Meet the Network’s Educator Leadership Team
Educators leading systems change in classrooms, schools and districts across the U.S. are working together to set priorities, identify challenges and design solutions for the Lead for Learners Network.
2023-2024 Lead for Learners Steering Committee
Steering committee purpose: Grow a national professional learning community that develops educational leaders and leadership resources that enable personalized, competency-based systems for all learners.
Steering committee priorities:
- Design programs and resources that support current and emerging leaders in personalized, competency-based systems and fill gaps in current education leadership preparation programs
- Grow and sustain a national professional learning community focused on leading in personalized, competency-based systems
- Collectively advocate for more equitable, student-centered education systems
Scott Bess
Founder and Special Projects Director
Purdue Polytechnic High School
Indianapolis, Indiana
Dr. Carmen Coleman
Chief of Transformational Learning and Leading
Ohio Valley Education Cooperative
Louisville, Kentucky
Dr. Brenda Diaz
Dual Executive Principal
Nashville Big Picture High School and Metro Nashville Virtual School
Nashville, Tennessee
Hector Estrada
Senior Program Manager
Whole Schools Model
Arizona State University
Phoenix, Arizona
Dr. Jeni Gotto
Deputy Superintendent
Westminster Public Schools
Westminster, Colorado
Christina Guevara
Teacher Apprenticeship Educational Specialist
Utah State Board of Education
Salt Lake City, Utah
Robert Knisely
Principal
Perry Middle School
Perry, Ohio
Ms. Casey Lefler
Instructional Integration Specialist Rock Hill School District Rock Hill, South Carolina
Dr. Sonn Sam
National Director of Partnerships
Big Picture Learning (Florida)
Dr. Cory Steiner
Superintendent
Northern Cass School District
Hunter, North Dakota
Kristen Watkins
Director of Personalized Learning
Akiba Yavneh Academy
Dallas, Texas
Lead for Learners Online Community Facilitator
Ian McDougall
History Teacher and Edtech Coach, Yuma Union High School District, Yuma, Arizona
Ian McDougall, a history teacher and edtech coach from Yuma, Arizona, serves as a part-time online community facilitator for the Lead for Learners Community, an online hub connecting more than 600 learner-centered educators from across the country. Ian helps educators connect with peers and resources and facilitates virtual meetups and cohort-based learning opportunities.
Network leadership alumni
The following educators have helped to shape Lead for Learners, formerly known as the Leading Change Professional Learning Community (PLC).
2023-2024 Leading Change Community Fellows
- Bibi Frazine, Yuma, Arizona
- Cherith Harris, McCormick, South Carolina
- Natalie Johnson, Oljato-Monument Valley, Utah
- Chad Miller, Cambridge, Ohio
- Cathy Morgan, Zanesville, Ohio
- Dina Wecker, Salt Lake City, Utah
2021-2022 Leading Change Community Fellows
- Bridgette Barrowes, Salt Lake City, Utah
- Blaine Cronrath, Jamestown, North Dakota
- Christina Guevara, Salt Lake City, Utah
- Michael Sharp, Yuma, Arizona
- Brittany Terry, Clover, South Carolina
- Kristin van Brunt, Bountiful, Utah
2020-2021 Personalized Learning Community Fellows
- Karyn Anton-Webb, Tucson, Arizona
- Christal Buckley, Yuma, Arizona
- Diane Dugas, Hampton, Connecticut
- Lindsey Fraley, Johnston, South Carolina
- Flashette Johnson, Wando, South Carolina
- Mary Jones, Madisonville, Kentucky
- Erin Lacina, Devils Lake, North Dakota
- Travis Lape, Sioux Falls, South Dakota
- Joe Lieberman, Brighton, Michigan
- Ronni Moore, Indianapolis, Indiana
- Elizabeth Nordgren, Spring Lake Park, Minnesota
- Bil Pfaffendorf, Grand Junction, Colorado
- Allison Walker, Summerville, South Carolina
