2024 VA-ACME Leadership
Desiree Butts
President
Desiree Butts is the Executive Director for Military & VA Programs at National University. In this role, she oversees National University’s military and veteran outreach activities in the U.S. and overseas, pursues partnership opportunities with military and veteran affiliated organizations, and provides enrollment assistance to military and veteran students and their family members.
Prior to joining National University’s Military & VA Programs in 2010, Desiree served in numerous positions for Headquarters U.S. Marine Corps (HQMC) Lifelong Learning, assisting servicemembers and their families in their pursuit of higher education and drafting policy for the Marine Corps Voluntary Education program. With over 20 years of experience in military voluntary education, Desiree is very dedicated to serving those who serve. Her passion to connect Servicemembers and their families to educational and career opportunities stems from her early life as a military child. Desiree volunteered for the family support centers aboard Andersen AFB, Bolling AFB, and Andrews AFB helping with administrative tasks. It was through this volunteer work that she developed a strong sense of advocacy for our military families.
Desiree holds a Bachelor of Science in Management from Park University and a Master of Business Administration from National University. In addition to serving as our President, she currently serves as the Conferment Officer for the Council of College and Military Educators.
Karla Payne
Vice President
Karla Payne is the Manager, Veteran Center for National University serving military-affiliated students. She is a U.S. Navy veteran and has worked in higher education for over 9 years. Karla joined National University’s Military Operations Team in 2012 as an Admissions Advisor in San Diego. In 2015, she became the site lead for the MCRD base as an Admissions Counselor. In 2018, she became the Manager of the Veteran Center for NU. The Veteran Center serves as a Liaison for military-affiliated students, helping support the transition from military life to higher education; working with internal and external resources of the university; and helping build a connection among all military-affiliated students. The Veteran Center also served as the pilot for the chat bot, SMS Texting.
Karla completed her Master of Science in Organizational Leadership in 2014 and is currently enrolled in the Ed.D. Organizational Innovation program at National University.
Karla has many years experience working in education, including serving as a one-on-one attendant in a Special Education classroom, as a Teacher's Assistant in a kindergarten classroom, and as a volunteer Advancement Chair with the BSA/Troop 895 in Chula Vista, California. Karla was served as a mentor for Compass, a U.S. Navy spouse mentoring program.
Michael Camden
Planning Chair
Michael Camden, a proud graduate of East Carolina University, also holds an MBA with a concentration in Management. Presently the Enrollment Coordinator at Troy University in Hampton Roads, VA, he has been a leader in secondary and post-secondary education for over 30 years.
Mike is a past president of the Virginia Advisory Council on Military Education (VA-ACME) and serves on the boards of the Hampton Roads Chamber, the Virginia Beach Travel and Tourism Foundation, as well as the Transportation, Parking, and Pedestrian Committee of the Virginia Beach Resort Advisory Commission. Mike, a former high school English teacher, offers presentations on Networking, Online Learning Success, Sales, and Team Work.
Mike’s appreciation for the military community stems from growing up in a Navy family. He enjoys volunteer opportunities to support local and national organizations and spending time and travel with family.
PENDING
Treasurer
Ann Wells
Historian
Shameena Morris
member-At-Large
Shameena Morris, a native of both Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and Dayton, Ohio, has worked at Norfolk State University as their Coordinator of Military Programs in the Military Services & Veterans Affairs Department since 2009. She has an AAS in Mental Health Technology from Sinclair Community College, a Bachelor of Science Degree from Old Dominion University in Psychology, a Master of Science degree from American InterContinental University in Education with an emphasis in Instructional Technology, Graduate Certificate in Industrial and Organizational Psychology from the Chicago School of Professional Psychology, and is currently pursuing a Doctor of Philosophy in General Psychology with an Emphasis in Industrial and Organizational Psychology at Grand Canyon University. Shameena has been an active member with VA-ACME for the past eleven years. Over the years, she has served on the Symposium Planning Committee for 8 years, held the positions of Marketing Committee Chair, Scholarship Co-Chair, Awards Committee Chair, and By-Laws Committee Chair. In addition, she has assisted with ad-hoc committees when needed.
Rachel Cortezano
Member-at-Large
Rachel Cortezano is a Military Outreach representative at Columbia Southern University. She has been with the institution since 2017. Rachel holds a Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration from Brandman University and a Master of Science in Organizational Leadership from Columbia Southern University. Rachel is a US Navy veteran and is currently serving our country in the US Air Force Reserve. Being an active-duty Sailor, a current reservist, and spouse of a retired Navy Senior Chief, Rachel knows her military community and how to serve it. Her passion is to serve our country and our servicemembers.
Dr. La Toya Sivells
IMMEDIATE Past President
Dr. La Toya Sivells, a native of Norfolk, Virginia, has worked at Northern Virginia Community College as their Military Education Specialist since 2009. La Toya has a Bachelor of Arts Degree from Hampton University and a Master’s in Educational Leadership from Liberty University. She was recently awarded her Doctoral degree in Educational Leadership from Liberty University.
Prior to working at Northern Virginia Community College, she began her career as Assistant Director of Sports Information at Hampton University. She also completed a stint as a military spouse counselor for the My Career Advancement Account (MyCAA) program in Arlington, Virginia. La Toya has served as a board Member-at-Large for VA-ACME, the Scholarship Committee Chair, and a serving member of the planning committee.