Authors & Presenters

Dr. Jim Cummins supports school leaders wanting to build student-centered cultures. During his 30 years of positively impacting students, he served as coach, teacher, principal, superintendent, and junior college vice president.

Adam R. Hill is an assistant superintendent overseeing 13 middle schools in a large metropolitan school district in Georgia.

Kyle is the principal of Powell Middle School in Powell, Wyoming. Prior to administration, he was an elementary teacher where he developed the passion for professional learning communities and the power behind building a strong culture and teamwork in a school.

James Rawls serves as a principal in a large metropolitan school district in Georgia. His passion for education is evident through his experience of more than 20 years in the field.

Rob J. Meyer, EdD, is an experienced educator currently serving as the director of secondary teaching and learning at Monona Grove School District in Wisconsin. With over 20 years in education, he previously served as a teacher of social studies, an assistant principal at the secondary level, a principal at the primary level, and a 4K–12 C&I director.

Tim Solley is an experienced leadership coach for the Alabama Department of Education’s Office of School Improvement. With more than 35 years of service in public education, he was previously a classroom teacher, K–12 school administrator, and assistant superintendent.

Scott M. Beattie is the assistant superintendent for instruction of the Windsor Central School District in Windsor, New York. With over 15 years experience, he specializes in professional learning community and Community School implementation, technology integration, and K–12 career pathway development.

Nathan Manley serves as the assistant superintendent of instruction in the Neosho School District. During his nearly 20 years of experience, Nathan has also been a classroom teacher and principal, leading the development of five different professional learning community school recognitions.

David (Cal) Callaway, EdD, is the deputy head of school at the International Community School of Addis Ababa in Ethiopia. He has worked in international education since 1998 and has served as both a teacher and an administrator.

Brad Rogers is currently the principal at Cadott Elementary School in Wisconsin. He has been an educator for 28 years and specializes in helping schools implement collaborative processes that lead to high levels of learning.

Stephanie Discher serves as the director of elementary education for Wasatch County School District in Utah. With a sincere passion for empowering educators, she is dedicated to fostering a deep understanding of and appreciation for the professional learning community process.

Jeff Byrnes is the current assistant superintendent for teaching and learning in the St. Helens School District in St. Helens, Oregon. With over 25 years of experience in education, Jeff specializes in the implementation of professional learning communities and multitiered systems of supports. He is certified to lead in Professional Learning Communities (PLC) at Work® and Response to Intervention (RTI) at Work™. He has also served as a teacher, assistant principal, and principal in Arizona and Washington.

Chris Bergmann serves as an assistant principal at Timnath Middle-High School in Colorado. Previously, he spent 17 years as an administrator, science teacher, and coach at Kinard Middle School, a Model PLC at Work® School.

Keri Greener serves as assistant superintendent in Box Elder School District. An educator for more than 34 years, she has been an elementary school teacher, literacy coach, district literacy specialist, principal, and director of assessment and professional development.

Stephanie Kraft currently serves as an assistant principal of White River High School, which has been a Model PLC in Washington State since 2016. Previously, she served as a high school and middle school social studies teacher.

Luke Francois, EdD, is superintendent of Waterford Union High School in Wisconsin. He specializes in the continuous improvement process to support the work of PLCs in small rural and large suburban districts.

Blake Clark brings a wealth of experience from various educational settings, including schools, districts, and charter schools across North America. He is a firm believer that schools can achieve their fullest potential through collaborative efforts centered on intentional learning.

Keri Rathbun, EdD, is the director of Coordinated School Health and Career Counseling for Fort Smith Public Schools, Arkansas. She has worked in education for more than 20 years and served as an administrator at the middle and high school levels.

Phillip Page, EdD, is the superintendent of the Bartow County School System in Cartersville, Georgia. His experience spans more than 30 years and includes serving as a biology teacher, high school assistant principal, middle school and high school principal, and assistant superintendent.

Bruce R. Fraser, EdD, is an assistant superintendent at a large metropolitan district in Georgia. He specializes in leadership, difficult conversations, coaching, creating a positive culture, and the power of influence.

Emily Feltner, EdD, has over 30 years of experience at all levels in education. She works with schools and districts in the areas of leadership, literacy, and school improvement.

Rusty Taylor has been a professional educator since 1997, serving as a science teacher, middle school assistant principal, and principal at both the middle and high school levels.

Michael J. Maffoni, an educator since 1987, has a diverse background that includes experience as a teacher, principal, and central administrator in a variety of districts in Colorado. He also teaches courses in educational leadership as an affiliate faculty member at Regis University.

Steve Meade is the executive director of curriculum and assessment at Singapore American School. He has been a teacher and administrator for over 29 years, with educational experience across elementary, middle, and high schools.

Chris Beingessner is the middle school principal of Singapore American School, located in the Woodlands area of Singapore. He has been a vice principal in elementary, middle and high schools around the world and has taught grades 1–12.

With a career spanning over three decades, Tesha Ferriby Thomas, EdD, is a seasoned educator whose dedication to fostering collaborative learning environments has significantly enhanced educational practices and student outcomes in schools nationwide.

Cindy Watters is currently the principal of Whittier Elementary School in Seattle Public Schools. With experience in large urban school districts and international schools, Cindy has worked and led in a wide variety of settings around the world.

Brian M. Stack is a superintendent of schools in New Hampshire and a former principal who specializes in supporting teachers and administrators in developing, sustaining, and enhancing structures to support all learners.

Timothy D. Kanold, PhD, an award-winning educator and author, is former superintendent of Adlai E. Stevenson High School District 125, a Model PLC at Work® district in Lincolnshire, Illinois.

Robert Eaker, EdD, is a professor emeritus at Middle Tennessee State University, where he also served as dean of the College of Education and interim vice president and provost.

Kenneth C. Williams, a former teacher, assistant principal, and principal, shares his experience and expertise as a recognized trainer, speaker, coach, and presenter in education and leadership.

Karen Power is an educational presenter and a former teacher, principal, superintendent, and senior advisor for professional learning and leadership. Karen has implemented the PLC process both as a principal and as a superintendent, and for several years, she has supported collaborative work in schools to meet the needs of students.

With over 30 years of experience in K–12 education, author and education expert Jeanne Spiller is an associate with Solution Tree, supporting schools and districts through workshops, coaching, and collaborative initiatives to enhance instruction, foster innovation, and promote equity.

Janel Keating is former superintendent of the White River School District in the state of Washington. She is a former elementary and middle school teacher, elementary principal, director of student learning, and deputy superintendent.

Eric Twadell, PhD, is superintendent of Adlai E. Stevenson High School in Lincolnshire, Illinois. He has been a social studies teacher, curriculum director, and assistant superintendent for leadership and organizational development.

Cassandra Erkens is the author of eight books with more currently in progress, as well as chapters in several anthologies. Additionally, she is a facilitator, a trainer of trainers, an educator, and a coach. Her work focuses on educational topics, including assessment, instruction, leadership, school improvement, and professional learning communities.

Anthony Muhammad, PhD, is an author and international thought leader. He served as a practitioner for nearly twenty years where he served as a teacher, assistant principal, and principal. He is recognized as one of the fields leading experts in the areas of school culture and Professional Learning Communities at Work (PLC).