Conference The 1st Annual - SATURDAY, MARCH 19, 2022 - Newark Board of Education
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DEPUTY SUPERINTENDENT NICOLE T. JOHNSON
PRESENTS
The 1 Annual st
Women’s Leadership
Conference
SATURDAY, MARCH 19, 2022
9:00 AM
Click here to join the conference
Webinar Number: 2624 292 1195
Webinar Password: womenlead22 (96636532 from phones)The 1st Annual Women’s Leadership Conference
I
“ ’m woman phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman, that’s me.”
- Maya Angelou, PoetEMBRACE • EMPOWER • ELEVATE March 19, 2022 To our Current and Aspiring Women Leaders: I am extremely pleased and honored we are hosting this historic event, our first ever Women’s Leadership Conference! Since 1995, American Presidents have issued a series of annual proclamations designating the month of March as “Women’s History Month.” These proclamations celebrate the contributions women have made to the United States and recognize the specific achievements women have made over the course of American history in all fields. I believe the impact of women on the fields of education and educational leadership is immeasurable. Today, we take time to pause and celebrate you. In the spirit of our strategic plan, The Next Decade 2020-30, we are providing this forum where you can learn and grow together. My team has assembled a dynamic lineup of speakers and presenters to embrace, empower and elevate you as you continue to serve our children and families with distinction, and navigate the unique and myriad complexities that society has placed before you. As I have shared on many occasions, my own path in life has been guided by the strong women in my family as well as the women who have been my teachers, mentors and colleagues. To them and to all of you who will participate in today’s conference, I say, THANK YOU, and may your efforts continue to uplift the children of our beloved city of Newark. Sincerely, Roger León Superintendent
The 1st Annual Women’s Leadership Conference
Program Schedule
9:00 AM - Welcome Address
Nicole T. Johnson, Deputy Superintendent
Newark Board of Education
Greetings
Roger León, Superintendent
Newark Board of Education
Greetings
The Honorable Mayor Ras Baraka
City of Newark
Greetings
Honorable M. Teresa Ruiz, State Senator
The State of New Jersey
Greetings
Board President Dawn Haynes
Newark Board of Education
Special Message
Michellene Davis, Esq. President & CEO
National Medical Fellowships, Inc.EMBRACE • EMPOWER • ELEVATE
Program Schedule
9:45 AM - 10:30 AM - Keynote Address
Judge Victoria Pratt
Author, The Power of Dignity
10:45 AM - 12:00 PM - Breakout Session #1
Women at the Forefront and Nexus of Change
Presenter: Dr. Chris Pernell MD, MPH, FACPM, Chief Strategic Integration/Health Equity
Officer, University Hospital
She Leads: The Women’s Guide to a Career in Educational Leadership
Presenters: Dr. Rachael George and Majalise Tolan, Creative Leadership Solutions
Leading for Justice through Radical Care
Presenter: Dr. Rosa Rivera McCutchen - Associate Professor, Leadership Studies
Coordinator, School & District Leadership Programs - Lehman College
Purpose Driven Women in Leadership
Presenter: Dr. Kate Anderson Foley, Creative Leadership Solutions
Leading School Through A Pandemic
Presenter: Karisa DeSantis, Principal, Elliott Street School
12:15 PM - 1:30 PM - Breakout Session #2
Rhythms of Rest: Rhythms of Soul Care for the Woman in Education
Presenter: Nya S. Abernathy, Founder & Public Educator, The Dignity Effect
Leading with Your Authentic Story
Presenters: Dr. Lauren Wells, President & CEO CREED Strategies, Dr. Tonya Breland, Teso
Consultants
Equipping Girls to Live Boldly, Dream Big, & Fly High
Presenter: Joy Lindsay, Founder & CEO, Butterfly Dreamz
Mentoring Matters: The Importance Of Female Mentorship in Developing
Future Women Leaders in our Schools - Breaking the Glass Ceiling
Presenter: Dr. Yolanda Méndez, Assistant Superintendent, Human Resource Services
Embrace and Unleash Your Leadership Potential
Presenter: Valarie Willis, Valarie Willis ConsultingThe 1st Annual Women’s Leadership Conference March 19, 2022 Dear Women Leaders: It is my privilege and honor to welcome you to the Newark Board of Education’s 1st Annual Women’s Leadership Conference! As a district, we understand the importance of leadership pipelines as a strategy to recruit, develop and build leaders. In alignment with The Next Decade: 2020-30 Strategic Plan Priority 4: Continuous Learning for All, the Women’s Leadership Conference manifests our investment in the potential and development of highly effective leaders. Our current and aspiring women leaders are an integral part of our community and we are delighted to be able to come together in this powerful and collaborative learning environment. The theme of this year’s conference is Embrace • Empower • Elevate and what a timely and important theme it is. Through this experience, we are deepening our bonds by connecting with others, uncovering any obstacles that we may be facing, and boldly stepping forward as powerful agents of change. I would like to thank the Superintendent, the Office of Staff Development, the Office of the Deputy Superintendent, the Office of Communications, the presenters and partners, and all staff members who have worked together to make this event a reality and a success. Each session has been intentionally curated to ensure you are provided with a meaningful learning experience. The conference is the result of a collective effort aimed at providing sessions that support you, as a woman and as a leader. Thank you, our current and aspiring women leaders of the district and beyond, as we share in this historic event and unleash the potential of women leaders. Let us embrace, empower, and elevate ourselves and one another as we develop skills needed to ignite impact! Sincerely, Nicole T. Johnson Deputy Superintendent
EMBRACE • EMPOWER • ELEVATE
Welcome Address Newark Board of Education Deputy Superintendent Nicole T. Johnson
9:00 AM is a talented educator, respected leader, and committed advocate for
equity in education. Deputy Johnson has 25 successful years of service
in public education and she leads with a heart for service and always
keep students at the center of every decision. Under her leadership as
Deputy Superintendent, Deputy Johnson has overseen the streamlined
reorganization of the district’s Office of Academic Services, including the
development of robust Offices of Teaching and Learning, School Leadership
Teams and Staff Development. Deputy Johnson has also led the district’s
design and implementation of its new, ten-year strategic plan, The Next
Decade: 2020-2030, which prioritizes equity, access, and achievement
for all Newark students.
Deputy Johnson began her teaching career at the Marie Katzenbach
School for the Deaf, and a few years later joined The Newark Board of
Nicole T. Johnson Education at the Bruce Street School for the Deaf. For the next several
Deputy Superintendent years she was appointed to many central office positions including District
Resource Teacher, Master Coordinator and Literacy Supervisor. In 2010,
she joined Elliott Street School as a Vice-Principal and three short years
later was appointed as Principal of the same school.
As Principal, Deputy Johnson had the distinguished honor of opening up
the brand new Elliott Street School building. Under her leadership, Elliott
Street School implemented the highly successful Blended Learning program.
This educational program combined online digital content with traditional
classroom methods, and allowed students to receive individualized
instruction on a daily basis. The school’s enrollment doubled and the
school was the recipient of many grants and national partnerships. In
2018, Deputy Johnson was selected as one of Newark’s Living Legends in
Education by the Mayor and City Council of Newark, NJ.
Deputy Johnson specializes in school leadership development. She
works closely with school and district leaders in the areas of professional
learning communities, systems thinking, and school improvement through
strategic planning. She currently serves as adjunct faculty at Montclair
State University, teaching graduate courses to aspiring school leaders.
Deputy Johnson also serves on several Nonprofit Boards, all dedicated to
improving education and community.
Deputy Johnson is an active member of the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority
and her proudest accomplishments and the joys of her life are her two
sons Taji and Jordan. Taji is a graduate from the University of Delaware
and currently resides in Los Angeles, California and Jordan is a junior at
Temple University.
Deputy Johnson operates under the belief system that “if you expect more,
then you will achieve more”. She brings that impactful spirit into the lives
of the staff and students whom she encounters each and every day.The 1st Annual Women’s Leadership Conference
Special Message Michellene Davis assumed the role of President and Chief Executive Officer
of National Medical Fellowships, Inc., (NMF) in May of 2021. Founded in
1946, NMF was one of America’s first diversity organizations and remains
the only national organization advancing health equity at the intersection of
wealth and health. It provides scholarships to Black, Indigenous, People of
Color (BIPOC) medical and health professions students underrepresented
in medicine to ensure equity of access to culturally competent, high-quality
healthcare. NMF also increases the number of BIPOC clinician leaders to
diversify clinical trials.
Davis is named among Modern Healthcare magazine’s Top 25 Most
Influential Minority Leaders in Healthcare and Becker’s Hospital Review’s
113 Great Leaders in Healthcare 2022 and Top 50 African Americans
to Know in Healthcare. The National Association of Health Services
Executives awarded her their 2021 Senior Health Care Executive Award.
Michellene Davis, ESQ. Davis most recently served as Executive Vice President and Chief Corporate
President & CEO
Affairs Officer at RWJBarnabas Health, the largest academic medical
National Medical Fellowships, Inc.
center system in New Jersey and one of the largest in the nation. She
founded Social Impact and Community Investment, an equity-centered,
policy-led community health practice addressing the social and political
determinants of health. She was the first African American in state history
to serve as Chief Policy Counsel to former New Jersey Governor Jon S.
Corzine, the first African American and only the second women to serve
as New Jersey State Treasurer. She was the youngest person to serve as
CEO of the New Jersey Lottery and also served as a senior policy advisor
in the New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services.
She co-authored Changing Missions, Changing Lives: How a Change
Agent Can Turn the Ship and Create Impact, published by ForbesBooks in
2020, which provides a blueprint for those committed to leading systems
change within organizations.
Ms. Davis began her legal career as a trial litigator, is an Honors graduate
of Seton Hall University and holds a Juris Doctorate from Seton Hall School
of Law. She holds Executive Education Certificates in Corporate Social
Responsibility from the Harvard Business School and in Social Impact
Strategy from the Wharton School of Business.EMBRACE • EMPOWER • ELEVATE
Keynote Address Judge Victoria Pratt has gained national and international acclaim for
9:45 AM - 10:30 AM her commitment to reforming the criminal justice system. During her
tenure as the Chief Judge in Newark Municipal Court in Newark, New
Jersey, she spent years gaining a deep understanding of how to deliver
justice to court participants in a manner that increased their trust in the
legal system and changed their behavior. While presiding over Newark
Community Solutions, the Community Court, she used procedural justice
and innovative problem solving to provide alternative sentences to low-
level offenders including community service, counselling sessions, and her
signature assignment of introspective essays. Her respectful approach has
had a transformational impact on court participants, the community, and
court practitioners.
Her TED Talk, How Judges Can Show Respect, has been translated into
11 languages, has over one million views and a Facebook clip with over
Judge Victoria Pratt
30 million views. A globally recognized expert, she has worked with
Author, The Power of Dignity
jurisdictions across the nation, and as far as Dubai, Ukraine, England,
Scotland, Trinidad and Tobago, and Mexico facilitating workshops and
presentations. She has also been featured in the Guardian, Forbes and
The Tamron Hall Show, to name a few.
She continues to champion criminal justice reform through her consulting
firm Pratt Lucien Consultants, LLC, by sharing her skills and approach with
others. She has worked with corporations such as LinkedIn, Facebook and
Prudential, as well as other institutions and organizations about how to
heighten and restore respect into their day-to-day operations so that their
mission can be better achieved. She is currently a professor of Professional
Practice and the Director of Strategic Planning and Program Development
at Rutgers School of Criminal Justice in Newark, NJ. Previously she served
as a Visiting Professor at Rutgers Law School in Newark where she taught
Problem Solving Justice and Restorative Justice. She currently Chairs the
Boards of the Center for Court Innovation and New Jersey’s Edna Mahan
Women’s Correctional Facility.
Judge Pratt is licensed to practice in New York, New Jersey and before the
United States Supreme Court. Her book, The Power of Dignity: How
Transforming Justice Can Save Our Communities will launch May
2022.The 1st Annual Women’s Leadership Conference
Salon 1 Women at the Forefront and Nexus of Change
10:45 AM - 12:00 PM
(All Participants)
Presenter: Dr. Chris Pernell MD, MPH,
Describing the catalytic power of women in leadership roles to elevate
FACPM, Chief Strategic Integration/Health
Equity Officer, University Hospital solutions for organizations and communities using the lens of the COVID-19
pandemic and other volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity
Facilitator: Dr. Marguerite Leuze, (VUCA) environments.
Executive Director, Office of Health
Services
Click here to join this session
About the Presenter
Dr. Chris T. Pernell is a dynamic physician leader and social change agent. In her public
health practice, she focuses on health justice, community-based advocacy, and population-
wide health promotion and disease prevention. In November 2019, she joined University
Hospital in Newark, New Jersey as the first Chief Strategic Integration and Health Equity
Officer. She oversees a portfolio which includes Population Health, Strategic Planning,
Community Affairs, and the Human Experience. Her office is responsible for leading health
equity strategy development and integrating equity and inclusion in a cohesive fashion
across the organization.
Prior to joining University Hospital, she led the 1199SEIU/League Labor Management
Initiatives (LMI) Workplace and Community Health Program. Working with leaders and
frontline workers of 1199SEIU, and partners across NYC healthcare institutions, her efforts
centered on workplace health strategies, worker empowerment, health equity, and health
system transformation.
Dr. Chris is a charismatic and leading voice in preventive medicine and public health. In
2021, she received the ACPM Ron Davis Special Recognition Award for her “heart” work
Dr. Chris Pernell MD, MPH, FACPM in the field of preventive medicine. Also, NJBiz selected her a Public Health Hero in 2020.
University Hospital Known for her spearheading work in the Greater Newark, New Jersey area, she was tapped
to serve on the Essex County Civilian Task Force as a medical expert. Prison reform and
care for justice-involved populations along with issues such as evidence-based wellness
programs, civic health, and high-quality education have been areas of impassioned focus.
Dr. Pernell is a frequent contributor across television, radio and print media leveraging her
lived experiences and expertise as a public health physician and health equity champion.
She regularly speaks at professional symposia and public forums on topics in the public
interest, including racial equity, population health, social justice, community well-being and
faith-based initiatives.
Dr. Chris graduated cum laude from Princeton University before attending Duke University
School of Medicine. She received her Master of Public Health from the Columbia Mailman
School of Public Health and completed the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
General Preventive Medicine Residency. Dr. Pernell is a fellow of the American College of
Preventive Medicine and holds an appointment as a Clinical Assistant Professor at the Rutgers
New Jersey Medical School. Previously, she taught as an adjunct associate professor at the
NYU College of Global Public Health.EMBRACE • EMPOWER • ELEVATE
Salon 2 She Leads: The Women’s Guide to a Career
10:45 AM - 12:00 PM
in Educational Leadership
Presenters: Dr. Rachael George and (Aspiring Leaders)
Majalise Tolan, Creative Leadership
Solutions The voice of women in the workplace has never been a question of need
but a question of when. There are too few women in leadership and as
Facilitator: Paula Perrone,
Executive Assistant, Office of the Deputy a collective whole, it is time to start doing something and it starts now.
Superintendent Together we will explore ways to help land the job, make sure your voice
is heard, find (and offer) support, attain better balance, and learn the
leadership style that suits your strength. Dr. Rachael George and Majalise
Tolan empower women leaders in education to embrace their dreams,
break through barriers, rebound from setbacks, and lead with skill and
authenticity.
Click here to join this session
About the Presenters
From fighting wildland fires with the U.S. Forest Service to putting out fires in the classroom,
education was the last place that Rachael thought she’d end up. It wasn’t until a hard
conversation with a base manager in Grangeville, Idaho did Rachael realize she needed
to put her chainsaw down and make a bigger impact on the world. Rachael is a member of
the ASCD Emerging Leaders Class of 2015 and currently serves as the Executive Director
of Student Services and Prek Principal in the Oregon Trail School District. She is the past
principal of Sandy Grade School and during her seven years there, they moved from being
one of the lowest ranked elementary schools in the state of Oregon to performing in the top
20% of elementary schools. Sandy Grade School has been recognized by the International
Center for Leadership in Education (ICLE) as a Model School for closing the achievement
gap. Prior to serving as an elementary principal, she was a middle school principal of an
“outstanding” and two-time “Level 5: Model School” as recognized by the State of Oregon.
Rachael specializes in curriculum development, instructional improvement as well as working
with at-risk students and closing the achievement gap. Connect with Rachael on Twitter @
DrRachaelGeorge.
Dr. Rachael George
Creative Leadership Solutions
Majalise Tolan has been an energetic and proactive educator for eighteen years. She began
her administrative career as a high school assistant principal and athletic director and has
since served as an intermediate principal and high school principal. She was the Secondary
Teaching and Learning Administrator for the Lincoln County School District, overseeing
curriculum and instruction, AVID, athletics, career and technical education, and the Title VI
Bureau of Indian Education Program for five secondary schools before becoming Secondary
Director. Through her time working as a consultant, she has led multiple districts through
standards, instruction, and assessment alignment work. She currently serves as the President
for the Oregon Association of Secondary School Administrators and is awaiting publication
of her first book on women in education administration. Twitter: @majalisetolan
Majalise Tolan
Creative Leadership SolutionsThe 1st Annual Women’s Leadership Conference
Salon 3 Leading for Justice through Radical Care
10:45 AM - 12:00 PM
(Current Leaders)
Presenter: Dr. Rosa Rivera McCutchen-
During this presentation, Dr. Rosa Rivera-McCutchen will discuss the 5
Associate Professor, Leadership Studies
Coordinator, School & District Leadership components of Radical Care, and engage participants in thinking about
Programs - Lehman College ways to enact it in their leadership.
Facilitator: Samantha Lott Velez,
Assistant Superintendent,
South/West School Leadership Team
Meeting ID: 816 9074 1492
Passcode: Newark
Click here to join this session
About the Presenter
Dr. Rosa L. Rivera-McCutchen is an Associate Professor & Coordinator of Building & District
Leader graduate programs at CUNY Lehman College, and a doctoral faculty member in the
Urban Education PhD Program at CUNY Graduate Center. Dr. Rivera-McCutchen began her
career as a high school teacher in the Bronx before earning her doctorate at NYU.
A first-generation college graduate, her research is informed by her experiences attending
and teaching in NYC public schools. Dr. Rivera-McCutchen’s work focuses on urban school
leaders who practice “radical care,” which centers anti-racism and equity as part of their
leadership work. Her research has appeared in Educational Administration Quarterly, Urban
Education, Journal of School Leadership, and Journal of Cases in Educational Leadership.
Dr. Rivera-McCutchen is author of Radical Care: Leading for Justice in Urban Schools (2021).
Most importantly, she is the mother of three Afro-Latinx children who attend public schools
in New Rochelle, NY.
Dr. Rosa Rivera McCutchen
Lehman CollegeEMBRACE • EMPOWER • ELEVATE
Salon 4 Purpose Driven Women in Leadership
10:45 AM - 12:00 PM
(Current Leaders)
Presenter: Dr. Kate Anderson Foley,
What would your leadership story be if there was nothing holding you
Creative Leadership Solutions
back? Too often, women put themselves last and the result has been a
Facilitator: Erica Paich, Director, Office diminished career trajectory. It’s time to unapologetically invest in yourself.
of Enrollment Participants will learn about issues unique to women in leadership and
identify empowering stances that can elevate their career now and into the
future. A special focus will be on the tactical skills needed to accelerate
purpose driven leadership in the second half of their career and the value
of executive coaching.
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About the Presenter
Kate Anderson Foley, PhD is a transformational leader with over thirty years of experience
leading public school districts and states toward equitable and integrated services for all
learners. Her work has been grounded in social justice and for breaking down the barriers
for children who historically have been marginalized. She has led organizational change
utilizing a strategic framework that ensured guaranteed and rigorous learning leading to
college and career readiness for all students.
Kate began her career as a special education teacher pioneering inclusive practices for
students at risk and children with disabilities. Her work focused on creating conditions that
fostered high expectations of adults for students and innovation which led to equitable
opportunities for all learners. Kate’s deep commitment to creating nimble and responsive
systems that supported the whole child led her into administration where she advocated for
local, state, and federal reform. That experience with large scale reform led to improved
academic and social emotional outcomes for students, innovative healthcare models, and
efficient operations.
As a senior state leader for the State of Illinois, Kate’s vision of fulfilling the promise of the
Dr. Kate Anderson Foley Individuals with Disabilities Education Act was nested within the Every Student Succeeds Act
Creative Leadership Solutions (ESSA). She was an expert contributor to the ESSA State Plan where the current deficit-based
system was interrupted and a preventative and nimble system created that intentionally
addressed opportunity gaps for all learners, regardless of background or circumstance. Her
deep understanding of equity-based school funding also contributed to a reform model for
the state of Illinois.
Kate partners with local, state, and national organizations, education agencies, and various
industries providing her expertise with strategic planning, asset-based education policies
and practices, and consulting. Kate also works closely with senior leadership across various
education and business sectors providing executive coaching aimed at creating growth-
minded organizational cultures.The 1st Annual Women’s Leadership Conference
Salon 5 Leading School Through A Pandemic
10:45 AM - 12:00 PM
(Current Leaders)
Presenter: Karisa DeSantis, Principal,
This session will focus on how staff, students and parents were supported
Elliott Street School
throughout the pandemic (change management) and will also include
Facilitator: Yolonda Severe, Executive how academics and SEL remained a focus in spite of remote learning.
Director, Office of Early Childhood Additionally, it will address effective practices adopted during the
pandemic that will endure once it is over.
Click here to join this session
About the Presenter
Karisa is a current Principal with the Newark Board of Education in New Jersey. Her 20
years in education have been spent serving students and families in urban districts within
New York, Florida and New Jersey. She has experience as a writing coach, data coach,
mentor, and English Language Arts support teacher for students in pre-kindergarten through
grade 8. In 2012 she pursued her master’s degree in Educational Leadership and successfully
completed the New Leaders Program. In 2015 she became a Vice Principal at Rafael
Hernandez School of the Performing Arts where she supported the academic program by
facilitating PLCs and leading data driven instruction initiatives. She spearheaded a new
teacher induction program, created a school-wide positive behavior plan and developed a
sequential elective arts program for middle school students. After two years in this role she
was promoted to Principal and has continued serving in this title for the past 5 years. Her
rapid ascent to the role of Principal is attributed to her strong communication and ability to
learn from all situations and stakeholders. She views challenges as learning opportunities as
opposed to obstacles with communication as the vehicle to manage change.
Karisa has facilitated professional development sessions at National ECET2 conferences
sponsored by the Gates Foundation. She is a transformational leader known for her strength
Karisa DeSantis with developing and aligning Professional Learning Communities, data driven instruction,
Elliott Street School effectively managing the change process and strategic thinking. She prioritizes developing
capacity of individuals to become experts of their craft and fosters sustainability of
programing to maximize consistency for students. She develops aspiring leaders to be able
to advance their careers by challenging them to perform to their maximum potential. During
her tenure as Principal she has consistently cultivated a culture of coaching and development
as a means to build a strong academic foundation centered around student growth. Karisa
is an aspiring Superintendent.EMBRACE • EMPOWER • ELEVATE
I
“ do know one thing about me:
I don’t measure myself by others’
expectations or let others define my worth.”
- Sonia Sotomayor, Supreme Court Justice
“Women don’t need to find a voice,
they have a voice, and they need to feel
empowered to use it, and people need
to be encouraged to listen.”
- Meghan Markle, The Duchess of SussexThe 1st Annual Women’s Leadership Conference
Salon 6 Rhythms of Rest: Rhythms of Soul Care for
12:15 PM - 1:30 PM
the Woman in Education
Presenter: Nya S. Abernathy, Founder (All Participants)
& Public Educator, The Dignity Effect
From teachers to superintendents and every role in between, the easiest
Facilitator: Carolyn Granato, Assistant
thing to leave behind as you move forward is yourself. There never seems
Superintendent, Office of Special
Education to be enough time or capacity to “add” taking care of you. But what if I
told you that twenty seconds is enough for a reset? From tangible practices
Meeting ID: 870 9060 9426 you can use as soon as the workshop ends to learning to listen more
Passcode: 3ERoR
closely to your inner voice, this session is a guide in returning to yourself.
Join me in creating music from life-giving rhythms that you can use in the
office, at home, or wherever the need arises.
Click here to join this session
About the Presenter
Nya Abernathy, founder of The Dignity Effect, is a public educator teaching social emotional
well-being for adults. With a focus on the intrinsic worth and value of each person, Nya
anchors learners in the dignity they and others hold - from their loved ones to their enemies.
Centering truth-telling, soul care, and storytelling, Nya educates on relationships, faith-
focused topics, mental health, and social justice. She lives in Atlanta, GA with her husband,
two kiddos, and her portable karaoke mic. You can follow her on Instagram @thedignityeffect
or join her membership community at thedignitynation.com, to learn and support.
Nya S. Abernathy
The Dignity EffectEMBRACE • EMPOWER • ELEVATE
Salon 7 Leading with Your Authentic Story
12:15 PM - 1:30 PM
(All Participants)
Presenters: Dr. Lauren Wells, President
As women leaders we all have something in our story that guides our
& CEO CREED Strategies
journey. In this session, participants explore a number of questions that
Dr. Tonya Breland, Teso Consultants allow them to embrace and be empowered by the peaks and valleys of
their personal experiences.
Facilitator: Krystle Whitlock, Assistant
School Business Administrator, Office of
Operations & Finance
Click here to join this session
About the Presenters
Lauren Wells, Ph.D. is an educator, researcher and community organizer whose work centers
on comprehensive, systemic, culturally responsive and collaborative approaches to change in
schools and communities. Wells is trained in qualitative research and uses an interdisciplinary
approach to understanding communities and schools. She applies this approach not only to
the work of school transformation, but also to transforming how communities, educators and
policymakers think about, approach and undertake school change. Her work shines a light on
inequities and injustice in American public schools and supports the creation of educational
systems that are designed by and for Black and Brown communities. As the former Chief
Education Officer for Mayor Ras Baraka in the City of Newark, one of the largest school
systems in the country, she led education policy and developed initiatives on behalf of the
City. Wells’ research articulates a clear model for methodically engaging stakeholders and
decision-makers across educational ecosystems to collaboratively reimagine the possibilities
of public education and redesign their educational system from an equity lens.
Dr. Lauren Wells
CREED Strategies
Tonya Breland has a passion and commitment to increasing access and opportunities for
those who have been historically marginalized, particularly Black & Brown students and
has dedicated her life’s work to ensuring equity in education and other sectors. Through her
research, she birthed a framework for sustainable equity planning in which she helps districts
identify areas where they are equitable, have inadequate capacity, or are vulnerable to
inequities. Her work is also transferrable to organizations looking to address matters of
Diversity, Equity, Inclusion (DEI). Tonya is a highly respected National Milken Educator
Award recipient and educational leader with a lifelong mission to make a difference in the
lives of others. In her career, Tonya served as an Elementary School Principal, Curriculum
Supervisor, as well as a Middle and Elementary school teacher. She previously served as
the Co-Chair of the State Professional Learning Committee with the New Jersey Department
of Education and has been a sought-after Trainer/Coach/Consultant/Speaker to school
districts, individuals, educational and other organizations. She also taught in the NJEXCEL
Program preparing professionals for licensure to become school/district administrators. She
served as Director for the Office of Professional Learning at the New Jersey Department of
Education and most recently as Deputy Assistant Commissioner in the Division of Academics
& Performance before leaving to relaunch her educational consulting firm, TESO Consulting
Dr. Tonya Breland Group. TESO specializes in DEI.
Teso ConsultantsThe 1st Annual Women’s Leadership Conference
Salon 8 Equipping Girls to Live Boldly, Dream Big,
12:15 PM - 1:30 PM
& Fly High
Presenter: Joy Lindsay, Founder & CEO, (Aspiring Leaders)
Butterfly Dreamz
How can we create classrooms and school cultures that cultivate and
Facilitator: Valerie Wilson, School
celebrate girl leadership? During this workshop, we’ll learn strategies and
Business Administrator, Office of
Operations & Finance best practices for equipping adolescent girls to be confident leaders who
disrupt the status quo.
Click here to join this session
About the Presenter
Joy Lindsay is the Founder and CEO of Butterfly Dreamz, Inc., a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that
equips girls to be confident leaders and supports them in achieving their dreams through
mentorship, scholarships, and youth-led community action. She also provides consulting
services to nonprofits and social entrepreneurs, helping them build sustainable and impactful
organizations.
Joy is the author and publisher of several young adult books and has worked in consulting,
finance, and public education management. She holds a BBA in Finance from Howard
University and an MPA in Nonprofit Management & Policy from NYU Wagner Graduate
School of Public Service. Joy also studied Psychology as a Post-baccalaureate student at
Columbia University, where she leveraged participatory action research to help women and
girls lead authentically and gain upward mobility.
Joy is an AMEX 100 for 100 Founder of Change and a 2021 Echoing Green Social
Innovation Challenge Awardee. She is a proud member of the North Jersey Alumnae
Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated, where she serves as the Co-chair of
Economic Development. Joy is passionate about education and has worked with youth in
various capacities, including as a mentor, coach, and facilitator of enrichment programs, for
more than fifteen years.
Joy Lindsay
Butterfly Dreamz As she continues her work, Joy hopes to use her diverse skills and background to ensure
all children have equitable access to quality education and the opportunity to pursue their
dreams.EMBRACE • EMPOWER • ELEVATE
Salon 9 Mentoring Matters: The Importance Of
12:15 PM - 1:30 PM
Female Mentorship in Developing Future
Presenter: Dr. Yolanda Méndez, Women Leaders in our Schools - Breaking
Assistant Superintendent, Human Resource
Services
the Glass Ceiling
(Aspiring Leaders)
Facilitator: Rochanda Jackson, Executive
Director, Office of Planning, Evaluation &
This workshop is designed to outline the benefits of having a mentor and
Testing
the practical steps you can take to find one. Many women would benefit
from a mentor, but do not know how to ask. This workshop will provide a
concrete plan to accomplish and develop this most important relationship
that will support you in your leadership development.
Click here to join this session
About the Presenter
Dr. Yolanda Méndez graduated from Rutgers College, Rutgers University Graduate School,
and Seton Hall University Graduate School. Dr. Méndez possesses a BA, two EdMs an EdS
and an EdD in Educational Leadership and Management. Her dissertation theme was on
how new approaches to leadership can effectively build teacher capacity and address the
needs of an urban elementary school. She is currently the Assistant Superintendent for Office
of Human Resource Services for the Newark Board of Education; and in that capacity leads
four offices; the Office of Employee Services, your traditional Human Relations office; Labor
& Employee Relations; Staffing and Recruitment; Affirmative Action and Risk Management. In
this role, she oversees all aspects of the organization that impact and interact with the vision
for adults in the organization and maintains vision for teacher quality, the leadership around
retention efforts at schools and central office with a clear focus on the entire life cycle of all
employees and all aspects of all adults in the organization.
Dr. Méndez was an Assistant Superintendent in the Newark Public Schools for two year
and in that role she supervised 15 Principals impacting over 8,000 students in all facets of
leadership and management. During that time, Dr. Méndez demonstrated a commitment
to promoting a strong sense of urgency in school leaders in assuring that students met
their highest levels of potential growth. Prior to that role, she was the Principal at Roberto
Clemente Elementary School in Newark, New Jersey for close to ten years. Dr. Méndez
Dr. Yolanda Méndez began her administrative career in education as a Director of Instructional Technology and
Newark Board of Education Curriculum in 1997 in the city of Dover, NJ. In 2004, she served as a Special Assistant to the
Regional Superintendent of all of the high schools in the city of Newark, where her emphasis
was Curriculum and Instruction. Dr. Méndez has continually focused on growing leaders
in order to sustain growth throughout the entire constituency she serves. Her philosophy
and vision is to provide teachers and students with the necessary tools in order to promote
learning and excellence for ALL children. The core value that Dr. Méndez promotes as an
educational leader is that it is important to foster the total learning environment; which
includes climate and culture, and the belief that all children have the raw material to engage
in rigorous academic material, which will eventually have a powerful impact on students’
learning and future.
Dr. Méndez has received a great deal of recognition throughout her career. Yolanda was a
Seton Hall University National Fellow in the Doctoral Program and has received recognition
from the Cahn Fellowship Program at Columbia University as one of the Distinguished Principals
of the 2011-2012 school year and was honored in March 2012 by the National Organization
of African American Administrators (NOAAA), for their Educational Leadership Award.
Dr. Méndez was honored by El Diario La Prensa as one of 2012’s Mujeres Destacadas /
Distinguished Hispanic Women in the Metropolitan area and was featured in the Children’s
Literacy Initiative’s (CLI), 20112012 Annual Report on how her Educational Leadership has
positively transformed literacy initiatives at Roberto Clemente School. Most recently Dr.
Méndez has been chosen into The School Superintendents Association (AASA), Aspiring
Superintendents Academy® for Latino and Latina Leaders 2022 National Cohort.The 1st Annual Women’s Leadership Conference
Salon 10 Embrace and Unleash Your Leadership
12:15 PM - 1:30 PM
Potential
Presenter: Valarie Willis, Valarie Willis (Current Leaders)
Consulting
Leadership is what we decide to do in the moment. Whether we are
Facilitator: Nancy Deering, Director,
leading others, or ourselves, we get to decide the type of leader we will
Office of Communications
be. Some may not even see themselves as leaders, but everyone has
Meeting ID: 826 4120 3836 leadership potential and capabilities that need to be unleashed. Discover
the Five Practices of Exemplary Leaders, that will help you unleash your
leadership, empower you and elevate your leadership.
Click here to join this session
About the Presenter
Valarie is an accomplished speaker, facilitator, consultant, and executive coach, focused
in the areas of leadership, teambuilding, innovation, and change. Valarie has worked with
Fortune 500 companies, small businesses, associations, as well as non-profit organizations.
She has been a certified Master Facilitator since 2003.
Valarie was awarded the Star Player award for her work and contributions to The Leadership
Challenge Certified Master Facilitator Network. She was also the recipient of the HR Top
Leadership Partner Award in 2018.
Valarie has worked with companies in many industries including health care, non-profits,
pharmaceutical, government, manufacturing, wholesale, retail, technology, mining, utilities,
and finance. Her mission is to guide and provoke organizations to optimize business results
through leadership development.
Her belief is that everyone can achieve their fullest potential given the tools and opportunity.
Throughout her 20 plus year work history, Valarie has assumed critical management,
leadership, and consulting roles of significant scope.
Valarie Willis
Valarie Willis Consulting Valarie has been a national keynote speaker for the Speaking of Women’s Health
organization inspiring women across the states. Valarie is a moderator, panelist, author,
and writer. Known for her energy, passion and down the earth style, she has motivated and
engaged thousands of people.
Valarie is a contributing writer for business publications and online resources, such as
Leadership Excellence, The Leadership Challenge newsletter and Sales and Marketing
Excellence.
Valarie holds a MBA from Xavier University and a B.A. from Wilmington College. She is
a member of the National Speakers Association, and The Leadership Challenge Certified
Masters Facilitator Network. Valarie also serves on two non-profit boards to give back to
the community.EMBRACE • EMPOWER • ELEVATE
“Anyone who claims to be a leader
must speak like a leader. That means
speaking with integrity and truth.”
- Kamala Harris, Vice President
“Think like a queen. A queen is not
afraid to fail. Failure is another
stepping stone to greatness.”
- Oprah Winfrey, Media MogulThe 1st Annual Women’s Leadership Conference
“Women are leaders everywhere you
look - from the C EO who runs
a Fortune 500 company to the
housewife who raises her children and
heads her household. Our country
was built by strong women, and we
will continue to break down walls and
defy stereotypes.”
- Nancy Pelosi, Speaker of the House
“There is no limit to what we, as
women, can accomplish.”
- Michelle Obama, Former First LadyEMBRACE • EMPOWER • ELEVATE
Acknowledgements
Superintendent Roger León
Board President Dawn Haynes
Matthew Brewster
Nancy Deering
Carolyn Granato
Rochanda Jackson
Dr. Marguerite Leuze
Samantha Lott-Velez
Anzella K. Nelms
Paula Perrone
Yolonda Severe
Krystle Whitlock
Valerie Wilson
Yahsameen Bush
Ana Castillo
Sharnall Davis
Genell Jackson-Lampley
Erica Paich
Shkeirra Riley
Rob Salagaj
Anthony Spadavecchia
Alberto Taveras
Michelina Thornton
Shamere Williams
Our presenters & Special guests
Each and every woman participating in the Women’s Leadership Conference.Roger León
Superintendent
Nicole T. Johnson
Deputy Superintendent
Newark Board of Education
Dawn Haynes
President
Flohisha Johnson
Co-Vice President
Vereliz Santana
Co-Vice President
Board Members
Shayvonne Anderson
Hasani K. Council
Josephine C. Garcia
Daniel Gonzalez
A’Dorian Murray-Thomas
Asia J. Norton
Newark Board of Education
765 Broad Street
Newark, NJ 07102
www.nps.k12.nj.usYou can also read
