Who We Are

OUR PURPOSES

  • Provide Leadership to Adult Education Programs
  • Provide Professional Development to Educators
  • Promote Lifelong Learning
  • Meet the Educational Needs of Adults
  • Initiate and Support Legislation
  • Interpret the Needs of Adult Education Programs
  • Host Annual Conferences and Regional Meetings
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OUR MISSION is our PASSION

The mission of ALAPCAE is to:

Promote public awareness of the Alabama Adult Education program

Address the professional development needs of Alabama's adult education practitioners

Recognize excellence of instructional services

Provide scholarships to deserving GED and HSDO graduates throughout Alabama

Larissa Benz

District 5 Representative
Ingram State Technical

Larissa Benz is ISTC Adult Education Coordinator for Southern Region. Prior to this position, she worked as an ESL instructor at Auburn University at Montgomery and an Adult Education Coordinator at Southern Union State Community College. There, Benz developed a Career Pathways certification course in Medical Terminology and a Career Pathway certification course for translators and interpreters to meet the needs of the community in medical and legal fields. 
 
Larissa grew up in Ukraine when it was still a part of the Soviet Union. That allowed her to live in different places and travel to countries across EuroAsian continent. Growing up, she was fascinated by various cultures and the diversity. Larissa possesses Master’s degree in Linguistics. The degree opened the doors for her to teach foreign languages and be an interpreter for the UN and European Council conferences, translator for government agencies, non-profit organizations and ministries. 
 
Larissa Benz served as a lecturing professor at Tavria University of Management and Commerce and got her Master’s in Business from there. She also taught at the Crimea University of Pedagogy and Engineering, got accepted to the PhD program and did the research for her thesis there.
 
Benz and her son came to the U.S. in 2001 and worked with several ministries which served children and their families from underserved areas. She created projects and programs for cultural exchange and educational purposes. 
 
She is certified by the British Council to teach Business English and to translate legal documents. In 2022, Ms. Benz earned a certificate in leadership from LEAD University. Languages, art and hiking are her hobbies. 
 
Alabama became Larissa’s promise land and she has embraced the southern culture as her own even though she is still learning its beautiful idiosyncrasies. 

Marsha LeMacks

District 7 Representative
Wallace Dothan

Marsha S. LeMacks is a professional educator with 20+ years of teaching experience.  She earned both her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Education from Southern Wesleyan University in South Carolina.  She is also a 2025 graduate of the ACCS Instructional Leadership Academy.  Marsha is currently a full-time adult education instructor at Wallace Community College in Dothan, Alabama, and she previously served as the  2024-2025 ALAPCAE  District 7 Representative.