Day 1 KEYNOTE SPEAKER - Michelle Accardi
National Board for Professional Teaching Standards
Director of Policy & Partnerships
Accardi holds a bachelor’s degree in politics from the University of Dallas in Irving, Texas. She earned her Juris Doctor from the Columbus School of Law at the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C.
Day 2 Keynote Speaker - Dr. Dolores Cormier-Zenon
Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD)
2020-2021 ASCD President
Cormier-Zenon is a National Board–Certified teacher with more than 25 years in education as a classroom teacher, administrator, presenter, and curriculum specialist supporting instruction along the K–12 continuum. She is an avid, innovative educator committed to the success of all children and those who educate them. She espouses the belief, "Every child, every ZIP code, no matter their circumstance."
In 2004, Cormier-Zenon was recognized by the Louisiana Department of Education as a Distinguished Educator. Her role effected change in challenging schools and districts, elevating their commitment to meeting students' social-emotional and academic needs. Her platform continues to promote a focus on diverse topics that influence equity, advocacy and policy, teacher leadership, professional practice, family engagement, and high-quality instruction that affects the whole child.
Cormier-Zenon earned her doctorate degree in educational leadership at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette in 2012. Presently, she serves as an adjunct professor with Northwestern State University and the University of Louisiana at Lafayette in the education doctoral program.
As an ASCD member, Cormier-Zenon served on numerous committees, including the Audit, Legislative, Governance, and Policy committees, and she is a former ASCD Student Goal Works Sub-Board member. Her life's loves include her family and sons, Corey and Christian. She enjoys learning, collaborating with educators, and engaging in innovative projects. The core of her passion is using content from ASCD's body of resources to inform effective teaching and leadership practices.
Day 3 Keynote Speaker (1) - Dr. Scott Muri
Ector County ISD
Superintendent
Dr. Muri’s educational experiences include serving as one of the first National Board Certified Teachers in the United States, high school principal, and administrator at Disney’s Celebration School in Celebration, FL.
Throughout his career, Dr. Muri has demonstrated a passion and ability for leading change, driving organizational effectiveness, and significantly improving student achievement while closing achievement gaps. With a focus on collaboration and excellence, Dr. Muri creates a positive and effective teaching and learning environment.
Day 3 A.M. Keynote Speaker (2) Lyra Swinney
Texas Education Agency
Project Coordinator for the Teacher Incentive Allotment
Day 3 Closing Keynote Speaker - Dr. Tonia Holmes-Sutton
National Network of Accomplished Minoritized Educators
Founding Member of NAME
Tonia Holmes-Sutton, Ed.D. is leading the way in education advocacy in southern Nevada. Tonia is a National Board Certified Teacher (Early Childhood Generalist) serving children, families, and educators across the country. Her primary service and support have been to children and families of high-needs communities within the Las Vegas Valley. Holmes-Sutton presently serves as the Nevada State Director for Teach Plus leading teachers in leadership in policy and advocacy.
Holmes-Sutton served as a former Governor-appointed member on the Nevada State Board of Education. In addition to serving as a Board Director for WestEd, she is also a member of the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards Board of Directors and a founding member of the National Network of Accomplished Minoritized Educators. Tonia is committed to excellence in service through education; continuing a family legacy that dates back to the late 1800s when her family established the first school for Blacks in Shelby County School District, Tennessee.
A passionate and committed educational advocate, Tonia is a proponent of professional learning communities, and teaching and family partnerships; advocating for families to engage as full partners in their children’s education to increase student learning and achievement. She has participated in professional staff development as a national consultant and as a presenter at district, state, and national conferences.
Tonia earned her Master’s Degree in Special Education in 2004 and her doctorate in Educational Leadership in 2012 from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV). She was recognized as the 2020 Alumna of the Year for the UNLV College of Education.
Karen Barnes
