Authors & Presenters

Ann-Bailey Lipsett is a special education specialist and DIR/Floortime practitioner with twenty years of experience working with children, families, and schools.

Mandy E. Lusk, PhD, is a lifelong special education practitioner who serves as an associate professor of special education at Clayton State University and has taught students of all ages with emotional and behavioral disorders across the United States.

Robert J. Marzano, PhD, is cofounder and chief academic officer of Marzano Resources in Denver, Colorado. A leading researcher in education, he is a speaker, trainer, and author of more than 50 books and 200 articles.

Christine Mason, PhD, is the founder and executive director of the Center for Educational Improvement, an assistant clinical professor of psychology at Yale University, and the co-principal investigator of the Compassionate School Leadership Academy.

Jessica R. May, M.Ed., is a passionate educator and 2024 Colorado Teacher of the Year with over 25 years of experience. She specializes in building strong student relationships, classroom management, and making reading relevant across all content areas.

Karla McCarty, EdD, has over 25 years of experience in K-12 education as a chief academic officer, director of district wide programs, school counselor, and teacher.

Dr. Alexander McNeece is an award-winning former principal, teacher, author, and consultant. He helps educators boost student engagement, develop healthy school cultures, and integrate AI tools for enhanced learning.

Marlene Moyer is a teacher at South Lake Tahoe Middle School in South Lake Tahoe, California. She was an integral part of a leadership team that designed student-friendly critical concepts for student scoring using the High Reliability Schools framework.

Kristen Nelson is an elementary school principal for the Capistrano Unified School District in California. She also serves as a college professor, leadership teacher, educational consultant, author, and leader of her district’s Spanish dual-language immersion programs.

Brandie M. Oliver, PhD, is an associate professor at Butler University teaching in the Masters in School Counseling program and a frequent presenter for local, state and national education conferences. Her specific areas of interest include social-emotional learning, trauma-responsive education, suicide prevention and intervention, comprehensive school counseling, restorative practices, and ensuring work is done through a lens of equity and cultural responsiveness.