L. Dian Stoskopf
Hall of Fame Class of 2002
As a distinguished Army leader in the Department of Defense Voluntary Education Program, L. Dian Stoskopf has served the U.S. Army troops faithfully as their Director of the Army Continuing Education System (ACES) since January 1997. As the first civilian to hold the position of Director of Headquarters Department of the Army (HQDA's) Education Division, she has made an indelible mark on her profession and leads the Army's comprehensive and systematic effort to bring adult and continuing education to every soldier wherever they are located. She promotes lifelong learning opportunities and sharpens the competitive edge of Army, 2010 and beyond through her management of ACES and is responsible for and manages a Fiscal Year 2001 budget of over $100 million, which supports the ACES'S total program and services worldwide.
With 35 years as an educator, she has maintained a professional civilian education workforce including full time civil service guidance counselors to staff Army education centers wherever soldier concentrations are 750 personnel and above. Ms. Stoskopf is widely recognized for her development and use of needs assessment methodologies, designed and implemented to determine educational needs of soldiers. Under her leadership, Army Education, in partnership with Service members Opportunity Colleges, has incorporated "Army Career Degrees" as options for many soldiers, which maximize Army learning experiences and minimize additional college study. She and her staff have been instrumental in developing and instituting the "GI-to-Jobs" initiative. This "Credentialing the Soldiers" effort focuses on helping soldiers understand the various credentials, particularly licenses and certifications that are available to them, in part, through their military occupational specialties.
Ms. Stoskopf earned her Bachelor and Master of Science degrees at Kansas State Teachers College. In 1971, she entered civil service as a Vocational Development Specialist, and is a 1989 graduate of Army Management Staff College. She has served on numerous civilian and military education committees to include chairperson for the following: ACES Reengineering Process Action Team (PAT); Career and Personnel Management for U.S. Army, Europe; Awards and Recognition Committee, Commission on Military Education and Training, American Association of Adult and Continuing Education; Education PAT, MDW; and Recreation Services. She has worked through appropriate Army channels to encourage Congress to pass legislation to revitalize the Montgomery GI Bill's educational benefits and worked successfully to bring about legislation that would help support active duty veterans regarding "top-off" for tuition assistance giving service members 100 percent funding for their educational expenses.
Her lasting contribution to continuing education is the educational opportunities made available through her leadership, her steadfast dedication and her program creativity to the millions of soldiers throughout the world.