Petra Luhrsen is a first year elementary assistant principal in Sacramento, California. Prior to becoming an assistant principal, she was an elementary teacher for grades K-6. In addition to serving as an assistant principal, she currently serves as a teacher consultant for the Area 3 Writing Project as well as a Lead Learner for CUE.
Jamie Sussel Turner served as a school principal for 12 years in Fair Haven, New Jersey. Since 2009 she has maximized her leadership skills and transitioned to a new role as an author, speaker and professional coach. Her awardwinning book, Less Stress Business: A Guide for Hiring, Coaching, and Leading Great Employees is the “go to” resource for legions of new leaders.
Michael Watkins was born and raised in Oakland, California. He attended Cal State Hayward where he was awarded a B.A. in Psychology and teaching credentials in both History and Special Education. He also received a Master’s Degree in School Administration. Michael has over 45 years’ experience in education. He has held the positions of Learning Handicapped Program
Annette Sweeney is the Principal at Parkrose Middle School, a National AVID Demonstration Site. She started her educational career teaching at a private school in Corvallis, Oregon before moving to the Portland area and being hired as a health and PE teacher at Parkrose Middle School.
Kali Baird has been in education for 23 years and is in her 2nd year of administration. She is currently the Director of Education Technology for San Domenico School, California’s oldest independent school, spanning grades K-12 with 640 students. Kali currently lives in the San Francisco Bay area with her husband.
Maya Woods-Cadiz is a Superintendent at American Indian Model Schools in Oakland, California. Maya has nearly twenty years of experience in education, as an Elementary Teacher, Principal and now Superintendent. She lives in Oakland with her husband and has two wonderful daughters.
Catina Haugen is in her 19th year in education. Fourteen years teaching 5th & 6th grades and now in her 5th year as an administrator. Catina lives in Petaluma, California with her husband, Jeff, and two boys, Joshua and Jacob. Valley Vista Elementary is her school home, a TK-6 campus of 325 students.
Frank Buck is a veteran school administrator, public speaker, productivity coach, and writer. He is the author Get Organized!: Time Management for School Leaders. Dr. Buck helps people achieve their goals through organization and time management. He has spoken to audiences throughout the United States and into Canada to acquaint them with "organization made easy."
Kim Marshall was a sixth-grade teacher in a Boston middle school for nine years and thought he would do it forever. But then in 1978, he read a report on the “effective schools” research by Ron Edmonds and was inspired by the difference a principal who is an instructional leader could make. After a year in graduate school to get certified and a six-year detour in the Boston central office, Kim finally got to be a principal in 1987 of Mather Elementary School, the oldest elementary school in the nation (founded in 1639).
TEDx speaker Dr. Jenny Grant Rankin teaches the Post-doctorate Masterclass at University of Cambridge in England, but she lives most of the year in California writing books for other educators. Dr. Rankin’s Ph.D. is in Education with a specialization in School Improvement Leadership.
