Speaker Bios2016

Renee BradleyDeputy Director, Research to Practice Division, Office of Special Education Programs, U.S. Department of EducationRenee Bradley has almost 30 years of experience in the field of special education. She began her career as a teacher of students with emotional and behavioral disabilities. During those eight years she worked in a variety of settings from self-contained to an inclusion program to providing homebound services working with children preschool through high school. Renee worked at the South Carolina Educational Policy Center for two years prior to joining the University of South Carolina Special Education Program as a Clinical Instructor in the Graduate School. During her time there she coordinated the master’s student teaching experience and taught a variety of courses. As an experienced consultant and trainer on a variety of education issues including: behavioral supports and interventions, juvenile justice, instructional strategies, teacher training and school leadership, Dr. Bradley has a reputation as an effective deliverer of research based and practical information with a strong sense of the real world. In 1997, she joined the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs as a program specialist on the National Initiatives Team. In 1998, she became the Special Assistant to the Director of Research to Practice and now serves as the Deputy Director. Among her responsibilities she is the project officer for the National Center on Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports and the IDEA Partnership project. She coordinated the OSEP LD Initiative and served as the project officer for the National Research Center on Learning Disabilities and the Juvenile Justice Research Center. She has written and contributed to numerous publications and chapters, serves on several professional publication boards, and is a frequent presenter on special education issues. Dr. Bradley has a bachelor and master’s degree in special education from the College of Charleston and her Ph.D. in Leadership and Policy from the University of South Carolina.

Geoff BrowningLegislative Aide, Rep. Clark (MA-6)Geoff is a legislative assistant for Congresswoman Katherine Clark where he handles issues related to education, arts, and humanities issues. Previously, Geoff worked for Representative Barney Frank, Representative James McGovern, Representative Anna Eschoo, and Senator Edward Kennedy. Geoff is a lifelong musician and is currently the president of the Italian American Congressional Staff Association. Geoff has a BA in Political Science from Loyola College in Maryland

Kimberly CharisDirector of School Climate, Discipline, and Equity, National Association of State Boards of EducationKimberly Charis is the Director of School Climate, Discipline, and Equity. She provides strategic direction for the organization’s advocacy work to ensure that all students receive equal educational opportunities. This includes designing initiatives that strengthen the capacity of state boards to promote student achievement, providing technical assistance to various groups on how to leverage state policy to support local education initiatives, and building collaborative partnerships to improve policy and practice on promoting equity. Charis is a graduate of University of Pennsylvania School of Public Policy & Practice and Spelman College.

Kathy CowanDirector of Communications, National Association of School PsychologistsKathy Cowan is NASP’s Director of Communications. Kathy is responsible for coordinating general communications, crisis communications, and media relations for NASP, as well as supporting the communications needs of NASP programs, advocacy, and marketing. Prior to joining NASP in 2000, she was Director of Communications and Community Outreach for Crossway Community, a nonprofit residential program for homeless women and their children.

Katie EklundAssistant Professor of School Psychology, University of ArizonaKatie Eklund, PhD is an Assistant Professor of School Psychology at the University of Arizona in Tucson, AZ. Dr. Eklund has worked in public education for the last 14 years as a school administrator, school psychologist, and school social worker. Dr. Eklund served as Coordinator of Mental Health Services for Douglas County School District in Colorado, as a school psychologist for Fountain Fort Carson School District in Colorado Springs, CO, and as a school social worker and high school track coach in Denver and Chicago. Dr. Eklund has served as an Adjunct Professor of Psychology and Teacher Education at Westmont College and the University of Denver, and as an instructor on Response to Intervention for the Colorado Department of Education. Dr. Eklund received her BA in Psychology and Bachelor of Social Work degree from Valparaiso University, her MSW from the University of Michigan, and her Ph.D. in Counseling, Clinical, and School Psychology from the University of California, Santa Barbara.

Dr. Eklund has authored a number of publications on universal screening for behavioral and emotional concerns and school climate. Dr. Eklund’s broad research interests include prevention and early intervention for childhood behavioral and emotional concerns, positive psychology, school climate, support for military children and families, and school-based problem solving and consultation. Dr. Eklund’s teaching interests are in the area of school-based academic and behavioral interventions, crisis intervention, child and adolescent psychotherapy, and problem solving and consultation. Dr. Eklund is Chair of the Government and Professional Relations committee for the National Association of School Psychologists.

James Ferg-CadimaActing Deputy Assistant Secretary for Policy, Office of Civil Rights, U.S. Department of EducationJames A. Ferg-Cadima is the Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary for Policy at the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR). He heads up OCR’s regulatory and policy work applicable to public schools, charter schools, and universities under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (prohibiting race, color, and national origin discrimination); Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 (prohibiting sex discrimination); Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (prohibiting disability discrimination); and Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (prohibiting disability discrimination). Immediately prior to joining OCR, Mr. Ferg-Cadima was a regional counsel heading the Washington, DC office of the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund (MALDEF), the nation’s leading Latino legal civil rights organization. Earlier in his career, Mr. Ferg-Cadima worked for the ACLU of Illinois in Chicago, the Northern District of Illinois, and the Advancement Project. During law school, Mr. Ferg-Cadima taught constitutional literacy in the DC Public Schools as part of the inaugural class of Marshall Brennan Fellows. Harvard Law School awarded Mr. Ferg-Cadima a Wasserstein Fellowship in 2008; the Hispanic Bar Association of the District of Columbia awarded him the Hugh A. Johnson, Jr. Memorial Award in 2012; and the District of Columbia Courts awarded him a legal community award in 2014, all in recognition of his public service. He earned his law degree from the American University Washington College of Law, and is admitted to practice law in the District of Columbia, Illinois, and Maryland.

Michael FeuerDean, GSEHD, George Washington UniversityMichael J. Feuer holds a Ph.D in Public Policy from the University of Pennsylvania, where he also earned the MA in Public Management from the Wharton School. He has studied public administration at the Hebrew University of

Jerusalem and political science at the Sorbonne (Paris). Dr. Feuer grew up in New York City, where he attended public school and graduated cum laude from Queens College (CUNY) with a major in English literature and journalism. Before serving as dean of GSEHD, Dr. Feuer served as the executive director of the Division of Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education in the National Research Council (NRC) of the National Academies, where he had also been the founding director of the Board on Testing and Assessment and the Center for Education. Before joining the NRC in 1993, Dr. Feuer was a senior analyst and project director at the Congressional Office of Technology Assessment.

Upon earning his doctorate, Feuer remained at UPenn, teaching graduate seminars in education and working at the Higher Education Finance Research Institute. He then joined the faculty of the business school at Drexel University, teaching courses in public policy and management and continuing his research on the economics of education, labor and human capital.

Feuer was the Burton and Inglis Lecturer at Harvard University in 2004, which was the basis for his 2006 book Moderating the Debate: Rationality and the Promise of American Education, published by Harvard Education Press. Feuer is a senior adviser to education projects in Israel, and has consulted on education in France and Germany. He is an elected member of the National Academy of Education, a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and a fellow of the American Educational Research Association.

Lindsay FryerEducation Policy AdvisorSenate HELP CommitteeLindsay Fryer is the Senior Education Policy Advisor for Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-TN) Senate Health, Education, Labor & Pensions (HELP) Committee. On HELP, she leads the K-12 and education research teams, and handles several other policy matters. Previously, Fryer served as a Professional Staff Member on the House Committee on Education & the Workforce. She handled several issues for Chairman Kline (R-MN) including topics related to K-12 and higher education, education research, and human services issues like juvenile justice, runaway and homeless youth, missing and exploited children, and child abuse prevention. Fryer has a strong education background. She previously worked at the American Institutes for Research on two large contracts. Her work focused on high school dropout prevention, literacy programs, and online math opportunities. She has authored several reports on these topics. Fryer holds a master's degree from Harvard University in Education Policy and Management.

Gary GalluzoProfessor Emeritus, Center for Education Policy and Evaluation, George Mason University, Fairfax, VAGary R. Galluzzo (Ph.D., Syracuse University) is a Professor Emeritus in the College of Education and Human Development, as well as the Director of the Ph.D. in Education program at George Mason University. Dr. Galluzzo served as Dean of Masons then-Graduate School of Education and as the Executive Vice-President of the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards. He has been at George Mason University since 1997. Dr. Galluzzo came to Mason from the University of Northern Colorado, where he was Professor and Dean of the College of Education. He also served as the director of the Laboratory School at the University of Northern Colorado. He has been on the faculty at Western Kentucky University and Rowan University (NJ). He began his career as a high school History-Social Studies teacher in upstate New York. He served as a member of the Board of Directors of the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards from 1994 through 2000, and on the Board of Directors of the American

Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (AACTE) from 1995-1998. He also served as the Co-Chair of the Colorado Teachers and Special Services Professional Standards Board from 1992-1997. His research interests include investigations into how students become teachers, curriculum reform in teacher education, program evaluation in teacher education, education reform, and preparing teachers to be the agents of school change. He was a member of the AACTE Research and Information Committee which conducted eight annual national studies of teacher education and published the monograph series, Teaching Teachers: Facts and Figures known as the Research About Teacher Education (RATE) Project. He is co-author of The Rise and Stall of Teacher Education Reform, and The Masters Degree in Education as Professional Development. He is published in professional journals and has chapters in the Handbook of Research on Teacher Education, the International Encyclopedia of Education,

and the Advances in Teacher Education series, among others. At the 2014 AACTE annual meeting, he was awarded the David G. Imig Award for Distinguished Achievement in Teacher Education.

Florencia GuiterrezSenior Research Associate, Annie E Casey Foundation, National Kids CountFlorencia Guiterrez has worked at the Annie E. Casey Foundation for the past 7 years. She is currently a Senior Research Associate for KIDS COUNT. She manages and maintains the KIDS COUNT Data Center, and is integral in the development of the Data Book and related national KIDS COUNT products. Before joining the foundation Florencia spent seven years in Texas researching issues in the area of education, wealth, and the economy. Her interests in these areas led her to pursue a Master’s degree in Education and another in Public Policy which guided her work with the legislature and the Center for Public Policy Priorities, where she worked on KIDS COUNT at the state-level.

Angela HeishmanSchool Psychologist, Big Spring School District, Newville, PA and GWU Adjunct FacultyAngela Heishman, PhD is a Certified School Psychologist in Pennsylvania and a Nationally Certified School Psychologist. She holds a Diplomate in School Neuropsychology from the American Board of School Neuropsychology. She is currently a school psychologist and Student Assistance Coordinator at the Big Spring School District in Newville, Pennsylvania and an Adjunct Professor at George Washington University. Prior to her employment as a school psychologist, she served as a mental health liaison, program consultant, and crisis responder for Student Assistance Teams across central PA. In her employment at Teenline at Holy Spirit Hospital, she was also a lead trainer on the SAP model as endorsed by the Commonwealth Approved Training System through the PA Department of Education’s Division of Safe and Drug Free schools. In addition to her experiences as an outpatient counselor and play therapist, she has also worked extensively with adults with disabilities. Dr. Heishman also has experience in teaching ESL at the college level and has facilitated support group for youth refugees relocated in the United States. She possesses Masters’ degrees in Counseling and Education (TESOL). She also has a post-master’s certificate in school psychology and a doctorate in special education at George Washington University with a concentration in applied neuroscience.

Leanne HotekEducation Policy Advisor, US Senate Committee on Health Education, Labor and PensionsLeanne Hotek is an Education Policy Advisor for Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions. Her portfolio includes a range of K-12 and higher education policy issues, including school climate, student safety and health, well-rounded and rural education, career and technical education, and college access programs. Prior to this role, she served as Legislative Assistant for Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA), former Chairman of the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions. She advised Chairman Harkin on two committee mark ups of the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) in 2011 and 2013, as well as twelve hearings on the Higher Education Act (HEA). She graduated summa cum laude from the University of Northern Iowa with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Philosophy.

Jack JenningsFounder, Center on Education PolicyJack Jennings founded the Center on Education Policy (CEP) in January 1995. CEP’s purpose was to be an independent, objective analyst of the effects on public schools of federal and state policies. When Mr. Jennings retired in2012, CEP joined the George Washington University. Earlier, from 1967 to 1994, Mr. Jennings served as subcommittee staff director and then as general counsel for the U.S. House of Representatives' Committee on Education and Labor. In these positions, he was involved for 27 years in nearly every major education debate held at the national level, including the reauthorizations of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, the Vocational Education Act, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, and the Higher Education Act. Mr. Jennings has served on the boards of various organizations such as the Educational Testing Service, the creator of the SAT and the AP

exams. Currently, Mr. Jennings is a member of the National Academy of Education, a prestigious organization of many of the country’s best researchers in education and related fields. Over the years, he has received awards from dozens of organizations, most recently from the American Education Research Association. Mr. Jennings has written a book on the politics of national education standards, edited four volumes on federal education policy, and writes a blog for the Huffington Post. He has also written numerous articles, and has been one of the authorities on education most cited in the news media. In March 2015, the Harvard Education Press released his latest book, Presidents, Congress, and the Public Schools. Mr. Jennings holds an A.B. from Loyola University and a J.D. from Northwestern University School of Law, and is a member of Bar of the U.S. Supreme Court. His web site is jackjenningsdc.com

Mary Beth KlotzDirector of Educational Practice, National Association of School Psychologists Mary Beth Klotz, Ph.D., NCSP, Director of Educational Practice, has worked as a staff director at the National Association of School Psychologists since 1999. She serves as NASP’s staff liaison for numerous national leadership groups, coalitions, and grant projects. Dr. Klotz has represented NASP on the National Joint Committee on Learning Disabilities (NJCLD) since 2001 and was elected chair of the NJCLD for 2006 through 2014. She serves as the staff liaison for several NASP committees, including the Multicultural Affairs Committee; the Bilingual School Psychology Interest Group; the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender, and Questioning Youth Committee; the Ethics and Professional Practices Committee; and the Child and Professional Advocacy Committee.

Dr. Klotz is a contributing editor and regular columnist for the Communiqué, NASP’s professional newspaper. She also develops fact sheets and informational resources for the NASP website and e-newsletters, and is a frequent presenter at NASP’s annual convention, as well as at conferences of other educational and mental health organizations. A nationally certified school psychologist, Dr. Klotz’s previous work experience includes 14 years of direct service in public school settings in Maryland and Washington, D.C., as a school psychologist and a special education teacher.

Carol Kochhar-BryantSenior Associate Dean of the Graduate School of Education and Human Development, The George Washington UniversityCarol Kochhar-Bryant, PhD is the Senior Associate Dean of the Graduate School of Education and Human Development, and former Chair of the Department of Special Education and Disability Studies. For more than 25 years she has developed and directed advanced graduate and doctoral leadership preparation programs in special education and disability studies. In collaboration with former Associate Dean Ianacone and Dr. Stacy Skalski of NASP, she has directed the Federal Education Policy Institute that has served GSEHD for the past 10 years.

Dr. Kochhar-Bryant has consulted and conducted evaluation with public school districts and state departments of education, U.S. Department of Education, National Association for Public Administration, and has collaborated in international special education research with the World Bank, Asia Technical Division. She has served on standards boards such as the NEA Great Schools Indicators Project and the National Board of Professional Teaching Standards Exceptional Learners Panel. She has assisted states to develop and evaluate their State Improvement Grants authorized under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. Other relevant evaluation experiences include the design and evaluation of the six Regional Resources Centers and Federal Resource Center of the U.S. Department of Education, evaluation of non-profit disability organizations, evaluation of special education and transition services in a 22 site correctional education system in Pennsylvania, and a variety of cross-categorical and community-based service (e.g., case management, residential services, adult vocational services, institutional services, respite care services and JTPA employment training programs).

Dr. Kochhar-Bryant is widely published in areas of disability policy and practice; interagency service coordination for individuals with disabilities, leadership development, and transition to post-secondary and employment for special learners. Dr. Kochhar-Bryant is past President of the Division on Career Development and Transition of the International Council for Exceptional Children.

Kristina Kyles-SmithAssistant State Superintendent, Maryland State Department of Education

Kristina Kyles-Smith is the Assistant State Superintendent in charge of the Division of Student, Family, and School Support at Maryland’s Department of Education. Her division is responsible for administering and supervising federal and State programs to improve the teaching and learning of students who are at risk of academic failure and to help to facilitate the emotional, mental, and physical health needs of all students.

Mrs. Kyles-Smith was raised in Holland, Michigan by parents who owned and operated a community outreach center and church. She received her Bachelors from Hope College in Holland, MI, her Master’s from Simmons College and is currently working on her Doctorate in Education. Ms. Kyles-Smith has worked as a high school teacher; a district’s Curriculum Director, Assistant Principal of Curriculum and Principal in Michigan, Massachusetts and Maryland. In 2011, Ms. Kyles-Smith relocated to Baltimore, MD to serve as the Principal of the Paul Laurence Dunbar High School. Kristina lives in Baltimore County with her husband and family.

Ms. Kyles-Smith is a member of the Maryland’s Association of Secondary School Principals, the National Alliance of Black School Educators, and the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development. She has served as a member of the diversity council for Boston’s Big Sisters Program, and is a member of the Harbor City Links, Incorporated.

DeQuan LawrenceYouth Representative, 100 Black Men of AmericaDaQuan Lawrence is an aspiring global public servant and Pan-African humanitarian who hails from New York City. A devout social justice activist and human rights aficionado, DaQuan received his B.A. in sociology, specializing in philosophy and criminal justice from Morgan State University (May 2013) in Baltimore, Maryland, and recently received his M.A. in international relations and international economics, specializing in international law and conflict management from the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (2016) in Washington D.C. His experiences include: working as a legislative intern for Congressman Elijah Cummings on Capitol Hill; implementing educational capacity building and community organizing projects in Baltimore via the AmeriCorps program; developing community outreach initiatives for a national voter registration campaign; working in Liberia with vulnerable women and ex-combatant youth on issues such as disaster risk reduction, urban poverty, and post-conflict and post-disaster recovery; in Indonesia as a researcher investigating palm oil production; in Haiti and the Dominican Republic on a human rights report focused on statelessness; and traveled to Israel and Palestine on a diplomacy trek that explored Israeli foreign policy, Israeli-Palestinian relations and the geopolitics of the region. Interested in international public policy and the politics of race, gender, education, xenophobia, class stratification and urban development, DaQuan is building his proficiency in Arabic, French and Kiswahili. Furthermore, he is extremely passionate about developing and empowering civil society, working to serve marginalized communities, and educating youth in order to advance the global community.

Nayamka LongDirector of Curriculum and Instruction, Creative Minds InternationalNayamka Long holds an M.A. in Education and Human Development from The George Washington University, and a B.S. in Kinesiology from The College of William and Mary. She was a classroom teacher and taught students from Pre-Kindergarten through elementary level for 15 years in a variety of educational settings, including public, private, and charter schools. As the Director of Curriculum and Instruction at Creative Minds International, she is responsible for overseeing the instructional program of all Pre-K3 through 5th grade classrooms. Nayamka has extensive experience in general and special education curriculum and program implementation. She is an expert in designing instruction to meet a wide range of student abilities, maximizing students' learning potential by addressing individual learning challenges and supporting exceptional talents. She is able to differentiate instruction to help classes of diverse learners reach standards based curriculum objectives. She also serves as the International Primary Curriculum Coordinator and works to develop teachers to effectively incorporate all components of the International Primary Curriculum, including the Academic, Personal, and International learning goals.

Dan LosenDirector of the Center for Civil Rights Remedies, University of California-Los Angeles (UCLA)

Daniel J. Losen is Director of the Center for Civil Rights Remedies, an initiative at the Civil Rights Project/Proyecto Derechos Civiles (CRP). He has worked at the Civil Rights Project since 1999, when it was affiliated with Harvard Law School, where he was a lecturer on law. Losen's work concerns the impact of law and policy on children of color and language minority students including: the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act with a focus on promoting diversity, access to effective teachers, and improving graduation rate accountability; the IDEA and racial inequity in special education; school discipline and revealing and redressing the “School-to- Prison Pipeline;” and protecting the rights of English learners to equal educational opportunity. On these and related topics he conducts law and policy research; publishes books, reports, and articles and works closely with federal and state legislators to inform legislative initiatives. Both for The Civil Rights Project, and independently, he provides guidance to policymakers, educators and advocates at the state and district level. Before becoming a lawyer, Mr. Losen taught in public schools for ten years, including work as a school founder of an alternative public school.

Raymond LucasPresident Emeritus of Maryland Chapter, 100 Black Men of AmericaProgram Manager, STEM, Howard County Public SchoolsRay Lucas is the Program Manager for Howard County Public School’s Math, Engineering Science, Achievement (MESA) program inspiring students to consider STEM careers. Raymond consults in the areas of Management, Leadership and Emotional Intelligence. He is a Licensed Consultant assisting nonprofit clients in obtaining the Standard of Excellence seal for operational excellence. As a three term President of 100 Black Men of Maryland, Inc., (now serving as President Emeritus,) Raymond led program expansion for community youth during some very tough economic times. But what he enjoys most is being a Mentor. His nine year association with the IDEA Partnership through his service to 100 Black Men of America’s Education Committee, has provided Raymond with the unique opportunity to work side by side with some of the best K-12 Educational Leaders in the world, developing resource materials on crucial topics like Disproportionality in Special Education, Response to Intervention (RTI,) Autism, Universal Design for Learning (UDL,) and Leading by Convening – A Blueprint for Authentic Engagement.

In Raymond’s previous career, he thrived in a fast pace environment for 32 years at IBM, helping thousands of diverse customers and colleagues adapt and leverage rapid change in highly competitive environments. This extensive experience rendered Raymond with a rare depth and breadth of skills in the areas of organizational change, leadership and management.

Raymond is a graduate of the Executive MBA Fellows program at Loyola University in Maryland.

Sara MeadPartner of Policy and Thought Leadership, Bellwether Education Partners, Washington, D.C.Sara Mead is a partner with Bellwether Education Partners in the Policy and Thought Leadership practice and leads Bellwether’s early childhood work across multiple service areas. Since joining Bellwether in 2010, she has written and conducted policy analysis on early childhood education, charter schools, teacher quality, and state and federal education policy issues and has provided strategic advising support to foundations, advocacy organizations, and early childhood operators. Her work has been featured in media outlets including The Washington Post, New York Times, Slate, and USA Today, and she is a regular contributor to U.S. News & World Report’s Knowledge Bank vertical. Before joining Bellwether, Sara directed the New America Foundation’s Early Education Initiative. She has also worked for Education Sector, the Progressive Policy Institute, and the U.S. Department of Education. She serves on the District of Columbia Public Charter School Board, which authorizes charter schools in Washington, D.C. She holds a bachelor’s degree in public policy from Vanderbilt University.

John MonsifVice President of Government Relations, First FocusJohn Monsif serves as the Vice President of Government Relations. In this capacity, he works on the budget, appropriations and tax policy as they pertain to children and families along with leading the Children’s Budget

Coalition. He brings to the position advocacy experience, over seven years of experience on Capitol Hill as a two-time Chief of Staff and Legislative Director and over six years in the private sector. He previously served as the Senior Director of Government Relations for Save the Children’s recently created 501(c)(4), Save the Children Action Network (SCAN). As the head of government relations, he developed and executed the state and federal and legislative strategies along with overseeing policy for SCAN. He worked on two critical issues: (1) Securing early education – by ensuring access to high-quality early education for every U.S. child; and (2) Helping kids survive – by ending preventable, early childhood deaths around the world. Prior to working at SCAN, John served as the Chief of Staff to Representatives John Delaney (D-MD-6) and Louise Slaughter (D-NY-25) and also served as Ms. Slaughter’s Legislative Director. In those roles, he quickly learned the legislative and political process, the key players, and a wide variety of issues including transportation and infrastructure and financial services. His first position on Capitol Hill was as a Systems Administrator for Christopher Shays (R-CT-04) beginning his career over at 32 years old. John started his career as an Account Manager for David Michael & Company, a flavor company that sells to Fortune 100 food and beverage companies. Based in Boston, MA, he grew his sales territory by 85 percent over the six years in the position securing new business with major ice cream manufactures in New England. John grew up in Greenwich, Connecticut and graduated from the University of Virginia’s McIntire School of Commerce with a Bachelor of Science in finance.

Emily MorganSenior Policy Analyst, Council of State Governments, Justice CenterEmily Morgan works on the CSG Justice Center’s School Discipline Consensus-Building Project. Prior to joining the Center, Emily served as national policy coordinator for The After-School Corporation where she conducted policy analysis and research, and coordinated grant initiatives related to out-of-school time and youth development. She brings valuable experience in program management and education policy. Previously, Emily taught fifth grade in Montgomery County Public Schools (Md.) and served as a program officer at the Institute of International Education where she managed Foreign Fulbright grantees. She also conducted research on effective middle-grades policies and practices for the Academy for Educational Development’s Middle Start National Center. Emily received her B.S. from Vanderbilt University and her master’s degree in Education Policy from Columbia University Teachers College.

Paul MorganAssociate Professor, Education Policy Studies and Director, Educational Risk Initiative, Penn State UniversityPaul L. Morgan, Ph.D., is a Professor at Penn State’s Department of Education Policy Studies and Director of the Center for Educational Disparities Research. His work investigates why some children are more likely to struggle academically or behaviorally while attending preschools or schools in the U.S., and how these children can be helped by practitioners and policymakers. A particular focus of this work has been examining racial and ethnic disparities in disability identification and treatment. He has advised the White House’s Office of Management and Budget and the President’s Domestic Policy Council. Dr. Morgan has published over 45 articles in peer-reviewed journals, with this work appearing in Pediatrics, Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, Child Development, Educational Researcher, Exceptional Children, Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, Journal of Learning Disabilities, and other highly selective journals. Dr. Morgan’s work has been reported on in the New York Times, U.S. News and World Report, Politico, CBS News, Fox News, USA Today, the Atlantic, and other national news organizations. Dr. Morgan is an inaugural awardee of a Spencer Foundation's Midcareer Grant Fellowship. He received the Distinguished Early Career Research Award by the Council of Exceptional Children’s Division of Research, the Outstanding Senior Researcher Award by Penn State’s College of Education, and the Distinguished Researcher Award from the American Educational Research Association’s Special Education Research Group. His research has been supported by the U.S. Department of Education’s Institute of Education Sciences, the National Institutes of Child Health and Human Development, and the Spencer Foundation.

Melissa ReevesNASP President 2016-2017Melissa Reeves, PhD, NCSP, LPC is the current President of the National Association of School Psychologists (2016-17). She is also a nationally certified school psychologist, licensed professional counselor, and licensed

special education teacher. Most recently she has worked as an adjunct instructor at Winthrop University and as a school psychologist at a pre-K-12th grade school. She previously worked in public schools and day and residential treatment programs. Dr. Reeves is a co-author of the PREPaRE Crisis Prevention and Intervention curriculum and travels both nationally and internationally training professionals in crisis prevention and intervention, threat and suicide assessment, trauma and PTSD, and cognitive-behavioral interventions. She has co-authored multiple books and publications.

Diane Stark Rentner Deputy Director, Center on Education Policy Diane has been with CEP since its founding in January 1995, where she has guided CEP’s research and authored several reports. From 1988 to 1994, she served as a legislative associate for the U.S. House of Representatives' Committee on Education and Labor, where she worked on the reauthorization of several major education programs including the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, the Higher Education Act, the National School Lunch Act, the Child Nutrition Act, and the authorization of the Goals 2000: Educate America Act. Ms. Rentner also worked for the National PTA and the Council of Chief State School Officers in their government relations offices. She holds a B.S. from the University of Utah.

Eric RossenDirector, Professional Development and Standards, National Association of School Psychologists Eric Rossen, Ph.D., received his doctorate in School Psychology from the University of Florida, and is a Nationally Certified School Psychologist and licensed psychologist in the state of Maryland. He has experience working in public schools as well as independent practice, and is currently the Director of Professional Development and Standards for the National Association of School Psychologists. Dr. Rossen has published several manuscripts and presented nationally on issues related to bullying, crisis response, trauma, school psychological practices, and school safety. Dr. Rossen has recently edited Supporting and Educating Traumatized Students: A Guide for School Based Professionals (Oxford University Press) and has been interviewed by various media sources, including CNN, CBS Evening News, NPR, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, and the Boston Globe. He also has served as a college instructor and adjunct faculty at the University of Missouri and Prince George's Community College in Maryland.

Nina SalomonSenior Policy Analyst, Council of State Governments, Justice CenterNina Salomon is a Policy Analyst in the CSG Justice Center’s Local Governments Division working on the School Discipline Consensus Project. Previously, she was a Policy Advisor at Education Counsel, a national policy and legal consulting firm where she provided assistance to clients at state education agencies, school districts, and national organizations to advance policy change. As a former Investment Associate at The Chicago Public Education Fund, Nina conducted due diligence on prospective investments and managed projects in partnership with Chicago Public Schools. She also conducted research and wrote policy briefs and funding guides to support charter schools and youth development programs while at the Finance Project, and worked in government relations for a national youth development organization. Immediately out of graduate school Nina worked in the Migrant Head Start Technical Assistance Center supporting local grantees. Nina earned a B.A. in Political Science from The George Washington University and an M.S.Ed in Education Policy from the University of Pennsylvania.

David ShribergProfessor of Counseling and School Psychology, Loyola University, Chicago, ILDavid Shriberg, Ph.D., is a Professor of School Psychology at Loyola University Chicago. Dr. Shriberg is the Editor of Journal of Educational & Psychological Consultation, the lead editor of School Psychology and Social Justice: Conceptual Foundations and Implications for Practice (Shriberg, Song, Miranda, & Radliff, 2013), a Contributing Editor of the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP)’s Communiqué, a former president of Trainers of School Psychologists, and the founder and former co-chair of NASP’s social justice interest group. His scholarly work focuses on topics related to social justice, consultation, and ways in which families, schools, and communities can collaborate to support the academic and social-emotional development of students. To date, he has edited six books, guest-edited three special topic journal issues, authored over four dozen articles and book chapters, and has made approximately 100 presentations at the local, regional, national, and international level.

Anastasia (Stacy) Kalamaros SkalskiDirector, Professional Policy and Practice, National Association of School PsychologistsAnastasia (Stacy) Skalski, Ph.D. is Director of Professional Policy and Practice for the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP), where she works collaboratively with national policy makers, state leaders, educational and health professionals, and elected officials to advocate for expanding school-based mental health services for children and youth. Dr. Skalski has twenty five years of experience as a school psychologist practitioner, professor, school administrator, and advocate for children’s mental health. Prior to joining the NASP staff in 2005, Dr. Skalski served as Coordinator of Mental Health Services for the Douglas County School District (DCSD), Castle Rock, Colorado; as Assistant Research Professor in School Psychology and Initial Teacher Preparation at the University of Colorado at Denver; and as a school psychologist for the Douglas County and Cherry Creek School Districts. Over the last two decades, she has written numerous articles and delivered hundreds of professional presentations, trainings, and in-services across the USA on legal issues, advocacy, assessment, behavior planning, school violence prevention, crisis intervention, response to intervention, and professional issues in school mental health. Dr. Skalski received her BA in psychology from Hanover College in Indiana (1985), her MA in educational psychology from the University of Denver (1986), and her PhD in school psychology from the University of Denver (1991).

Kelly Vaillancourt StrobachDirector of Government Relations, National Association of School PsychologistsKelly Vaillancourt, Ph.D. is the Director of Government Relations for the National Association of School Psychologists, where she works collaboratively with public policy makers, educational and health professionals, and elected officials to advocate for the importance and value of school psychology, school psychologists and school psychological services. She also represents NASP on a number of coalitions working to advocate for public policies that support NASP’s mission. Prior to joining the NASP staff in 2011, Kelly spent seven years practicing as a school psychologist in Loudoun County Public Schools (VA). During her time in Loudoun County, Kelly served as a Central Based Crisis Team Leader, was a member of the Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports coordination team. Kelly has reviewed articles for CEC’s Exceptional Children, and the International Journal of Education Policy & Leadership and has delivered professional presentations, trainings, and in-services on PBIS, data collection and analysis, school violence, crisis intervention, and mental health awareness. Kelly earned her BA in Psychology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, her MA and Certificate of Advanced Study (CAS) in School Psychology from Appalachian State University, and her PhD in Education Policy at George Mason University.