Jackie Counts, Eleazar 'Trey' Vasquez III to join Achievement & Assessment leadership team

LAWRENCE — Neal Kingston, director of the Achievement & Assessment Institute and vice provost of Jayhawk Global and Competency-Based Education at the University of Kansas, has announced the appointment of two operating officers to join the leadership at AAI beginning in February 2025.  

Jackie Counts and Eleazar “Trey” Vasquez III, along with Georgianna Correll, director of finance and administration, are accountable to the AAI director, and they will comprise the organization’s formal leadership team. 

“We are operating in a global environment marked by rapid change and significant shifts impacting areas such as education and learning, human health, environment, technology and community development — all factors that change the world we live in. With this addition of operating officer leadership, AAI becomes particularly well positioned to meet the moment in ways that advance research and improve lives,” Kingston said.  

He said he was pleased with the outcome of AAI's search. 

“Throughout their careers, Jackie and Trey have embodied AAI’s mission to improve lives and communities. Each brings both unique and complementary expertise, and their combined dedication and passion make them the ideal people to lead us forward.” 

Jackie Counts

Counts received her Master of Social Work at the University of California-Berkeley before coming to KU in 2004, where she served as the assistant director of the Institute for Educational Research and Public Service. She earned her doctorate from the KU School of Social Welfare in 2010 and became the Region VII project officer for the Early Childhood Health and Development Branch of the Maternal Child Health Bureau of Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) in Kansas City, Missouri. Counts returned to KU as director of AAI’s Center for Public Partnerships & Research in 2013.  

Under her leadership, CPPR grew by over 300% from $3.5 million to $14.2 million annually, with team growth of 35 employees to over 100. Counts has launched several futures initiatives, including Kansas Future Fellows. 

“AAI is a unique organization with the credibility and resources of a Research I institution while also providing the entrepreneurial mindset of a startup. As a leader at AAI, I look forward to leveraging the talent and expertise of AAI staff to grow our mission and impact," Counts said. 

Counts emphasized the importance of addressing internal challenges to improve efficiency, fostering collaboration by identifying shared goals across centers and leveraging technology to drive meaningful change globally. She also highlighted AAI’s commitment to establishing itself as a leading action research organization focused on advancing the well-being of children, youth, families and communities. 

Eleazar “Trey” Vasquez III

Vasquez received a Master of Arts in School and Behavioral Psychology in 2003 from Stephen F. Austin State University and his doctorate in disability disciplines in 2008 from Utah State University. He was a professor of exceptional education at the University of Central Florida and the Exceptional Education Program doctoral coordinator.  

In 2017 Vasquez became the director of the Toni Jennings Exceptional Education Institute and School of Teacher Education, a UCF institute developing research, products, services and programs for individuals with disabilities. Under his leadership, the TJEEI secured over $82 million in funding from the U.S. Office of Special Education Programs to support scholars and awards from National Science Foundation and Institutes for Education Sciences. Vasquez also serves as co-PI at Center for Innovation, Design & Digital Learning (CIDDL), which is currently working in partnership with the Department of Special Education at KU and AAI. Recently, Vasquez also became one of 25 faculty nationally to serve as an American Council for Education fellow. 

“I am deeply honored to join the amazing colleagues at AAI. This position represents an incredible opportunity to advance our mission of creating meaningful change through innovative research, development and implementation,” Vasquez said.   
 
Vasquez highlighted his eagerness to collaborate with AAI’s talented team, cultivate meaningful partnerships and build on the institute’s established reputation as a leader in the field.  

"Together, we will continue to pursue excellence and expand our contributions to the communities and constituents served by AAI,” he said.   

Counts and Vasquez will start their new positions Feb. 3.