Candice Dodson was the Executive Director for SETDA from 2019-2020 and served as the Director of the Office of eLearning at IDOE from 2011 to 2019. The work that she did during that time and the twenty years previous as an Indiana educator paved the way for us to embrace innovation.  

She made everyone she came into contact with feel important and seen.  She listened, supported, and encouraged.  She influenced educational policy and laid the foundation for connected learning in Indiana. She gave the kind of hug that would rival any other.

Candice tragically passed away in 2020. The Office of Digital Learning started the Candice Dodson award in 2022 to honor her memory and support those of the same spirit.

The Candice Dodson award should be given to someone who is a change agent, a thought leader.  It should go to someone who isn’t okay with the status quo: someone who is always driven towards improvement and innovation for positive change.  A person who receives the Candice Dodson award is someone who knows that there is enough room in the world for all of us to succeed. 

We are proud to announce Diana Smith as a 2025 recipient of the Candice Dodson Award, an honor that celebrates exceptional leadership, innovation, and service in the field of digital learning.

Diana Smith’s career in education spans classroom teaching, district-level leadership, and state and national impact. She began as a high school English teacher and has since served as an Instructional Technology Coach, Director of Technology, and Innovation Specialist at the Indiana Department of Education. Most notably, she led the state’s Office of Digital Learning, where she oversaw groundbreaking initiatives such as the Digital Learning Grant, Digital Learning Coach Grant, and the expansion of the Indiana Learning Lab and Summer of Learning conference.

Under Diana’s leadership, thousands of educators across Indiana were supported in building confidence with technology, reimagining instructional practices, and creating student-centered digital learning environments.

Diana is not just a leader of systems - she’s a builder of people. She leads with humility, clarity, and a deep belief in the potential of every educator and student.

In addition to her work at the state level, Diana has served as a mentor through the Connected Coach Collaborative, a board member for Indiana Connected Educators, and a national leadership role as President-Elect of ISTE’s Online and Blended Learning Network.

Now serving as Director of Grants and Assessment for Crown Point Community School Corporation, Diana continues to model strategic and student-centered leadership.

Diana’s work honors Candice Dodson’s memory in every sense. She is a change agent and a thought leader who is shaping the future of education in Indiana and beyond.