2025 Conference Speakers
Featured Speaker & Featured Workshop Presenter: Liza Talusan
Dr. Liza Talusan is an educator, speaker, leader, writer, leadership coach and parent. With over 25 years of experience in PreK-20 education, Liza is an engaging facilitator in conversations about diversity, anti-racism, bias, privilege and power and creates environments that allow for people to discuss these difficult topics openly. Through her direct work with organizational leaders, staff, students, teachers, and communities, Liza empowers individuals to create a more inclusive organization, environment, community and team.
Liza earned her Bachelor's degree in Psychology from Connecticut College, a Master's Degree in Student Personnel Administration from New York University; a certificate in Human Resources; a PhD in Higher Education from the University of Massachusetts Boston; and her certified coaching credentials from the Institute for Professional Excellence in Coaching. Her scholarship has been published in peer reviewed journals, edited book collections, online platforms, and she has been featured on a number of podcasts and interviews related to education, identity, and inclusion. She serves in a number of national organizations focused on education and equity, and she has consulted with over 400 schools, organizations, and corporations across the country and internationally.
Currently, Dr. Talusan is a faculty member at the University of Massachusetts Boston where she teaches graduate level courses focused on leadership, equity, anti-racism, and justice. Liza has been a guest on a number of podcasts focused on educational equity and is the new co-host for the podcast Teaching While White. Liza’s book, “The Identity Conscious Educator: Building habits and skills for more inclusive schools” published by Solution Tree Press, is the 2023 Gold Medal Recipient of IPPY Awards. Her new book “Identity-Conscious Practice in Action” was released in November 2024.
Opening Keynote: Jen Cort
Jen Cort, a highly regarded consultant, collaborates with schools across the United States and internationally. Aiming to help schools achieve sustainable growth that supports their long-term goals, her expertise includes school assessments, capacity building, strategic thinking, professional development, parent education, and advisory program development. Jen's collaborative approach involves partnering with trustees, leadership teams, students, teachers, and parents to build on each school's strengths and address areas of need, making everyone feel included in the process.
Jen is not just a consultant but an influential figure in the field of education. She is a highly sought-after keynote speaker and featured speaker at virtual, national, and international conferences. Her work extends to hosting a respected diversity institute and contributing to prominent publications such as Racing Toward Diversity, Insights, Friends Journal, NAIS Independent Journal, and Association of Middle-Level Education.
Jen is deeply committed to promoting diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice in schools. She hosts the internationally syndicated and highly acclaimed podcast Third Space With Jen Cort, a platform for discussing these critical issues. Her commitment is further demonstrated in her book, HUBS: Help Us Begin Mindsets and Strategies for Challenging Conversations, and is quoted in leading publications, including The Washington Post, The Boston Globe, and The New York Times.
2025 PRESENTERS
Kristen Angelucci
Co-Founder, Myth
WORKSHOP: You Don’t Know What You Don’t Know: When, How, and Why to Engage Stakeholders (For Your Brand and Beyond)
Kristen developed her love of independent schools at Philadelphia's 1-12th grade Girard College, where she oversaw development and communications - and baked 120 cookies for students nearly daily. Her bestselling book, The Reading Promise (under her middle names, Alice Ozma), as well as work in content strategy for Scholastic Book Fairs, led her to learn from schools and educators from all over the country. As the co-founder of Myth, with her best friend and co-presenter Matt Goold, she specializes in stakeholder-informed branding and facilitation. She would love to talk your ear off about the Greater Philadelphia Leadership Exchange, which she organizes.
Alex Borders
Associate Partner, Alma Partners
WORKSHOP: Fractional Director Services: Expert Leadership Without the Full-Time Cost
Alex Borders is a consultant with Alma Partners specializing in fundraising, marketing, and enrollment strategy for independent schools, bringing over 20 years of experience leading institutional growth. Formerly Executive Director and Director of Advancement at the Waldorf School of Philadelphia, she now advises schools on integrated advancement strategy. In July 2025, she will join Cornerstone Christian Academy as Director of Institutional Advancement. Alex has served on independent school boards, presented nationally at conferences, and is completing her MBA in strategic and democratic leadership. Based in Philadelphia, she draws from her travel experiences and finds renewal on the Wissahickon trails.
Katy Boucher
Founding Director, The Accord School, Norwell, MA
WORKSHOP: The Purposefully Neurodivergent School Community
Katy founded The Accord School as a caring, connected learning community where neurodivergent middle schoolers are seen, understood, and valued for who they are. Prior to The Accord School, Katy spent a decade leading a social education center where her lessons and model for social education were replicated nationwide. Katy began her career in the public schools. At school, Katy can be found with kids- helping someone through a tricky moment or dreaming up a scheme for fun. Her favorite classroom is the school van, because it has endless potential for adventure. Katy holds degrees in Education, Psychology, and Counseling.
LaShawn Gardner-Bowser
Educational Associate, City Neighbors Hamilton, Baltimore, MD
WORKSHOP: Centering Intrinsic Motivation for Students and Adults
LaShawn Gardner-Bowser is an experienced educator and school leader committed to progressive education, equity, and community-driven school transformation. As the Educational Associate at City Neighbors Hamilton Charter School in Baltimore, she supports curriculum development, teacher leadership, and restorative practices. LaShawn is deeply invested in building, centering, and fostering motivation within school communities, cultivating a shared sense of purpose and possibility among students, families, and educators. With a strong commitment to culturally responsive pedagogy and student-centered learning, she works to create inclusive environments that honor creativity, voice, and collaboration as essential elements of school culture and student success.
Matthew Bradley
Head of School, Friends School Mullica Hill, Mullica Hill, NJ
WORKSHOP: The Power of Distributive Leadership
Matthew Bradley is concluding his eighth year as Head of Friends School Mullica Hill and will begin serving as Interim Head of Plymouth Meeting Friends School next week. He previously served as Head of West Chester Friends School and East Woods School after starting as a lower and middle school teacher, coach, assistant principal, and camp director at Friends Academy. Matt is a trustee of Delaware Valley Friends School and Friends Council on Education. He holds a BA from the University of Notre Dame, an MA from Teachers College, Columbia University, and recently participated in the Klingenstein Heads of Schools Fellowship Program at TC.
Marcy Cathey
Head of School, Doane Stuart School, Rensselaer, NY
WORKSHOP: To Merge or Not to Merge: Lessons in Finding the Right Path for Your School
Marcy began her career in independent schools as a Technology Director and computer science teacher. Over the past 20 years, she has led a diverse range of schools—PK-8 and PK-12, independent and charter, both large and small. She currently serves as the Head of School at Doane Stuart (80 students) in Rensselaer, NY.
Under her leadership, the school overcame a decade-long financial decline that nearly led to its closure in 2022. Through innovative partnerships and strategic problem-solving, she and her team took bold steps, including leasing unused classroom space to a charter school start-up to stabilize the budget. She also dedicated 18 months to pursuing a merger that ultimately did not come to fruition—an experience that offered invaluable lessons and stories worth telling. Outside of her professional work, Marcy enjoys crafting and cherishing time with family.
Mike Chalupa
Executive Director, City Neighbors Foundation, Baltimore, MD
WORKSHOP: Centering Intrinsic Motivation for Students and Adults
Mike serves as the Executive Director of City Neighbors Foundation, an organization operating three arts-integrated, project-based, progressive small public charter schools in Baltimore, Maryland and dedicated to taking a stand for progressive education practices beyond our schools walls. He served as Principal of the founding City Neighbors school, co-founded City Neighbors Hamilton and City Neighbors High School, and previously served as the Academic Director before the current role. Prior to joining City Neighbors, Mike served as the Executive Director of The GreenMount School and Dean of Students at St. John’s Episcopal School, where he also served as a classroom instructor and program coordinator. Mike serves on the Board of the Diverse Charter Schools Coalition, and previously as Board Chair of the Maryland Alliance of Public Charter Schools. Mike earned his MA in Education from the Harvard Graduate School of Education and his BA in English and History from Georgetown University. Mike is also a father of three.
Beth DiPerna, M.A., Ed.S., L.A.C.
Head of School, Orchard Friends School, Riverton, NJ
WORKSHOP: Partners in Inclusive Education: Creating a School that Celebrates and Embraces Neurodiversity
Beth has been working with children and adolescents who have language and learning differences since 1993. A trained Speech-Language Pathologist, she graduated from Rutgers University with a dual Bachelor’s Degree in Speech-Language Pathology and Psychology. Beth also holds a Master's Degree in Speech-Language Pathology with minor focus in Audiology from New York University. She has worked in a wide variety of settings with a wide variety of populations, including running her own private practice, which allowed her the flexibility she needed to raise her four children.
Beth came to Orchard Friends in 2012 as the school's Speech-Language Pathologist, then served as Director of Admissions and Interim Head of School before assuming the Head of School position in 2015. In 2020, Beth earned her Master's and Education Specialist degrees in Professional Counseling from Seton Hall University. Her ability to apply this skillset as a licensed counselor to her work at OFS has broadened the impact the school has with students and their families.
Jill Goodman
Owner & Founder, Jill Goodman Consulting
WORKSHOP: Development: How to Help Your Board Help You
Jill Goodman is a consultant for independent and private schools with over 25 years of experience working with organizational leaders. She specializes in helping schools advance their mission through enrollment retention management, leadership mentoring, and development capacity-building and campaign guidance.
Jill is well known for her presentations on educational advancement, leadership, and constituency relations that have been well received by audiences across the country. She is a frequent podcast guest, blogger, and author. She can be reached at jillgoodmanconsulting.com.
Matt Goold
Co-Founder, Myth
WORKSHOP: You Don’t Know What You Don’t Know: When, How, and Why to Engage Stakeholders (For Your Brand and Beyond)
Matt Goold is the co-founder of Myth, a creative studio specializing in stakeholder engagement, strategic design, and storytelling—which he runs with his best friend, Kristen. With over fifteen years of experience as a designer and creative leader, Matt brings rare depth, patience, and precision to every project—creating work that is as intentional as it is impactful. He’s led workshops for hundreds, built brands from scratch, and helped organizations uncover and articulate what matters most to the people they serve. Matt believes the best ideas emerge through curiosity, listening, and joy—and he’s shaped a career around making space for all three.
Jacklyn Grad
Owner, Melt Media
WORKSHOP: You Don’t Know What You Don’t Know: When, How, and Why to Engage Stakeholders (For Your Brand and Beyond)
Jacklyn has been working in the film industry for 6 years. While she often collaborates with other production companies, she established her own, Melt Media, this year. She works with businesses, small to large in size, restaurants, summer camps, entrepreneurs, and schools to create and manage authentic, revenue-generating video projects. She lives in southern Maine with her spouse, Chelsea Witt, who is a furniture maker and the Executive Director of the Chairmakers Toolbox.
Margaret Haviland, Ph.D
Head of School, Westfield Friends School, Cinnaminson, NJ
WORKSHOP: Partners in Inclusive Education: Creating a School that Celebrates and Embraces Neurodiversity
Dr. Casey Hitchcock
Co-Founder, RootEd Coaching & Design
WORKSHOP: The Marathon of Small-School Leadership
Casey Hitchcock is an experienced educator, school leader, and researcher with a passion for innovative, student-centered learning. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Middle Childhood Education, a Master’s in Organizational Leadership from Vanderbilt University, and a Doctorate in Education Leadership and Innovation from Marymount University.
With almost 20 years of experience in education, Casey has taught every grade from Pre-K through 12th across a wide range of school environments. Most recently, she served for six years as Head of School at Lynnhaven School in Richmond, VA, where she led with a focus on PBL, Dual Enrollment, and the mastery model.
Casey is the co-founder of RootEd, an educational consulting firm dedicated to helping small schools thrive. Her research has centered on educator burnout, exploring sustainable solutions to support teacher wellbeing and leadership longevity. She is currently a fellow with Getting Smart, working alongside national peers to explore sustainability and assessment in microschools.
Her thought leadership has been featured in NAIS Magazine and the NAIS Voices Podcast, and she continues to advocate for meaningful change in education systems through her writing, consulting, and research.
Geetha Holdsworth
Head of School, The Miquon School, Conshohocken, PA
WORKSHOP: The Power of Distributive Leadership
Geetha Holdsworth is the Head of School at The Miquon School. She has been a teacher and school leader for over 30 years in New York, Florida, New Mexico, and now Pennsylvania. She has a lifelong passion for Progressive and progressive adjacent schools. Prior schools include The Little Red School/Elisabeth Irwin High School, Poughkeepsie Day School, Santa Fe School for the Arts & Sciences, and Bosque School. Geetha has been a presenter/faculty member at the NAIS Student Leadership Conference, People of Color Conference, Asian Educators Alliance National Conference, and the Expeditionary Learning National Conference.
Edward Hollinger
Principle Consultant, Hollinger Group Consulting
WORKSHOP: The Six Keys to Successful Leadership in Small Schools
Edward Hollinger is an educational leader and consultant specializing in transitional leadership, team development and professional coaching. His work focuses on helping individuals and organizations discover and develop their best professional selves utilizing a strengths-based approach to leadership.
Ed holds a Masters Degree in Educational Leadership from Temple University (1995) and is certified in Organizational Change and Leadership Coaching from Northwestern University (2016).
Stephen Holmes, PhD
Principal and Founder, 5Rs Partnership
WORKSHOP: To Merge or Not to Merge: Lessons in Finding the Right Path for Your School
Chrissy Khachane
Educational consultant and child development specialist, edvise
WORKSHOP: Responding to Student Support Trends: Strategies for Small Independent Schools
Dominique Mouthon
Clever Education Solutions
WORKSHOP: The Invisible Curriculum: What Our Processes Teach Our Community
David Mullen
Whitewater Leadership
WORKSHOP: Stress Reduction for Educators: Theory and Practice
Dave spent 30 years leading small high schools in Maryland, schools with missions to foster confidence and develop skills in students for whom school had been a struggle. In retirement he consults on organizational anxiety, accreditation, leadership, and stress reduction for teachers and teens. He has presented at previous NSSC conferences, as well as with the Center for Spiritual and Ethical Education, Coalition for Schools Educating Mindfully, Association of Independent Schools of Greater Washington, Non-Anxious Leader Network, Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools, and many public, independent, and charter schools.
Hannah Nelson
Head of School, Midland School, Los Olivos, CA
WORKSHOP: Trial by Fire: Preparing for Emergencies
Originally from Evanston, just north of Chicago, Hannah’s passion for nature-based and experiential learning has taken her across the country—from Pennsylvania to Vermont, Wisconsin, Colorado, and California. She has connected deeply with students and educators through place-based education both outdoors and abroad. Hannah has managed emergencies in campus settings and while supporting students traveling and studying internationally. She now serves as Head of School at Midland School, where she continues to lead with care and purpose. Outside of work, Hannah enjoys biking, kayaking, climbing, and spending time outdoors with her dogs and energetic four-year-old son.
Dagan Rowe
Head of School, Seven Hills School, Richmond, VA
WORKSHOP: Changing the Narrative: No Longer Being the Best Kept Secret
Dagan Rowe has served as Head of School at Seven Hills School, an all-boys middle school in Richmond, VA, since 2012. In his 25-year career as a teacher, coach, and head, Dagan has made it his aim to do school differently, innovating and designing alongside incredible teams.
Dagan is active in the Virginia Association of Independent Schools, having served as the Richmond Regional Chair and as a current member of the Accreditation Committee leading visits to schools around the state, and was included in Style Weekly's Top 40 Under 40 inspiring young leaders who bring Richmond to life.
Rod Stanton
Head of School, The School in Rose Valley, Rose Valley, PA
WORKSHOP: The Power of Distributive Leadership
Rod Stanton is the Head of School at The School in Rose Valley—a progressive school serving preschool to sixth-grade students. He serves on the Pennsylvania Association of Independent Schools and the Greater Philadelphia Diversity Collaborative boards. Rod has organized several community events, including the Preschool to Second Grade Educators' Diversity Summit, Elementary Student Diversity Day, and the "Talking with Children About Difference" speaker series. He earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Education from St. Joseph’s University and a Master of Arts degree in Educational Leadership from Immaculata University, where his work focused on structural bias in schools.
Detra M. Watson
Lower School Division Director, Carroll School, Waltham, MA
WORKSHOP: The Middle Matters: Leading with Compassion to Uplift the Unseen and Untapped
Alli Williams
Head of School, The Pilot School, Wilmington, DE,
WORKSHOP: The Power of Distributive Leadership
Dr. Alli Williams is the Head of School at The Pilot School in Wilmington, Delaware, a K-8 school for students with learning differences. Alli serves on the PAIS Commission for Accreditation and the ADVIS Board of Trustees and has presented nationally on a range of topics, from leadership structures to parenting practices, teaching and learning to school sustainability. Alli earned her Bachelor's and Master's degrees from the University of Arizona and her Doctorate from Johns Hopkins University, where her research focused on fractal organizational structures and leadership development in independent schools.