Leading the celebration: Ending the year with excitement, accomplishment, and renewed energy

Sharon Bradley is an educational leader who serves as a school district administrator where she has helped shape the district’s approach to character development and truancy prevention for all students. Throughout her 22 years in education, she has served as director, alternative high school principal, assistant principal, dropout prevention program coordinator, special education teacher, and behavior specialist. In her current role, she supports programs such as: attendance, social-emotional learning, restorative practices, and parent education and engagement. Sharon has recently been recognized by Education-First "SEL in Action" and D CEO Magazine for her innovative efforts of leveraging SEL to help decrease chronic absenteeism. Sharon is the author of the reference guide "Chronic Absenteeism: Prevention and Intervention Strategies for Schools, Families and Communities".

Melisa Sandoval has over 20 years of experience as an educator, in mental health, teaching, and administration. Currently, she is serving as director of Learning Services for Westminster Public Schools, a competency-based education system, where education is personal. Before serving her current role, Melisa was an educator in several other roles. As a building administrator, she was the assistant principal at a K-8 school in Westminster Public Schools and previously oversaw the K-12 district day treatment program for students with serious emotional disabilities. Melisa’s background in mental health includes roles as a mental health interventionist, school counselor, and special education team leader. As a teacher, she has worked at the preschool, elementary, secondary, and university level (art history). Melisa is a National Certified Teacher with an emphasis in counseling through the National Board of Professional Teaching Standards, and she has worked as a private practitioner as a licensed professional counselor.

Tim Stevenson is a Master Sherpa Executive Coach. He has devoted his life to developing people and organizations. A successful leader himself for four companies, Tim developed hundreds of leaders throughout his career who are making an impact all over the world. In 2007, he decided to make leadership development his full-time concentration and added to his experience a certification in Sherpa Executive Coaching. After serving for five years as an internal leadership development coach for a large medical system, in 2013 Tim returned to independent coaching and leadership development. In 2014, he was honored by being named a Master Sherpa Coach, only the seventh person in the world to receive that designation. His clients have included C-level and other executives, physicians, and managers in industries including healthcare, IT, commercial & residential real estate, relocation and logistics, blockchain, engineering, church, and denominational leaders.

Chandra Youngblood is currently the director of elementary education for the Battle Creek Public Schools where she oversees and supervises principals of seven elementary schools, grades Pk-5th. Her 32-year career in three school districts has included positions as a teacher, Title I director, assistant principal, and elementary principal. Her development of the Kindergarten Success Program has resulted in lasting effects of readiness skills for students. She is passionate about starting young learners on a trajectory of success through early literacy and has worked to increase kindergarten readiness in her district by 150% in the last decade. Her professional interests are educational trends, literacy research, and professional development for teachers.