Vanessa Sheared, Ed.D.

Dr. Vanessa Sheared, is currently Board President, (2021-2022) of the American Association for Adult Continuing Education and Board President, Executive Director for Closing the Gap, Sacramento CA. She has over 30 years of experience in the field of Adult Education as an administrator, counselor, and faculty member in public and private universities, vocational and technical colleges, and has served as a board member on foundations, higher education, community based and non-profit organizations.

Sheared’s areas of study and research incorporates Africentric Womanist and Black Feminist Thought as a way to help administrators, leaders, teachers, and students gain a “common thread of understanding” that will create opportunities for positive changes within institutions, communities, and organizations, which have historically, systematically, or unintentionally oppressed or marginalized one’s humanity or value across the globe. Sheared describes this process as “Giving Voice, to Ones Polyrhythmic Realities.”

Her publications include, Sheared, V., (2023), "Diversity of Learners and Learning in a Globalized World," in Belzar, A. and Dashew, B. (Editors), in Meeting Adult Learning Needs: Learning Contexts, Adult Learners, and Instructional Approaches; “The Handbook on Race in Adult Education: A Resource for Dialogue on Racism” (2010), co-editors, Johnson-Bailey, J., Colin, III, S.A.J., Peterson, E. and Brookfield, S., and many more.

In addition to her publications has presented at statewide, national and international conferences, and symposia, and has as well as given workshops and provided testimony before the California State Legislature on behalf of the California State University and the Association of Independent California Colleges and Universities regarding P/K-12 teacher and administrative preparation in public and private IHE’s; an EdTalk presentation on Status of Women in Stockton on “Education: Finding our Voice and our Space,” and facilitated several panel presentations on issues related to literacy, poverty, mentoring, and leadership.