- 2024 -
Leadership & Happiness Symposium
Exclusive Leadership Event for Superintendents and School Leaders
8:00AM to 2:30PM
You’re invited to this exclusive leadership event focused specifically on the needs of
School District Superintendents and School Leaders.
Why Happiness?
Happiness is an essential investment for leaders as a cornerstone of professional success and personal fulfillment.
Prioritizing happiness enhances resiliency, sharpens decision-making, and equips you to face the challenges of leadership with grace and effectiveness.
Happiness directly impacts productivity, creativity and loyalty–all of which contribute to a positive and dynamic workplace culture and builds a more connected community.
This One-Day Event Will Provide:
- Understanding of the neuroscience behind the most effective leadership skills
- Strategies to build a culture of happiness in your schools.
- Immediately impactful applications, resources, and best practices
Additional Highlights Include:
- Connecting and networking with Superintendent peers
- Discussing innovative solutions for employee retention and recruitment
- Learning crucial skills to cultivate thriving schools, contented staff, and successful students
Continental Breakfast and Working Lunch Provided
Uplevel your leadership style to inspire, enlighten, and sustain.
Stan Rounds
Executive Director,
New Mexico Coalition of Educational Leaders / New Mexico School Superintendents Association
Yoshitaka “Yoshi” Iwasaki, Ph.D.
Inaugural Dean & Professor,
College of Health, Education, and Social Transformation,
New Mexico State University
With his social justice mission, Dr. Yoshi Iwasaki has over 26 years of higher education experiences at Comprehensive Public Research Universities in North America. Those include the past 13 years of his administrative leadership positions as Center Director, Department Chair, Associate Dean, Research, and most recently as Inaugural Dean of the College of Health, Education, & Social Transformation (HEST) at New Mexico State University (NMSU). The three key themes of his collaborative community-engaged work have been: (1) Equity-minded servingness through opening the doors for transformative opportunities to respectfully serve our students, institutions, and communities; (2) upward mobility of our students having ripple effects on their families and communities across generations; and (3) homegrown talent, economic, and community development in the regions and far beyond. Above all, breaking the intergenerational cycles of poverty is among his top priorities.
Gail Rochelle, Ph.D.
Education, Innovation, and Research Project Director,
Cook Center for Human Connection
Gail is the Helping Helpers Help EIR grant project director. Prior to joining the Cook Center for Human Connection, Gail was a district-level Federal Programs Director and a Secondary Education Director, an English Language Arts Coordinator for the Idaho Department of Education and a building-level administrator and teacher in Idaho and Colorado. An educator for more than 35 years, Gail has a Ph.D. in English Education from the University of Virginia, a M.Ed. in Education Administration from Idaho State University, and a B.S. in Secondary Education – Language Arts from the University of Nebraska.
Paul Richins
Director, K12 and Community Advocacy: Intermountain West/Hawaii and Alaska,
Cook Center for Human Connection
As a passionate advocate of K12 Mental Health, wellness, and leadership, Paul has over 25 years of experience in the K12 field of education as a teacher/professor, content consultant, and leadership trainer – all specializing in empowering student achievement through technology, health and wellness, leadership, and science. After teaching at the college/university level, Paul made the transition to working for some of the biggest educational publishers in the world – Pearson, McDougal Littel, Scott Foresman, McGraw Hill etc – as a content consultant and in sales. He has presented and trained teachers across the country in some of the largest and smallest K12 school systems. He is an engaging presenter, trainer and leader sensitive to the dynamics of what impacts and affects students achievement and outcomes – and how to get students/teachers there..
Paul is a passionate outdoor athlete, has coached many high-level club and travel sports teams, has co-founded two non-profit organizations and is a proud dad and grandpa to his amazing family. He is an aspiring author with many books in outline format – in short, he loves what he does and he does what he loves.
Anne Brown
CEO/President,
Cook Center for Human Connection
As the president and CEO of the Cook Center for Human Connection, Anne Brown has led groundbreaking initiatives in mental wellness, particularly within educational settings. With over 20 years of experience in nonprofit leadership, she has been instrumental in delivering essential mental health services to thousands of schools and millions of families nationwide.
Anne’s vision led to the creation of the AASA Mental Health Cohort, which provides critical support to superintendents across the country, helping them enhance the mental well-being of their communities. Anne serves as a public commissioner on the SafeUT Commission, founded ParentGuidance.org, and co-created “My Life is Worth Living,” the first animated series focused on youth mental health and suicide prevention. As a sought-after keynote speaker, she has shared her expertise at state and federal events, emphasizing the importance of human connection, happiness and education.
Grace Brown
Sr. Manager of Impact & Curriculum,
Cook Center for Human Connection
Grace Brown, a dedicated advocate for nationwide mental health, joined the Cook Center for Human Connection with extensive expertise in implementing strategies for student achievement. As an Implementation and professional development expert, she’s coached educators in over 800 classrooms across the US.
Grace seamlessly combines deep expertise with a talent for simplifying and making complex concepts compelling. Grace crafted the curriculum for “My Life Is Worth Living” mental health web series and offers innovation that countless educators and administrators have implemented. She holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Utah and a Graduate Certificate in Early Educational Leadership from Harvard.
Michelle Bartsch
Vice President of Education,
Cook Center for Human Connection
Michelle Bartsch, as Vice President of Education at Cook Center for Human Connection, has been a leading force in mental wellness and non-profit initiatives across communities, schools and organizations nationwide for over 15 years. Her visionary work in developing ParentGuidance.org — a no-cost mental health resource—has been crucial in providing essential support to thousands of schools and millions of families over the past 4 years. Michelle also played a key role in the creation and launch of My Life is Worth Living, the first animated web series focused on youth mental health and suicide prevention. Additionally, she pioneered the Leadership & Happiness Symposium, an initiative that equips essential executive school and community leaders with the tools to make systemic improvements to their communities’ mental health cultures.
A highly sought-after keynote speaker, Michelle focuses on youth mental health initiatives and critical mental health support for staff, families and communities. Her voice has driven change at both state and national levels, championing the importance of education, leadership and human connection. Michelle holds a master of Science in Education and Bachelor of Business Administration from Texas Wesleyan University.
Symposium Partners
Wednesday, November 20
Las Cruces, New Mexcio
8:00 - 8:30 AM
Registration and Check-in
Leadership Continental Breakfast (provided) – Meet and Greet
8:30 - 8:45 AM
Welcome/Introductions:
Yoshitaka “Yoshi” Iwasaki, Inaugural Dean & Professor, College of Health, Education and Social Transformation, New Mexico State University
Gail Rochelle, Education Innovation and Research Director, Cook Center for Human Connection
8:45 - 10:15 AM
Science of Leadership and Happiness – Michelle Bartsch, Vice President, Cook Center for Human Connection
The PANAS Quiz – Grace Brown, Sr. Manager of Impact & Curriculum, Cook Center for Human Connection
10:15 - 10:30 AM
Break
10:30 - 11:30 AM
Harvard Happiness Equation – Grace Brown
11:30 - 12:15 PM
Neuroscience’s Four Secrets Revealed – Michelle Bartsch & Grace Brown
12:30 - 1:15 PM
(working lunch provided)
12:30 - 1:15 PM
Visionary Leaders: Creating a Culture of Mental Wellness panel discussion led by Gail Rochelle featuring:
- Stan Rounds, New Mexico Coalition of Educational Leaders
- Yoshi Owasaki, New Mexico State University
- Cindy Barris, Silver School District
- Sona Saiz, New Mexico Public Education Department, SEL4NM
- Ignacio Ruiz, Las Cruces School District
1:15 - 1:45 PM
Mission for Mental Wellness – Gail Rochelle
“Helping Helpers Help” Education, Innovation and Research Grant Project funded by the US Department of Education – Gail Rochelle
1:45 - 2:15 PM
Putting Ideas into Action – Group Collaborative
2:30 PM
Closing Remarks – Gail Rochelle