The BIG Team

BIG staff constantly read, learn about and discuss current and emerging neuroscience and use that information to adjust and tailor their work to ensure we have the best possible chance to impact a student’s growth and development.

Becky Herman

Social Studies

Becky rejoins the BIG staff after a one year detour as a Teacher Leader at Marion High School. Becky enjoys spending time with her daughter, Stori, camping, and working on their acreage with her husband Jason. She enjoys mentoring learners as they journey into adulthood and has a passion for mixing geography and history. She is an avid sports fan, loves music and theater, and is a member of a local, semi-professional pub trivia team. She believes that young adults are the most under-utilized resource in our society and she strives to give a voice and a hand to those young people who’d like to make the world a better place.

Nate Pruett

English

Nate helps students explore and embrace their passions, connecting those passions with the innovative people in the professional and community-based settings of Iowa’s Creative Corridor. Nate says, “I hope to help students discover things about themselves and their community, while creating a clearer vision of their current and future possibilities.” Nate is a geek who loves “different” music, comics, hockey, and cheese (lots and lots of different cheeses). Nate is blessed with an amazing wife, Christy, and two wonderfully goofy children, Cole and Audrey.

Mark Matson

Business/CTE

Mark has always been passionate about student engagement in learning. Mark says, “BIG offers any student the opportunity to partner with our community to create something awesome that he/she is passionate about. Seeing students’ passions come to life in real-world projects is exciting and transforming the way students view their communities.” Mark is an undeserving husband to Amber, father of three wonderful children (Megan, Mackenna, & Tate), and an avid outdoorsman and golfer who enjoys watching Tate golf and spending time with family.

Megan Swanson

Community Development Specialist

Megan Matson joins Iowa BIG in May of 2022 after graduating from Iowa State University with a degree in entrepreneurship and marketing. She was a 3-year Iowa BIG student, public speaker, and advocate who graduated in 2019 and is excited to continue to further the learner-centered education movement with the Iowa BIG team. Megan enjoys spending time with her fiancé, James, traveling to new places, playing board games and going for walks. She is passionate about walking alongside high school students and helping them discover their passions and purpose.

Al O'Bannon

Leadership Coach

Alphonce (Al) is certified by the American School Counseling Association in Leadership Coaching. Al is the Leadership Coach at Iowa BIG and City View High School. Al also works as the Executive Director at Leaders Believers Achievers (LBA) Foundation and Head Coach for Transitions Lab University Prep School (TLUPS). Al is passionate about providing opportunities for students–locally and around the globe–with the goal of bringing all students together to create a community of vision and growth.

Trace Pickering

Co-Founder & Director Emeritus

Trace founded Iowa BIG with his colleague and friend, Shawn Cornally. Trace hands over the reigns of BIG to Mr. Dan DeVore in the 22-23 school year. Trace’s role will be advisory as he moves towards retirement. Trace says, “BIG strives to be a model for what human-centered education and systems can look like. Every learner – adult and teenager – deserve to find and pursue their passions and they can do that here at BIG.” Trace and his wife, Kim, live on a 5 acre “ranch” with their German Shepherd, Stella.They have two grown daughters, Samie, a corporate events manager for Don Hummer Trucking and Shelby, an electrical engineer with Alliant Energy.