Meet our team
Meet Our Leadership and Support Staff
Iowa Virtual Academy (IAVA) leadership and support staff are dedicated to delivering the best education possible to ensure our students have opportunities for a bright future.
Steven Hoff | Head of School
Steven has been with Stride K12 since 2010 and has served as the head of school at IAVA since it opened in 2012. He brings a wealth of expertise from his past experiences in education. He is originally from Minnesota but has called Iowa his home since 2012. Steven holds a bachelor's degree from Concordia College in Moorhead, Minnesota, and a master's degree in educational leadership from Viterbo University in La Crosse, Wisconsin. He enjoys spending time with his wife, sons, and daughter as well as hunting, fishing, being a river rat, and just being outdoors. Steven is an avid Minnesota Vikings fan! He enjoys interacting with his students and staff and loves seeing how quality socialization happens in IAVA's online environment!
Amanda Braverman | Academic Administrator
Amanda began her role as academic administrator in 2019. She was previously the family academic support liaison for three years. Prior to that, Amanda taught music for IAVA for many years. She was also a learning coach to some of her own children and has used that experience to help in her role of supporting students. She received her undergraduate degree in education from Wartburg College, and her graduate degree in educational leadership from Drake University. Her past work experiences include everything from teaching preschool through high school, college, and even supervising and teaching professional development for college teachers. She is passionate about education! She enjoys traveling and learning about the United States and other countries around the world, but also enjoys walks and jogs around her neighborhood and spending time with her family. Her favorite part about online education is that it can meet the individual needs of diverse students.
Judy Tepper | School Operations Manager
Judy joined the IAVA team in August of 2017. She received her BA in journalism and mass communications at Iowa State University. After graduation she moved to the East Coast where she worked in advertising and exhibit sales as well as customer service. After returning to Iowa, she worked at the Clayton Ridge School District as a member of their library staff for 12 years before joining IAVA. She is happy to be back in Iowa and a member of the IAVA team. The families and students are Judy's favorite part of working at IAVA. They are so appreciative and are simply great to work with.
Mrs. Kramer | K-8th grade Professional Counselor
Mrs. Kramer is the K-8th grade Professional Counselor. She graduated from Buena Vista University with her Master of Science in Education in K-12 Professional School Counseling. She earned her Bachelor of Arts Degree in Elementary Education from University of Northern Iowa. Beatrice is from the Des Moines area where she lives with her husband, dog, kitten, and two gerbils! In her free time, Beatrice enjoys spending time with her family, traveling, and hiking. She also is a big fan of the Cowboys! Beatrice has spent the past several years as a Special Education Teacher and comes with 10+ years of knowledge and experience of working with children. She has a passion for helping all children learn and grow. Her focus is to encourage students to understand more about themselves and their needs, to build strong relationships, and promote happiness!
Luci Wulfekuhle | Grades 9-12 Professional Counselor
Luci is the professional school counselor for grades K–12 and has been with IAVA since 2016. Luci earned her Bachelor of Science in health, wellness, and recreation from the University of Dubuque. Luci's teaching certification is in K–12 physical education, K–12 health education and K–12 athletic coaching from Clarke University. Her Master of Science in education is in professional school counseling for grades K–12 from Buena Vista University. She spent her first six years in education as a health and physical education teacher for a brick-and-mortar school. She has spent the last several years as a professional school counselor in the brick-and-mortar and virtual school setting. What she likes best about working in the online setting is the ability to support her students' social, emotional, and educational needs on an individual basis.
Molly Mellon | Registrar
Molly joined IAVA in 2019 as registrar. She graduated from Loras College with a degree in biology. Her interests include, but aren't limited to reading, anything outdoors, and attending her nephews' sporting events. She is excited to be working at IAVA with the staff and families.
