Authors & Presenters

Patricia Musick is the executive director of elementary education at Willis Independent School District in Willis, Texas. Her focus is coaching instructional leaders at elementary and district levels through the PLC Process in order to grow their students and teachers.

Sean Nank, PhD, is a presidential awardee, professor, presenter, and educator. He teaches at California State University San Marcos and the American College of Education.

Kristi Napoli is the principal at Golden Hills Elementary School, a Model Professional Learning Community at Work® school in Northern California. With over 20 years of experience, she’s found success in collaborative teams, the professional learning community process, and multitiered systems of support.

Samantha R. Neff is an elementary mathematics instructional coach. She works with teachers, students, parents, and administrators to enhance the teaching, learning, and assessing of mathematics to improve student achievement.

With more than 30 years of experience in education, Tracy Nelson specializes in supporting districts, buildings, and teams in developing and implementing practices that bring clarity and focus to professional learning communities

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.

Dr. Molly Ness is a former classroom teacher, a reading researcher, and a teacher educator. She spent 16 years as an associate professor of childhood education at Fordham University. She has extensive experience in reading clinics, consulting with school districts, leading professional development, and advising school systems on research-based reading instruction.

Brad Neuendorf, principal of Lander Valley High School, led its recognition as a Model PLC at Work® school in 2019 and a 2020 DuFour Award Finalist, reflecting his commitment to student achievement and continuous school improvement.

Joanna Newton, PhD, is a professor of education at Notre Dame of Maryland University, where she specializes in literacy instruction. She has been an elementary classroom teacher, literacy coach, reading intervention specialist, and curriculum developer.

Kim Nichols, EdD, is former assistant superintendent in Ringgold, Georgia. Under her leadership, Catoosa County Schools was named the first Model PLC District in Georgia and twelve schools have become Model PLCs.