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< Back Joelle Magyar Senior Associate Joelle M. Magyar is a distinguished educational leader in the State of Ohio. She most recently served as Superintendent of the Brecksville-Broadview Heights City Schools for the past seven years, where she attained a number of important accomplishments, including guiding the BBHCSD to a #7 ranking in the entire state of more than 600 schools. Maygar has also led the district to successfully pass two issues requesting over $44 million to construct one of the most state-of-the-art K-5 educational facilities in Northeast Ohio. Superintendent Magyar has a reputation for reshaping the role of successful and effective superintendent communications which has resulted in her winning the 2020 Bob Grossman Leadership in Communication Award winner, the highest communications honor for an educational leader in the entire country, by the National School Public Relations Association and also the 2019 Crain’s Cleveland Business’ Women in School Leadership Award Winner. In addition, Joelle has won the Barney Dunnan Award on multiple occasions, which is a special honor that recognizes the superintendent and the school district that has the highest overall Value Added Gain Index in the State of Ohio, and is presented by your organization, the Buckeye Association of School Administrators. Maygar has served as a keynote speaker on several occasions at several statewide conferences, particularly on the subjects of Technology and Mental Health. She has been selected by her peers at the Buckeye Association of School Administrators (B.A.S.A.) to represent school districts across the state to testify before the Ohio General Assembly on various topics impacting students. Even more, B.A.S.A. selected Superintendent Magyar to be one of their representatives on a two-day leadership conference that took place in Davos, Switzerland, during the summer of 2019, to explore how to improve and enhance communications channels among stakeholders in a global society.

< Back Lee Gaul Associate Considered “one of the leading voices in the AI community”, Lee Gaul, founder of Long Horizon AI, is an accomplished AI advisor and speaker with a deep fascination for Large Language Models (LLMs), AI-powered chatbots, alignment, and education. With a background in philosophy and over a decade of experience in the tech industry, Lee brings a unique perspective to the rapidly evolving world of AI. Lee's influence as a change agent in education is echoed by the success of the podcast "Sold a Story,” in which he and his daughter Zoe were featured. The podcast's impact has transcended the realm of education, directly influencing policy changes in 15 states that have adopted science-based reading curricula. Its reach and impact are further underscored by Pulitzer Prize-winning podcast creator Ira Glass, who lauds it as having "real political impact in a way no podcast ever has."

< Back Mark Burnette Senior Associate Dr. Mark Burnette brings over 34 years of experience in the field of education and is currently a Superintendent in southwestern Virginia where he serves as a champion for students in rural and low income areas. In this role, he has transformed his division to a virtual learning platform, ensuring all students had reliable internet access, delivering meals and learning materials, and providing healthcare services through the pandemic to all students. As a teacher he was awarded the Check Excellence Award for Vocational Education by the Virginia Department of Education and as an administrator he was instrumental in bringing a Governor’s School for Career and Technical Education to the region and helped develop the first STEM lab for Agriculture at the secondary level in the nation. Mark serves on numerous Boards and Councils including the University of Virginia Advisory Council for K-12 Education, the Great Opportunities in Technology and Engineering Careers (GOTEC) Advisory Board, the Crossroads Institute Board of Directors, Carroll County Wellness Center Board of Directors, and he actively serves as a member of the Virginia Association of School Superintendents and Western Virginia Public Education Consortium. Mark earned his Ed.D. in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies as well as his teaching licensure from Virginia Tech and received the Excellence in Education Award recipient from his alma mater for his work in developing a Dropout Prevention Task Force for his division. Burnette is experienced with managing school renovation projects, creating student and teacher wellness programs, managing difficult budget negotiations, and implementing strategic student learning programs.

< Back Chris Wester Associate Chris Wester is a 23-year educator with over a decade of school leadership experience including diverse roles within the education sector. These leadership experiences in public and private schools include teaching, athletic direction, program creation, curriculum design, boarding, and international school oversight. Chris has led the Florida Council of Independent Schools accreditation teams, and has served on local Rotary and Chamber of Commerce committees to assist others while promoting schools. In addition, Wester helped lead the Clay County Schools, Florida academy curriculum design resulting in the development of county-wide school specializations for student programming at each school location. As a hands-on, mission-driven leader, Chris has immersed himself in the various departments within schools to ensure quality and to maintain excellence. He has led admissions teams resulting in 50% increases in enrollment, and well as successful school and program marketing campaigns. Through community outreach efforts, Chris has established local, national, and international partnerships with companies which increased financial and program support for schools and children. Throughout his career, Wester has demonstrated improvements in student recruitment, curriculum design, professional development, strategic planning, advancement, and community outreach. He understands that the culture of an organization is a fragile ecosystem that requires healthy leadership to sustain.

< Back Kimberly Organek Associate Kimberly Organek is celebrating 25 years as a distinguished educator. She began her career as an elementary teacher, eventually moving into middle school as a teacher, assistant principal and principal. Kimberly has experience in both large urban and small rural districts. As an administrator, she has successfully led schools out of turnaround status in a year or less. In the last eight years, she moved to the district office as a Director of Elementary Curriculum & Professional Learning, Executive Director of Curriculum & Professional Learning and currently as Assistant Superintendent. She has a passion for school improvement and leadership coaching, having coached and mentored administrators and teacher leaders. Being a working mom, she has a keen understanding of the demands placed on female leaders and the need for personal and professional balance. Kimberly received the Teacher of excellence Award and the Charles Marston Scholarship for doctoral studies. She has been a board member of NH NELMS and is a current member of NHSAA/ASAA and ASCD Kimberly earned a BFA in Musical Theatre, a M.Ed. in Curriculum & Instruction from Boston College, a CAGS in Educational Leadership from the University of New Hampshire, and is currently working on her EdD in Curriculum & Instruction with a focus on Innovation at the University of Virginia.

< Back Sarper Turker Associate Dr. Sarper Turker is an All-American swimmer driven by a passion for academic excellence. Dr. Turker holds undergraduate degrees in Mathematics and Physics from Henderson University as well an M.Ed. and Ed.D. from the University at Arkansas, Little Rock, as well as a national superintendent certification. Dr. Turker's professional trajectory spans from classroom teaching to leadership roles as a principal, and district curriculum director, and currently serving as an assistant superintendent. His commitment to excellence and innovation in education earned him the prestigious Teacher of the Year title twice in separate school districts. Presently, Dr. Turker is channeling his expertise into writing a book titled "Closing Performance Gaps: Leadership Strategies for Success," leveraging his extensive experience and insights to drive educational advancement.

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< Back Paul Rasmussen Associate Dr. Paul Rasmussen has served the education field for more than 25 years as a distinguished teacher and administrator. For the past 12 years, Paul has held a district-wide position leading systemic initiatives that have resulted in improved mathematics teaching and learning, and increased the capacity of building-level leaders to use data to drive instructional improvements. Beyond his work at the district level, Paul leverages his statistical expertise as an Adjunct Professor at the University of San Diego and Sacred Heart University teaching courses geared to school administrators who desire to learn strategies to effectively use data to drive instructional and system-wide improvements, with a focus on equity for all learners. Paul’s passion for using data to drive instructional improvement has illustrated how focused strategies of professionals can lead to improved learning for all students in the classroom. Paul earned his BA in Physics and Mathematics Education from Western Washington University, a MS in Mathematics from Fairfield University, and Doctorate in Educational Leadership with a specialization in Educational Technology from the University of Phoenix.

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< Back MaryKate DeSantis Associate MaryKate [Last Name] is an experienced literacy expert, educator, and researcher dedicated to bridging the gap between evidence-based literacy practices and classroom instruction. Her career began as a high school language arts teacher, where she was driven by a profound passion for instilling a love of literacy in students. However, early on, she encountered a stark reality—many students on the cusp of graduation lacked fundamental reading skills, and she felt unequipped to support them effectively. This experience fueled her commitment to ensuring that every student has access to high-quality literacy instruction grounded in science. Over the past decade, MaryKate has worked with students from PreK through grade 12, higher education, and district leadership teams to transform literacy outcomes. Determined to close the gap between research and practice, she has collaborated with neurologists, psychologists, neuroscientists, speech pathologists, and researchers nationwide. Her expertise in language and literacy, combined with advanced studies and clinical research, has allowed her to mentor district staff, school leaders, and educators across Boston in implementing effective, evidence-based literacy instruction. MaryKate’s research experience at MGH Institute of Health Professions’ Speech, Language (SAiL) & Literacy Lab, as well as the READS and Gaab Lab at Harvard Graduate School of Education, gives her a unique perspective on translational science—bridging the divide between research and real-world application in schools. As an Adjunct Instructor at Boston College’s Lynch School of Education, she prepares future educators with the tools and methodologies needed to teach literacy effectively and equitably.

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