WE INVITE YOU TO JOIN US AT THIS YEAR'S
SYMPOSIUM OF WOMEN EDUCATIONAL LEADERS Friday, March 22, 2024 HOSTED BY:
The Common Man Inn and Spa Plymouth, NH 8:30AM-3:30PM Registration Fee: $350.00 Register for the Conference Here
If you are interested in reserving a room for Thursday night, March 21, 2024 you may do so here. You may also reserve your room by calling 1-603-536-2200.
This year we will be hosting a networking and connecting reception on Thursday evening March 21st from 6:00-8:00pm. Cost $25. Seats are limited. Reserve your spot here.
March 22, 2024
Program Agenda 8:00-8:30-Registration and Breakfast 8:30-8:40-Welcome 8:45-8:55-Guided Meditation “Mental Reset” 9:00-9:45-Keynote Anne Marie Anderson-”Building an Audacious Mindset” 9:45-10:00-SHE Talk-Table Talk 10:00-10:10-Break 10:15-11:15-AM Breakout Sessions Courtney Flanders-”Rethinking Roles to Beat Burnout, Get More Done, and Find Joy in Work” Desiree Cocroft-”Grow as a Leader While Coaching Your Leaders” Kurt Meader-”Balance is Key” Kendra Bostick-”Balancing Act: Navigating Workism and Prioritizing Mental Wellness” 11:30-12:30-Lunch 12:45-1:30- Keynote Desiree Cocroft-”Destination Life: Leading with Joy, Courage and Authenticity” 1:30-1:45-SHE Talk-Table Talk 1:45-2:00-Break 2:00-3:00-PM Breakout Sessions Anne Marie Anderson-”Managing Media Mindfully” Kurt Meader-”Balance is Key” Desiree Cocroft-”Avoiding Self-Sabotage” Kimberly Rizzo Saunders & Robin Melone- “Her Place at the Table: Women Leaders and Negotiation" 3:15-3:30-Closing Remarks and Raffles
March 22, 2024 Symposium of Women Educational Leaders Keynote Speakers: Anne Marie Anderson "Building an Audacious Mindset”
Anne Marie Anderson
Imagine if the word “no” filled you with excitement and possibility. If “no” meant “not yet” and “next”. In Building an Audacious Mindset Anne Marie Anderson challenges audiences to forget everything they learned about what should happen and create a professional life built on what could happen if we didn’t accept NO. In this rousing, engaging and laughter filled keynote supported by stories of her own experiences climbing the sports broadcasting ladder, Anderson equips the listener with three keys to building a truly audacious mindset that detonates the presumption of what’s possible. Presenter Biography: Anne Marie Anderson is a three-time Emmy Award winning broadcaster, keynote speaker and emcee. Delivering keynotes that are alternately funny and touching, she seeks to connect with the audience through the power of storytelling. Her signature keynote, Building an Audacious Mindset, challenges audiences to forget everything they learned about what should happen and create a professional life built on what could happen if we didn’t accept NO. Anne Marie is a master at helping both corporate and educational audiences discover how to build highly successful teams. Utilizing the methods observed through behind closed doors coverage of many of sport’s most successful coaches and executives, Anderson delivers concrete tools and entertaining examples of what has worked – and has NOT worked – on some of the biggest stages in sport.
Desiree Cocroft "Destination Life: Leading with Joy, Courage and Authenticity” As a high-achieving leader, it is your job to make sure that your people are taken care of. You become all things to all people and before you know it, you are burned out. It's time to create some boundaries and elevate the woman you know you already are. Through our content from 7 Habits of Highly Effective People and Desiree's work in the area of identity, women leaders will have the opportunity to gain tools so they can optimize their wellness, productivity, and self-confidence by becoming a bigger version of themselves. Desiree Cocroft
Presenter Biography: Desiree Cocroft is an energizing coach and consultant that seeks to empower leaders to fulfill their fullest potential. An experienced facilitator of over 20 years, Desiree elevates the hearts and minds of her audience while also igniting them to take inspired action. Her community and culture work with Signature Dance Company afforded her the Community BuildHER Award from the PowHER Network in 2017 , the Milwaukee Business Journal’s 40 Under 40 in 2018, and she has been featured in Forbes for her expertise in leadership. She is also an award-winning author of Get Your Life Today: 7 Success Hacks for Life, Leadership, and Business. Desiree has become a coveted coach, consultant, and trainer within the education division of FranklinCovey, especially in the following topics: Culture of Belonging, Unconscious Bias, Neuroscience Wellness, Speed of Trust, and 7 Habits of Highly Effective People.
March 22, 2024 AM Breakout Session Descriptions
Rethinking Roles to Beat Burnout, Get More Done, and Find Joy in Work Courtney Flanders As women leaders, we take on many roles and the mental loads that come with work in districts and at home. We often think of our role as our job title, but roles are actually fluid and change frequently based on the needs of teams and organizations. Rethinking the relationship between roles, accountabilities, and people is an essential component in changing the way work gets done and decisions get made within and across teams. Whether you want to address burnout, tap into strengths, or just do more with less, redefining how teams work can dramatically change your workflow. In this session, we’ll workshop one of your current district initiatives with a repeatable process you can bring back to campus and district leaders
Grow as a Leader While Coaching Your Leaders Desiree Cocroft Are you on a quest to enhance your leadership skills and master the art of coaching? Join Desiree Cocroft for an insightful breakout session where you will delve into the art of personal leadership growth, empowering you to lead your team from a position of strength and confidence. This workshop offers a treasure trove of practical techniques designed to amplify your coaching abilities, allowing you to foster a more dynamic and effective team environment. Discover innovative strategies to refine your coaching methods, understand the nuanced differences between coaching and mentoring, and learn how to apply these insights for impactful leadership. Elevate your leadership journey and become the driving force behind your team's success.
Balance is Key Dr. Kurt Meader Balance is key! It is widely believed that children need both male and female role models. To attract and retain more men to teach elementary school, we need to understand the perceptions of current male teachers. This breakout session will discuss research findings and ways that we can create a balance of male and female teachers. In a female predominated profession, male teachers might need support through differentiated professional development and we should explore pathways into teaching. Attracting and supporting male teachers can help to promote an inclusive and equitable environment in education that benefits both educators and students.
Balancing Act: Navigating Workism and Prioritizing Mental Wellness Kendra Bostick In our increasingly fast-paced and demanding work environments, the concept of "Workism" has taken root, where work becomes not just a means of economic production but oftentimes the defining aspect of identity and life's purpose. This workshop is designed for school administrators to delve into the impact of Workism on mental health and well-being. Through experiential Social Emotional Learning (eSEL) and mindfulness activities, participants will gain insights and practical tools to foster a healthier work-life balance that can be applied within their schools.
March 22, 2024 PM Breakout Session Descriptions
Managing Media Mindfully Anne Marie Anderson The media can be a valuable tool in getting your messaging into the community IF you know how to navigate the process. Learn what goes on inside a news outlet as they approach you for a story and avoid common traps. A thoughtful approach with a clear objective will help you define your intention. Veteran journalist Anne Marie Anderson has conducted hundreds of interviews and teaches how to remove the stress and magnify the impact of any interaction with the press. This workshop will help you calm your nerves, feel confident and learn how to express the relevant information you want to share without being taken off track.
Balance is Key (Repeat of AM Session) Kurt Meader Balance is key! It is widely believed that children need both male and female role models. To attract and retain more men to teach elementary school, we need to understand the perceptions of current male teachers. This breakout session will discuss research findings and ways that we can create a balance of male and female teachers. In a female predominated profession, male teachers might need support through differentiated professional development and we should explore pathways into teaching. Attracting and supporting male teachers can help to promote an inclusive and equitable environment in education that benefits both educators and students.
Avoiding Self Sabotage Desiree Cocroft Imagine yourself able to remain calm, clear-headed, stress-free, and positive even in the midst of handling work and life's greatest challenges. What becomes possible for you, in achievement, in leading a team, in peace of mind and wellness, and in your relationships? In this workshop, you will learn the core elements of mental fitness to overcome self-sabotage which include: Getting aware of your self-sabotaging tendencies (saboteurs), developing self-command in order to proactively quiet the negative and activate the positive part of your brain, and learning to activate your Sage Power, where you can turn challenges into gifts and opportunities. Become a leader who lets go of leadership styles that don't bring out the best in you or your team while also minimizing unnecessary stress and increasing your overall wellbeing. It's a win-win!
Her Place at the Table: Women Leaders and Negotiation Back By Popular Demand! Kimberly Rizzo Saunders and Robin Melone Many women fail to recognize opportunities to negotiate — about their roles, the support and resources they need, their own compensation, and more. This is especially true in the field of education. This breakout session can help you become empowered to negotiate for what you need to create the conditions for career and personal success by exploring the issues unique to women and negotiation, rethinking the purpose of negotiations, and demonstrating strategies that suit you authentically. When women negotiate, they not only negotiate for themselves they negotiate for all women to promote workplace equity.
March 22, 2024 Breakout Sessions Presenter Biographies Rethinking Roles to Beat Burnout, Get More Done, and Find Joy in Work
Courtney Flanders
Courtney Flanders works with districts and their school teams to implement meaningful changes in sustainable ways. Courtney is a native New Yorker, a current Texan, a sometimes runner, and a Bravo aficionado. In 2014, Courtney wrote the grant and school plan to open Dallas ISD’s first personalized learning high school, receiving funding from the Bill and Melinda Gates NGSI. The first of its kind, this campus served as a proof point for future innovative schools and the creation of more than 130 choice options for students districtwide. She earned a B.A. in Magazine Journalism and Political Science from Syracuse University and an M.Ed in Urban Leadership from Southern Methodist University. As a mom to two boys under two, she values work that makes a difference and the ability to approach complex problems in novel ways: at Scholarus Learning she gets to help leaders think differently about how they solve challenges, manage teams, and innovate to improve experiences for students. Courtney@Scholarus.com Scholarus One Sheet
Grow as a Leader While Coaching Your Leaders Desiree Cocroft is an energizing coach and consultant that seeks to empower leaders to fulfill their fullest potential. An experienced facilitator of over 20 years, Desiree elevates the hearts and minds of her audience while also igniting them to take inspired action.
Desiree Cocroft
Her community and culture work with Signature Dance Company afforded her the Community BuildHER Award from the PowHER Network in 2017 , the Milwaukee Business Journal’s 40 Under 40 in 2018, and she has been featured in Forbes for her expertise in leadership. She is also an awardwinning author of Get Your Life Today: 7 Success Hacks for Life, Leadership, and Business. Desiree has become a coveted coach, consultant, and trainer within the education division of FranklinCovey, especially in the following topics: Culture of Belonging, Unconscious Bias, Neuroscience Wellness, Speed of Trust, and 7 Habits of Highly Effective People.
Balance is Key
Dr. Kurt Meader
Dr. Kurt Meader is an Assistant Professor and Educational Leadership Program Coordinator at Fairmont State University in West Virginia. A native of Pennsylvania, with 35 years of experience in education as a teacher and school principal, he recently transitioned into higher education as a second career. Most of his professional experience involved working with diverse and impoverished communities in Pennsylvania, Arizona, and Missouri. His published research includes: Exploring the Perceptions of Male Teachers About the Shortage of Male Elementary School Teachers: A Q Methodology. This research explored the shortage of male elementary school teachers, investigated why some men enter a profession predominated by women, and how to attract and maintain males as teachers. Striving to seek a balance of male and female teachers, it is believed that children should have exposure to both in school. While not working, Dr. Meader enjoys family, a fitness lifestyle, reading history and visiting historical sites, motorcycles, attending sporting events, and he is a lifelong fan of all Philadelphia sports teams.
March 22, 2024 Breakout Sessions Presenter Biographies
Navigating “Workism” and Prioritizing Mental Wellness
Kendra Bostick
Kendra Bostick (LCSW, MEPD & PhD Candidate) is the CEO & co-founder of Kikori, a digital platform that supports K-12 educators in implementing experiential Social Emotional Learning. Kendra began her PhD studies in Education at the University of New Hampshire in 2019, with the goal of investigating how bringing experiential approaches into SEL programming can improve student and teacher learning and wellbeing outcomes. Kendra has 10+ years working with youth clinically and as a School Social Worker and is passionate about supporting the needs of all students.
Managing Media Mindfully
Anne Marie Anderson
Anne Marie Anderson is a three-time Emmy Award winning broadcaster, keynote speaker and emcee. Delivering keynotes that are alternately funny and touching, she seeks to connect with the audience through the power of storytelling. Her signature keynote, Building an Audacious Mindset, challenges audiences to forget everything they learned about what should happen and create a professional life built on what could happen if we didn’t accept NO. Anne Marie is a master at helping both corporate and educational audiences discover how to build highly successful teams. Utilizing the methods observed through behind closed doors coverage of many of sport’s most successful coaches and executives, Anderson delivers concrete tools and entertaining examples of what has worked – and has NOT worked – on some of the biggest stages in sport.
Avoiding Self-Sabotage Desiree Cocroft is an energizing coach and consultant that seeks to empower leaders to fulfill their fullest potential. An experienced facilitator of over 20 years, Desiree elevates the hearts and minds of her audience while also igniting them to take inspired action.
Desiree Cocroft
Her community and culture work with Signature Dance Company afforded her the Community BuildHER Award from the PowHER Network in 2017 , the Milwaukee Business Journal’s 40 Under 40 in 2018, and she has been featured in Forbes for her expertise in leadership. She is also an awardwinning author of Get Your Life Today: 7 Success Hacks for Life, Leadership, and Business. Desiree has become a coveted coach, consultant, and trainer within the education division of FranklinCovey, especially in the following topics: Culture of Belonging, Unconscious Bias, Neuroscience Wellness, Speed of Trust, and 7 Habits of Highly Effective People.
March 22, 2024 Breakout Sessions Presenter Biographies
Her Place at the Table: Women Leaders and Negotiations Back by Popular Demand!
Dr. Kimberly Rizzo Saunders
Robin Melone
Dr. Kimberly Rizzo Saunders has been working as a New Hampshire educator for 28 years. She has had a variety of experiences in both the classroom and school administration. As a teacher and adjunct professor she has taught sixth grade through graduate students, in classrooms from North Carolina to New Hampshire. Dr. Rizzo Saunders' doctoral work included the areas of curriculum, assessment, instruction, professional development, and leadership. As a school administrator she has worked for the Londonderry, Hollis-Brookline, Winnisquam, and the ConVal school districts. She has been in the role of ConVal School District for the past 14 years, serving as the Superintendent for the last seven. She has presented at national conferences for ASCD and Learning Forward, as well as locally in New Hampshire. Most recently Dr. Rizzo Saunders has been presenting on the cost of an adequate education in NH. She lives with her husband Robert and their son Parker in Hopkinton, New Hampshire.
Robin Melone is an experienced and well-respected criminal attorney, litigator and negotiator. For the nearly twenty years she has represented both defendants and victims through the criminal process, trying hundreds of cases to New Hampshire, Massachusetts and Federal juries ranging from misdemeanors to homicide. She is a member of the U.S. District Court District of NH CJA panel and a DOVE attorney. In addition to her criminal practice, Robin has represented both reporting and responding parties in Title IX proceedings at colleges, universities and K12 schools throughout New England. Robin is trained in trauma informed investigation techniques as a civil rights investigator handling in-house investigations for educational institutions and employers faced with responding to allegations of sexual harassment or assault. Robin is active in the New Hampshire Bar Association, the New Hampshire Women’s Bar Association, the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, and a long-time member and the current president of the NH Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers. Robin was the 2020 Champion of Justice for NHACLD and the 2021 recipient of the NH Women’s Bar Association’s Marilla Ricker Achievement award and a Fellow of the American Bar Foundation. She is committed to mentoring in her professional life as a frequent presenter and trainer for her colleagues and in her private life as a coach for Girls on the Run and a community volunteer.
Special Thanks to Our Event Sponsors
NHSAA Southwest Region