Speakers

• Brad Saron Superintendent, Sun Prarie Area School District
  

  Brad Saron

  Superintendent, Sun Prarie Area School District
• Dr. Baron R. Davis Former Superintendent, Richland School District Two
  

  Dr. Baron R. Davis

  Former Superintendent, Richland School District Two

  Dr. Baron R. Davis is former superintendent of Richland School District Two in Columbia, S.C. He is the first Black superintendent in the district’s 96-year history. Discovering his passion and purpose early, Dr. Davis has been a trailblazer for public education for over two decades. Using personal experiences, dating back to growing up in public housing, he assesses needs and creates innovative structures to
  achieve goals of equity and excellence. He has made increasing recruitment and retention of male teachers of color a priority by launching the Premier 100 initiative.

  Advancing the district’s long-standing commitment to providing superior learning experiences in top-notch facilities, Dr. Davis and his team tirelessly worked for the passage of a $468 million bond referendum to address facility needs in the areas of safety and security, academic learning spaces, transportation, technology and arts/athletics.

  Richland Two continues to be known for high-quality magnet schools that promote choice, diversity and academic excellence. Since 2016, 25 district magnet programs have earned national certification from Magnet Schools of America, 12 are Demonstration Schools.

  Finding ways to highlight student success, Dr. Davis was instrumental in launching the Premier Scholars program in 2018 to recognize students who are academically in the top 10 of their class. Dr. Davis has had the privilege of celebrating the historic achievements of the first two cohorts of graduates from the Richland Two AVID Early College who earned their diplomas and Associate’s degrees while still in high school.

  An ardent supporter of military families, in 2019 Richland Two became one of the first two school districts in the state to be named a Purple Star School District for its significant commitment to welcome and support military families.

  Dr. Davis’s support of education and his community extends beyond Richland Two. Currently, he serves on the the University of South Carolina (UofSC) Trio Programs Advisory Board, the South Carolina Male Achievement Conference Planning Committee, the American Heart Association’s Heart Walk of the Midlands Committee, Junior Achievement of the Midlands and Greater South Carolina, Rotary International, national and state associations of school administrators, and Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc.
  Since 2018, he has been named the 100 Black Men of Greater Columbia Educational Leader of the Year, earned the Francis Marion University Professional Industry Award for Education and Arts, the Columbia Chamber of Commerce Cathy Novinger Trailblazer Award and Hyman Rubin, Sr. Distinguished Service Award from the Greater Columbia Community Relations Council. AASA | The Superintendents Association awarded him the Dr. Effie H. Jones Humanitarian Award; Education Week named him a Leader to Learn From for Leadership in Equity; and K-12 Dive placed him on their Superintendent to Watch list for recruitment/retention of male minority teachers. K-12 Dive also named Richland Two the 2021 School District of the Year. He has received the Bob Grossman Leadership in School Communications Award from the National School Public Relations Association for implementing communications strategies to better serve parents, students, community partners and employees. The South Carolina Athletic Administrators Association named him the 2022 4A/5A Superintendent of the Year. The College Board selected him for their Superintendent’s Advisory Council in 2022. Dr. Davis is participating in the AASA National Superintendent Certification Program®. He’s a superintendent in residence in the UofSC College of Education’s Department of Educational Leadership and Policies.
  Dr. Davis earned a Bachelor of Science degree in sociology from Francis Marion University. From the UofSC, he earned master’s degrees in school counseling and educational administration, and Educational Specialist and Doctor of Philosophy degrees in educational counseling.

  Dr. Davis, a Columbia native, is a member of Brookland Baptist Church. He and his wife, Pamela, have three daughters. One daughter attends school in Richland Two and two are recent graduates.

• Dr. Courtney Orzel Former Superintendent, Lemont-Bromberek School District 113A
  

  Dr. Courtney Orzel

  Former Superintendent, Lemont-Bromberek School District 113A
• Jill Siler Deputy Executive, Texas Association of Administrators
  

  Jill Siler

  Deputy Executive, Texas Association of Administrators

  Jill served as Superintendent of Gunter ISD for nearly ten years and is now the Deputy Executive Director for Professional Learning for the Texas Association of School Administrators. Her book, Thrive Through The Five: Practical Truths to Powerfully Lead through Challenging Times, was a #1 Bestselling New Release for Education Administration.

• Joe Sanfelippo Superintendent, Fall Creek School District
  

  Joe Sanfelippo

  Superintendent, Fall Creek School District

  Dr. Joe Sanfelippo is the Superintendent of the Fall Creek School District in Fall Creek, Wisconsin. Joe holds a BA in Elementary and Early Childhood Education, an MS in Educational Psychology, an MS in Educational Leadership, and a Ph.D. in Leadership, Learning, and Service. Joe co-authored multiple books, most recently Hacking Leadership: 10 Ways Great Leaders Inspire Learning That Teachers, Students, and Parents Love. He was selected as 1 of 117 Future Ready Superintendents in 2014 and 1 of 50 Superintendents as a Personalized Learning Leader by the US Department of Education in 2016. Education Dive named Joe 1 of 5 K-12 Administrators to watch in 2018 and their National Superintendent of the Year in 2019.

• Jon Prince Superintendent, St. Lucie County Schools
  

  Jon Prince

  Superintendent, St. Lucie County Schools

  Dr. Jon Prince grew up in Fort Walton Beach, Florida. He graduated from the University of Florida with a Bachelor’s and Master’s in Elementary Education. After a year of teaching elementary school, Dr. Prince moved to Palm Beach County and taught middle school science. He completed his Specialist’s Degree and Doctorate in Educational Leadership at Nova Southeastern University in 2002.

  Recognized for his efforts to support positive school change, Dr. Prince worked as an assistant principal in urban and failing schools in both middle and high school. In 2003, he was appointed Principal at Verde Elementary in Boca Raton, Florida. In 2004, he was selected as the Principal for Palm Beach Gardens High School, a large, failing urban school in Palm Beach County, Florida. In 2005, the school emerged a “B,” and Dr. Prince was recognized by the State as one of the Turnaround Principals of the Year.  Dr. Prince continued working with struggling schools in Palm Beach County – primarily in Hispanic, African American, and Haitian communities.  All these schools showed improved academic student achievement and increased graduation rates through 2013.

  In 2013, Dr. Prince accepted a position as Principal of Colonial High School in Orange County, Florida.  At the time, Colonial High was one of the largest comprehensive high schools in Florida.  In his first year at the school, Colonial High School had the largest gains in writing on the FCAT, improving proficiency from 36% to 70%, the largest improvement in the State.  The school also improved from a C-rated school to a B-rated school, having some of the largest gains in achievement in Orange County schools.  In his two years as principal, Dr. Prince increased the graduation rate from 80% in 2013 to 90% in 2015, an impressive achievement in such a short time.

  In the summer of 2015, Dr. Prince accepted the position of Deputy Superintendent of St. Lucie Public Schools. He has assisted with orchestrating the Superintendent’s vision of accountability, high standards and rigor in our public schools. In six years, the District has soared from 45th to 28th in overall academic performance, while ranking as high as 22nd out of 67 districts as recently as 2018.  In addition, SLPS ranks in the top 10 in the State for graduation rate, improving from 75% to 95% over the last 6 years.  St. Lucie Public Schools is one of only 4 districts in Florida to maintain a graduation rate of over 90% for 5 consecutive years.

  Dr. Prince resides with his wife, Heather and their youngest child Meredith, who is enrolled in St. Lucie Public Schools. His older children, Maverick, Zoe and AshLee, are either enrolled at or graduated from the University of Florida, Florida State University and the University of Central Florida, respectively. Dr. Prince is a proud advocate for public education, believing that equity and access to accelerated coursework will create a thriving community in St. Lucie County.

• Ken Williams CEO, Unfold the Soul
  

  Ken Williams

  CEO, Unfold the Soul

  A self-described “cage rattler,” Ken is a nationally recognized trainer, speaker, coach, and consultant in leadership and school culture. As a principal who transformed two challenged schools, he uses this experience to inspire hope, help school leaders create a clear vision, and offer practical strategies to overcome challenges.

• Marlon Styles Former Superintendent, Middletown City Schools
  

  Marlon Styles

  Former Superintendent, Middletown City Schools
• Matt Miller Former Superintendent, Lakota Local Schools, OH
  

  Matt Miller

  Former Superintendent, Lakota Local Schools, OH
• Scott Bailey Former Superintendent, Desert Sands Unified School District
  

  Scott Bailey

  Former Superintendent, Desert Sands Unified School District

  In the Spring of 2017, Scott Bailey began his superintendency with a four-step process to LOOK, LISTEN, LEARN, and LEAD. The first three steps included 35 site visits, 800 classroom visits, various division and department tours, and numerous community interactions. Additionally, the results of the Thoughtexchange survey, which included the voice of parents/guardians, certificated and classified staff, students, management and confidential staff, as well as community members, helped to form an action plan. The Superintendent Action Plan, which encompasses 45 objectives represents the final step, LEAD.

• Zandra Jo Galván Superintendent, Greenfield Unified School District, CA
  

  Zandra Jo Galván

  Superintendent, Greenfield Unified School District, CA

  Superintendent of Greenfield (Calif.) Union School District, Zandra is passionate in her belief that “All Means All.” Through the district’s Local Control Accountability Plan, she drives a mission to promote all students academically and socially-emotionally, and to ensure all students are fully prepared for postsecondary success.