses, identified new revenue streams, created new branding initiatives, streamlined operations and helped restore profitability to the organization while building a world class marketing team.

Prior to her work with Lighthouse International, Quinn Roddy served as Vice President, Global and Domestic Tourism for NYC & Company, the official tourism office for New York City. Earlier in her career, she spent 20 years with Delta Air Lines in a variety of management and marketing roles in the US, Europe, India and Asia.

She holds a degree in Anthropology from SUNY Stonybrook and a degree from the Sorbonne in Paris. She is completing her MBA.

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Jane Eastwood
Vice President, Advancement
Jane Eastwood joined Scholarship America as Vice President of Advancement in August 2008.

Prior to joining Scholarship America, she was Director of External Relations and Partnerships for the Hennepin County Library, responsible for system-wide programs, development and marketing/communications; she also oversaw capital projects for Minneapolis Public Library prior to its merger with the county library. Eastwood was Vice President of Marketing and Communications for the Science Museum of Minnesota, responsible for visitor-related earned revenues; she began her tenure with the museum in fundraising and sponsorship.

Eastwood has served in an executive position on four community boards. A Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Macalester College, Eastwood holds a master’s in fine arts from Hamline University.

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Janine Fugate
Assistant Vice President, Communications
Janine Fugate joined Scholarship America as Director of Communications in December 2002 and was promoted to her current position in early 2006. In 2007, she led Scholarship America’s rebranding effort to assure cohesiveness across business units and geography. Prior to joining Scholarship America, Fugate was Vice President of Communications & Marketing for Growing Home, a St. Paul, Minn.-based, private foster care organization and held numerous communications and marketing positions in a variety of public, private and nonprofit organizations.

Fugate, who leads Scholarship America’s communications, marketing and public relations unit, served for four years on the board of the Association for Women in Communications. She also volunteered for several years for MAP for Nonprofits, assisting nonprofit organizations with their communications and marketing plans.

Fugate received her bachelor’s degree in English and business management from the College of St. Benedict in St. Joseph, Minn., and is currently pursuing a Master in Public Affairs from the Hubert H. Humphrey Institute at the University of Minnesota.

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Anne L. Cheney
Controller
Anne Cheney joined Scholarship America as controller in April 2002.  Her experience includes seven years of auditing not-for-profit organizations, first with Arthur Andersen & Co., and more recently at KPMG LLP; and over 15 years running the financial operations of the Minnesota Orchestral Association and the University of Minnesota Foundation. 

A former adjunct faculty member at the University of St. Thomas’ Center for Nonprofit Management she has been a leader in the not-for-profit accounting profession where she was a founding member of the Nonprofit Financial Group, a past chair of the Minnesota Society of CPAs' annual Not-For-Profit Organizations Conference, as well as volunteer on the Minneapolis United Way’s Financial Management Task Force and the St. Paul United Way’s ad hoc Financial Capacity Task Force.  Currently she serves on the boards of the St. Peter Chamber of Commerce and United Way. 

Cheney received a bachelor’s degree in economics from Carleton College and an MBA in accounting from the University of Michigan, and she is a Certified Public Accountant.

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Marilee Hedberg
Director, Human Resources
Marilee Hedberg started as Scholarship America's Director of Human Resources in July 2007, bringing with her more than 25 years of experience in human resources management.

Prior to coming to Scholarship America, Hedberg served as Vice President, Human Resources, of Sagebrush Corporation, an education technology company. She has also held positions in human resources with Carlson Companies, RSM McGladrey, Inc. and Hoechst Celanese.

Hedberg has a bachelor's degree in business administration with minors in psychology and music, from Gustavus Adolphus College in St. Peter, Minn.

As Director of Human Resources, Hedberg has conducted a strategic review and assessment of Scholarship America’s human resources systems, including compensation, benefits, staffing, performance management and organization development. She also oversees human resources legal compliance, payroll and administrative practices. 

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