Leadership and Happiness Symposium – New Mexico

- 2024 -

Leadership & Happiness Symposium

Exclusive Leadership Event for Superintendents and School Leaders

November 12
8:00AM to 2:30PM
La Cruces, New Mexico
 
Hosted by New Mexico State University
 

You’re invited to this exclusive leadership event focused specifically on the needs of
School District Superintendents and School Leaders.

Register Today

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

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Uplevel your leadership style to inspire, enlighten, and sustain.

Stan Rounds

Executive Director,
New Mexico Coalition of Educational Leaders / New Mexico School Superintendents Association

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Stan Rounds is a lifelong New Mexico educator. As a native New Mexican and a product of the New Mexico educational system, he is proud to serve the students and families of New Mexico. He is currently the Executive Director of the New Mexico Coalition of Educational Leaders and the New Mexico School Superintendents Association. With more than 50 years of educational practice and more than 40 years of educational leadership experience, Stan notes that he is blessed to have the relationships and experiences from that lifetime of service to public education. He treasures the students and families of our public schools and notes that our future is formed by our day-to-day efforts of assuring that our children receive all the best we have to offer. He served as the superintendent of Des Moines, NM; Alamogordo, Hobbs and Las Cruces public schools for a total of almost 30 years. He challenges every adult to take on the role as a responsible educator for our children.
John Heim

Yoshi Iwasaki, Ph.D.

Advocacy Officer
NSBA

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John Heim is NSBA’s Advocacy Officer. Previously, Heim served as NSBA’s Executive Director and CEO from November 2021 until June 2023. Prior to joining NSBA, Heim served as the Executive Director of the Kansas Association of School Boards where, for 11 years, he worked closely with local boards of education on professional development, goal setting, financial stewardship, policy, advocacy, and other strategic issues to advance public education. Over his four-decade career in public education, Heim has worked as a teacher, principal, and superintendent to improve outcomes and opportunities of Kansas students and position Kansas schools for success.

Heim has a Ph.D. in Educational Administration from Kansas State University and has served as an adjunct professor and guest lecturer and speaker. His passion for supporting the next generation of educational leaders has inspired many to pursue careers in educational leadership.

Heim has received multiple accolades for his work in public education, including the 2022 University of Kansas School of Education and Human Sciences Distinguished Alumni; 2019 Kansas State University College of Education Alumni Fellow; 2008 Kansas Superintendent of the Year by the Kansas Association of School Administrators; the 2006 Outstanding Service Award from the United School Administrators of Kansas; and the 2001 Communicator of the Year Award from the Kansas School Public Relations Association.

Gail Rochelle, Ph.D.

Education, Innovation, and Research Project Director,
Cook Center for Human Connection

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

ParentGuidance.org

Friday
May 4


Brigantine, New Jersey

8:00 - 9:00 AM

Registration and Check-in
Leadership Continental Breakfast (provided) – Meet and Greet 

9:00 - 9:15 AM

Welcome and Introductions – Glen Robbins, Superintendent, Brigantine Community School District
Symposium Overview – Michelle Bartsch, Vice President, Cook Center for Human Connection

9:15 - 10:45 AM

Science of Leadership and Happiness

10:45 - 11:00 AM

Break

11:00 - 12:00 PM

Finding the Sum of the Happiness Equation

12:00 - 12:45 PM

Working Lunch (provided) – Student Leaders in Action Panel – Students of Brigantine School District

12:45 - 1:30 PM

Guided Tour with Scholars 

1:30 - 1:45 PM

Mission for Mental Wellness

1:45 - 2:30 PM

Solving the Happiness Equation

2:30 - 3:15 PM

Putting Ideas into Action – Strategy Integration

3:15 - 3:30 PM

Closing Remarks

Register Today