Deborah Everhart

Deborah Everhart serves as the Chief Strategy Officer at Credential Engine, leading the expansion of credential transparency initiatives that enable more effective connections between education and career opportunities.

Previously she has served as a strategic advisor with the American Council on Education, leading research groups of nationally-recognized experts authoring “Quality Dimensions for Connected Credentials,” “Communicating the Value of Competencies,” and “Clarifying Competency Based Education Terms: A Lexicon.” She has long been a leader in the development of open technology standards, including leading IMS Global workgroups for competency-based education, comprehensive learner records, and digital credentials. She chaired the Badge Alliance workgroup that defined a conceptual framework and technical standards for Open Badge endorsements. Her business expertise includes leadership roles in technology architecture and product strategy at Cengage and Blackboard. Deborah’s thought leadership has evolved through numerous white papers, book chapters, presentations, and blogs on innovations in education, emerging technologies, portfolios, badges, digital credentials, and competency-based learning.

Deborah holds a Ph.D. in English, critical theory, and interdisciplinary medieval studies from the University of California, Irvine. She teaches as an adjunct at Georgetown University. She lives and works in Washington, DC, where she contributes to federal strategy papers and national initiatives.