Empowering Learners, Strengthening Our Community

Robyn Ellan is an accomplished technology strategist and educator with over two decades of experience spanning marketing technology, education, and front-end development. She co-founded and later sold Reporter Suite, a SaaS invoicing and time-tracking application, and has led digital innovation across both corporate and K-12 environments.

As an instructor at The Creative Circus college, Robyn developed and taught interactive development courses, later applying her expertise at The Baldwin School to lead web and application development and data-driven digital campaigns. Her career blends technical execution with instructional insight, giving her a unique ability to design education programs that translate real-world technology into meaningful learning outcomes.

As Executive Director, she unites classrooms, technology, and community to equip students, especially those from Title I and ALICE households, with workforce-ready digital skills. Her vision bridges education and industry, building a sustainable talent pipeline that strengthens Hancock County's economic future.

Michael Ellan is an accomplished Front-End Architect and Technology Leader with nearly 20 years of experience delivering scalable, user-centric software solutions. His expertise spans front-end architecture, AI integration, and design system development, with a strong record of guiding global engineering teams and shaping enterprise product ecosystems. As an Architect at Guidewire Software, Michael leads initiatives across cloud-native data and analytics platforms, integrating Generative AI, Azure OpenAI, and GCP solutions to enhance automation and user experience. His leadership has been instrumental in establishing distributed UI architectures, enabling rapid application composition, and driving adoption of engineering best practices. Throughout his career—with roles at Kong Inc., Misfits Market, Ellucian, and Under Armour—Michael has consistently advanced digital transformation efforts through thoughtful design, technical excellence, and strategic collaboration. He is recognized for fostering innovation, mentoring cross-functional teams, and delivering impactful solutions that align technology vision with business goals.

Elizabeth Tarrier brings more than 20 years of experience in media technology and digital production to the Innovation Lab Board. Her career began in television, where she worked in Master Control and newsroom operations for NBC and ABC affiliates, supporting station engineering, digital broadcasting transitions, programming, and content development. Her expertise spans editing, writing, website development, and broadcast automation systems. After relocating with her military family and stepping back from news to raise her daughter, Elizabeth transitioned into education and now serves as the Technology Instructor at North Hancock Elementary. She is passionate about helping students build digital confidence, explore creative technology, and develop the skills needed for a modern workforce. Elizabeth’s industry experience, technical knowledge, and commitment to student success make her a strong advocate for closing the digital divide and advancing the mission of TechStrong Communities.

Jamie Stephens brings a unique combination of family advocacy and community engagement to her role as Family Resource Center Coordinator for the TechStrong Communities Program. Through her work with the Family Resource Center, Jamie connects families with essential services, academic support, and community resources that help remove barriers to student success. Her experience as a family advocate gives her a deep understanding of the challenges many families face and community resources needed to support them. In the TechStrong Communities initiative, Jamie strengthens family engagement, volunteer coordination, and community partnerships—ensuring that students from Title I households have the support and stability needed to fully benefit from technology education opportunities and career pathways.

Krystine Chaffin brings experience in operational excellence, data-driven process improvement, and collaborative leadership. With a background in coordinating large-scale programs, optimizing workflows, and leveraging analytics to inform decision-making, Krystine excels at transforming plans into measurable outcomes. In her previous role as Senior Management Coordinator at the City of San Antonio’s Animal Care Services, she led teams in high-volume, deadline-driven environments—demonstrating her capacity to manage resources, engage stakeholders, and carry out strategic initiatives under pressure. Krystine’s skill in operational systems, coupled with her strong communication and team-building abilities, ensures that program execution is both efficient and responsive to student, educator, and community needs.