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< Back Kim Marshall Associate Kim Marshall, a former Boston Public Schools teacher, principal, and central-office curriculum director, now coaches principals, gives workshops and courses on school leadership, and consults with school districts, often on rethinking teacher supervision and evaluation and curriculum unit design. He publishes the weekly Marshall Memo.

< Back Ed Finney Associate Ed Finney is an experienced educator with a passion for technology integration. With 25 years of social studies teaching experience, Ed has spent the past three years as the District Technology Integration Specialist for his district. His expertise has earned him recognition as the New York Gilder Lehrman Teacher of the Year, a top ten finalist for National History Teacher of the Year, and the New York State Council for the Social Studies Middle School Teacher of the Year in 2020. Renowned for his engaging presentations, Ed is a sought-after speaker at national, state, and county conferences, where he shares practical strategies and innovative approaches to enhance student learning and engagement through technology. He also provides content-specific professional development and guidance on rolling out and integrating technology, with a focus on district-wide platforms like an LMS. Ed is experienced in technology program reviews, ensuring districts get the most out of their technology library and eliminating redundancy. Beyond the classroom, he has consulted with numerous companies and authors, offering insights into the future of educational technology. Ed also serves as the Director of Technology for the New York State Council for the Social Studies (NYSCSS) and holds numerous certifications. He is a certified K-12 educator who actively collaborates with college teacher preparation programs, mentoring the next generation of educators and preparing them to leverage technology effectively in their teaching

< Back Paul Castro Senior Associate Paul Castro is an advocate for merging the art and science of leadership through impactful learning and coaching. With a 29-year career, Paul has demonstrated his commitment to education in various roles. He served as both a teacher and principal within a traditional school system, provided management and coaching within a nationwide charter system, coached district and school leaders through a non-profit organization, and orchestrated the design and launch of an inner-city Houston charter school focused on delivering a premium education without cost barriers. Paul's skill as an executive leadership coach for the KIPP Foundation stands out, as he assisted leaders across the United States in crafting comprehensive school launch plans and refining their management and leadership proficiencies. At Houston A+ Challenge, he developed tailored content for various school districts in the Houston region, catering to the unique needs of each client. Paul knows that effective educational leadership necessitates personal growth and adept interpersonal skills, which is why he focuses on nurturing the soft skills that elevate managers into true leaders. Throughout his career, Paul has studied classroom instructional and assessment practices. His expertise has led him to be a presenter on classroom practices and secured his appointment as a commissioner for the Texas Commission on Next Generation Assessments and Accountability, selected by the state's Lieutenant Governor in 2016. As a seasoned startup leader, Paul has undertaken pivotal roles in launching schools. He served as an associate dean for the opening of a high school, was selected to be the founding principal role for a middle school in Houston ISD, and orchestrated the conception and launch of a charter school as both founder and superintendent. During his tenure at KIPP Houston, he effectively managed and guided two founders in successfully opening new high schools. In 2013, he led a team to design a free public charter school in Houston, earning approval by the state board of education and the state education agency. Paul's contributions have garnered substantial recognition and support for his charter school endeavors. His school secured funding from esteemed organizations such as the Walton Family Foundation, NewSchools Venture Fund, The Brown Foundation, and the Elkins Family Foundation. These backers acknowledge the importance of fostering inclusive and empowering school cultures, a vision that Paul has realized through his efforts at A+UP. Educationally, Paul holds a Bachelor of Arts in English from Texas A&M University and a Masters in Educational Leadership from the University of Houston. He further honed his expertise through completion of the KIPP School Leadership Program in New York, a milestone that led to his selection as a member of the Fisher Foundation Selection Committee.

< Back Dan Rector Associate Dr. Dan Rector is an emergency management, homeland security professional, and a military veteran with a passion for improving school safety by helping them become “future-ready.” Dan’s career has been built on a foundation of military structure and discipline within a framework of agile and adaptable business practices, layered with academic research and analysis to provide organizations with a unique perspective on preparing for the future. Dan is the former Director of Training and Education for The “I Love U Guys” Foundation, a national nonprofit focused on school safety. He specializes in reunification training and building structured exercise programs. He has worked as a consultant for private businesses and the federal government as an exercise designer and facilitator.Dan served as a Damage Control Petty Officer in the U.S. Coast Guard and as a Survey Team Chief on a National Guard Weapons of Mass Destruction Civil Support Team. While serving in the military and attending the CBRN Advanced Leaders Course, and the first and only National Guard soldier to be selected by his peers to receive the Leadership Award while simultaneously earning the Distinguished Honor Graduate Award. Dan is a Certified Emergency Manager (CEM), a licensed HAZMAT Technician, a Confined Space Rescue Technician, and EMT-B. He has completed the FEMA Master Exercise Practitioner Program (MEPP), where for his capstone, he developed and facilitated a functional reunification exercise for a school district in Connecticut. He is a graduate of training programs from the Defense Nuclear Weapons School, the Defense Threat Reduction Agency, the U.S. Army’s Chemical/Biological Weapons Center, and the Idaho National Laboratory. Dan received his Doctor of Management degree with a focus on Homeland Security in 2023.

< Back James Venhaus Associate James Venhaus brings more than 25 years of experience as an arts educator and administrator in K–12 independent schools. He currently serves as the Director of Fine and Performing Arts at Savannah Country Day School, where he leads a team of 13 educators across visual and performing arts disciplines. Prior to that, he served as Director of Arts at Flint Hill School in Virginia, overseeing a comprehensive arts curriculum and championing cross-divisional collaboration. James is a passionate advocate for arts integration, believing that the arts are not only essential to a well-rounded education but can also serve as a defining element of a school’s identity and brand. His work emphasizes the role of the arts in building community, enhancing student engagement, and helping schools distinguish themselves in an increasingly competitive educational landscape. James holds a BFA in Theatre from Southwestern University and a Master of Arts in Teaching from Austin College. In addition to his work in education, he is an accomplished playwright and published author, bringing creative insight and storytelling expertise to every school he partners with.

< Back Lory Morrow Senior Associate Dr. Lory Morrow has over 30 years of experience in the field of education. Her journey began with earning a Bachelors of Arts in Elementary Education from the University of North Carolina at Wilmington, continued with a Masters of Arts in School Administration, and finally, her Doctorate in Educational Leadership from Gardner-Webb University. Combining her love for children and her vast education, Dr. Morrow has served in a variety of roles during her long career, beginning as a kindergarten teacher in Charlotte. She built on her knowledge of teaching reading as a Literacy Facilitator thus sparking a desire to focus more on school leadership. Dr. Lory Morrow brings over 30 years of experience in the field of education and had the distinction of being appointed as the first female Superintendent of Davidson County Schools in 2014. In this role, Morrow was instrumental in increasing communication and partnerships with the community, resulting in the passing of a ¼ cent sales tax to support the construction of a new high school. She also increased security measures, secured money for needed classrooms, collaborated and deployed grant money for project/problem based learning as well as principal preparation to increase excellence and equity in rural schools. The partnerships with Davidson County Community College leading to Career and College Promise courses in selected high schools and The Apprenticeship Summit to further CTE programs are two accomplishments of which she is especially proud. Dr. Morrow was named the Piedmont Triad Regional Superintendent of the Year in May, 2016. In August, 2017, Dr. Morrow was named Superintendent of Lincoln County Schools. Once again, she advocated for a ¼ cent tax to support the school system in the areas of security, capital improvements and classroom materials and supplies. Recognizing a need for building leadership capacity among principals and assistant principals, she implemented a Leadership Academy to develop future school level leaders. She believes one of her strongest initiatives was The Digital Literacy Plan which replaced/ refreshed technology and increased teacher training to utilize digital resources effectively. COVID brought many unexpected challenges for Dr. Morrow, but she used her relationships in the community to create exterior public wi-fi, more digital resources for at-home learning, and even a mobile food truck to feed the community. Throughout her career, Dr. Morrow has presented at state, regional, and national conferences on topics relating to curriculum, instructional practices, and leadership development. She served as president of NCASCD, president-elect of NCASA, and represented North Carolina superintendents as a national board member for AASA.

< Back Joanne Panopoulos Associate Joanne Panopoulos received her Bachelor’s degree in Special Education from Illinois State University; a Master’s degree in Educational Administration from Northern Illinois University; and her Doctorate of Education from National Louis University in Educational Leadership. Joanne has thirty years of experience in public education, ten years as a versatile special education teacher, and the remaining as a skilled administrator in various roles. Her passion is to continue to lead others and systems to increase academic and social-emotional wellness achievement for all students and decrease the gap for those identified as struggling. She has demonstrated successful administrative experience in working in various public educational settings such as a special education cooperative, a small elementary school district, and a unit school district with 20 school buildings pre-k through age 22. She currently serves as an administrator in one of the state’s highest-performing high school districts in Illinois. She possesses a repertoire of essential leadership skills that pertain to identifying evidence-based practices and curricula in English/Language Arts (ELA), Math, and Social Emotional Learning (SEL) for successful implementation, implementation of Multi-Tiered Systems of Supports at the elementary, middle, and high school levels, supervision and evaluation of teachers and principals, using the Professional Learning Community (PLC) framework for team planning and decision making related to improving practices and increasing student performance at the elementary and middle school level, and lastly, managing the Student Services budgets in all previous positions. Joanne has served as an adjunct professor for three years at Aurora University, Illinois, and National Louis University teaching courses in the Department of Special Education. Joanne keeps abreast of current trends and practices in special education and general education with her memberships with several state and National Professional organizations such as the Council of Administrators of Special Education (CASE), Council for Exceptional Children (CEC), and Illinois Alliance of Administrators for Special Education (IAASE).

< Back Brooke Olsen-Farrell Senior Associate Brooke Olsen-Farrell, Ed.D. is the Superintendent of the Slate Valley Unified Union School District in Fair Haven, Vermont, where she is currently serving in her ninth year. A veteran educator with more than 25 years of experience, she has held roles as a middle and high school science teacher, Director of Curriculum, and Assistant Superintendent. Dr. Olsen-Farrell is recognized nationally for her leadership during times of crisis, including guiding her district through the aftermath of an averted school shooting in 2018. She has also successfully led the complex process of school district consolidation, advanced innovative workforce development initiatives, and positioned Slate Valley as a leader in “grow-your-own” teacher and leadership pipelines. In addition to leading a rural district that serves six communities in southern Vermont, Dr. Olsen-Farrell contributes to education policy at both the state and national levels. She serves on the Vermont School Crisis Planning Team, is President-Elect of the Vermont Superintendents Association, and is a Governing Board member of AASA, The School Superintendents Association. She earned her Doctor of Education degree with a dissertation focused on superintendent resiliency, exploring the protective factors and leadership practices that support longevity and effectiveness in the role.

< Back Joseph Micheller Senior Associate Dr. Joseph S. Micheller joins the Zeal Education Group from Cleveland Schools having served as the Executive Director: New School Development for the past 8 years. He passionately worked with CMSD staff and community partners to design, launch and support new and innovative school models (15 high schools and 16 K-8’s). Prior to coming to CMSD, Joe served as Superintendent, Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources, and Director of Educational Services in Ohio districts. Joe began his career as a middle school social studies teacher with the East Cleveland City School District. Dr. Micheller’s work has focused on district wide transformation of learning and teaching. He has authored, co-authored and directed funded grant initiatives exceeding $10 million, including CMSD’s $6,000,000 Opportunity by Design awards from the Carnegie Corporation of NY. Dr. Micheller has an extensive background in educational leadership including participation in the Executive Leadership Program for Educators (EXEL), a collaboration between the Harvard Business School, Graduate School of Education and the Kennedy School of Government; the Leadership and the New Technologies Institute at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, and the Ohio Leadership Institute conducted by the Center for Creative Leadership. His earned degrees include a BA in History, M.ED and an Ed.S. in Educational Administration from Cleveland State University, along with the Doctor of Education degree from the University of Akron. Dr. Micheller has authored articles and presented nationally and internationally on meaningful change and the leadership needed to make change meaningful. For the past 10 years he has also developed and taught graduate courses in educational leadership and the effects of technology in Education. Dr. Micheller was the recipient of John Carroll University’s Distinguished Educator award in 2012, and Cleveland State University College of Education’s 2009 Alumni Special Achievement award.

< Back David Miyashiro Senior Associate Dr. David Miyashiro is a forward-thinking education leader skilled at creating and sustaining a culture of trust and innovation with a 25-year career successfully modernizing learning approaches, education models, and school district capabilities in Southern California. As a digital pioneer, he has navigated districts into the hi-tech era, delivering numerous innovation “firsts,” for which he has garnered professional honors. Those include Superintendent of the Year, Acceptance into the League of Innovative Schools (Digital Promise, and K-12 Dive’s 2022 District of the Year . Districts under his leadership have also won awards, such as the California School Boards Association’s Golden Bell Award, the National School Boards Association’s Magna Award for Digital Learning, and the California Distinguished Schools Award. Dr. Miyashiro has a Doctorate in Educational Leadership and Policy from UCLA, his Master’s in Education Technology and Curriculum from Grand Canyon University, and Bachelor’s from Cal State Long Beach.

< Back Dan Russo Associate

< Back Sam Coleman