Lowell Amiotte, is Professor Emeritus at Black Hills State University at South Dakota. He has spent the last 44 years in education. During that time he has helped to start and organize three different tribally controlled colleges. He helped to establish the American Indian Higher Education Consortium and served on the board for three years. He was a founding member and served as president of the South Dakota Indian Education Association, SD Indian Counselor Association, and the South Dakota Association of Bilingual/Bicultural Education. Mr. Amiotte served as President of Oglala Lakota College and was a representative at the White House Conference on American Indian Education. Mr. Amiotte has been awarded two honorary doctorates.

Leonard Baca, Ed.D., is Professor of Education in the Department of Bilingual Special Education at the University of Colorado at Boulder and executive director of the BUENO Center for Multicultural Education. The BUENO Center has been in operation for 27 years and has generated nearly $50 million of external funding. BUENO projects involve teacher preparation as well as research and community outreach in the areas of bilingual, special, and multicultural education. Dr. Baca is a member of several professional organizations including the National Association of Bilingual Education, Teachers of English as a Second Language, the Council for Exceptional Children, the National Association for Multicultural Education and the American Educational Research Association. He serves on the editorial boards of several journals including the Bilingual Research Journal, Multicultural Perspectives, and Remedial and Special Education. He has published extensively in professional journals and is nationally known for his expertise in the area of Bilingual Special Education.

Ladelle Olion, Ph.D., is Professor of Special Education at Fayetteville State University, a constituent institution of the University of North Carolina. Previously, Dr. Olion served as Dean of Graduate Studies and Continuing Education from 1988-2005. Under his leadership, the graduate program at Fayetteville State University grew from six to twenty-five Master’s program and one doctoral program. Other experiences include serving on the editorial Board of the Negro Educational Review, the Graduate Record Examination Board, Council of Graduate Schools Board of Directors, and the Windows of Opportunity Board. Dr. Olion also serves on seven national committees, and is currently the President of the 100 Black Men of Cape Fear Region, and Chair of the 100 Black Men National Scholarship Committee.