Authors & Presenters

Casey R. Ahner is currently the coordinator of special programs at Albuquerque Bilingual Academy, and he has served as a special education teacher, counselor, assistant principal, and principal at the intermediate and elementary levels.

Jason A. Andrews, EdD is the superintendent of Windsor Central School District and the 2019 Superintendent of the Year. Previously, he served as a high school teacher, coach, cocurricular adviser, and middle school principal.

Eric Atuahene, EdD, is a dedicated educational leader known for his commitment to student achievement, instructional excellence, and collaborative school culture. Dr. Atuahene has consistently championed equity, innovation, and data-informed decision making to drive academic success. His leadership is grounded in fostering trust, accountability, and continuous growth among educators and students alike. Holding a doctorate in education, Dr. Atuahene combines scholarly expertise with practical leadership to create impactful, sustainable change in educational settings.

Kim Bailey is former director of professional development and instructional support for the Capistrano Unified School District in California. She also served as an adjunct faculty member at Chapman University in California.

Jack Baldermann has been a passionate educational leader for over 30 years. His experience includes leading several high-poverty urban schools to significant success and supporting eight different priority or high-poverty schools to become Model PLC at Work® schools.

Chris Bennett, EdD, is the executive director of middle schools and accountability for Cleveland County Schools in North Carolina. Under his leadership, Burns Middle School was designated a Model PLC School and earned Highly Effective Schools Accreditation.

Kristen Bordonaro, EdD, has served as a school- and district-level administrator for the last 15 years. She’s worked with both private and public school districts as well as special education collaboratives. Dr. Bordonaro’s passion is in uniting school teams to support the needs of all students through an “all means all” model.

Tim Brown is an internationally recognized presenter and practitioner who specializes in helping school leaders and teachers align their school improvement efforts across an entire campus and/or district.

Austin Buffum, EdD, has more than 45 years of experience in public schools. His many roles include serving as former senior deputy superintendent of the Capistrano Unified School District in California.

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.