Authors & Presenters

Jonathan G. Vander Els specializes in supporting teachers and administrators in schools and districts across the country in developing, sustaining, and enhancing structures to support all learners.

Eddie Velez is the former principal at Kennedy High School in Fremont, California. He specializes in building leadership capacity, building PLC culture, implementing RTI, and coaching collaborative teams. He has a genuine connection and care for every school he serves and is respected for his ability to meet schools “where they are” without compromising the end goal of creating equitable opportunities for all students.

Jamie Virga, EdD, has over 35 years of experience as a teacher, principal, professional developer, principal coach, and associate superintendent. He works to support schools and districts with implementing Professional Learning Communities at Work® and RTI at Work™ processes.

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.

Katie White is an author and presenter with more than 30 years of experience in education. She has been a system leader, an administrator, a learning coach, and a K–12 classroom and online teacher.

Gerald R. Williams has over 15 years’ experience implementing and supporting PLC and RTI work in schools and districts. Most recently, he served as the executive director of elementary education for the Nampa School District in Idaho.

Dr. Amy Williams brings over 25 years of experience in education, specializing in fostering inclusive practices and systems-level change to improve student outcomes.

Vicki Wilson is an author with 30 years of experience as a public school educator, having served as a classroom teacher and a principal. Her work focuses on leveraging best practices to ensure that all students learn at high levels.

Hillary Woest is a presenter, staff developer, and practitioner with over 24 years of experience in public education. She specializes in supporting Professional Learning Communities at Work® and Response to Intervention at Work™ in schools by helping them assess, refine, and optimize current systems of support for special populations and challenging demographics.

Jon Yost is the recently retired associate superintendent of curriculum and instruction for Sanger Unified School District in California. He has worked in public education at the elementary, secondary, and district levels.