Leadership and Happiness Symposium – Sonoma

- 2024 -

Leadership & Happiness Symposium

Exclusive Leadership Event for Superintendents

November 15
Sonoma County, California
 
Hosted by Sonoma County School District
 

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

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
Register Today

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

Gillian Chapman

Superintendent,
TCSD #1nnection

Show Bio
Hide

Teton County School District located in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, Superintendent, Dr. Gillian Chapman joined the district in 2015, and has worked on important issues including aligning curriculum with the Wyoming State standards, mindfulness for all students and staff, and the construction of Munger Mountain Elementary School- the first dual immersion school in the state.  Jackson Hole,Wyoming is the most expensive county in the United States and has a small town feel even when more than 3 million tourists descend on the community.  The main industry of tourism creates unique challenges to navigate with the help of the School Board.   

During her tenure, the school district is consistently ranked #1 and is nationally ranked.  Updating facilities for the rapid growth of students, stable and affordable housing for staff, and project based learning are the priorities for Dr. Chapman.  She is involved at the state and national level serving as President of the Administrator Association in Wyoming, Governing Board for AASA and Superintendent of the Year in 2023.

Dr. Chapman earned a bachelor’s degree from Pepperdine University, a master’s degree in curriculum and instruction from the University of Central Missouri, and a doctorate in administration and leadership from St. Louis University.

John Heim

John Helm

Advocacy Officer
NSBA

Show Bio
Hide
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.

Anne Brown

CEO/President
Cook Center for Human Connection

Show Bio
Hide

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.

Todd Stevenson

Todd Stevenson

Chief Advocacy Officer
Cook Center for Human Connection

Show Bio
Hide
Todd has spent the past seventeen years in the educational technology space, specializing in virtual, blended and early childhood learning, as well as district partnerships and sales leadership. Following a successful, eight-year career working in the commercial aviation training industry he joined Powerspeak World Languages, which was acquired by K12 Inc. in the fall of 2007. Todd managed major accounts for both Powerspeak and K12. He was also tasked with starting the first Inside Sales Team for the K12 Institutional Sales Division in 2010. From 2013-2016, Todd led the western sales region for K12.

Prior to joining the Cook Center team, Todd spent six years at Waterford,org, where he led both inside and regional sales teams and was promoted in the fall of 2019 to Executive Vice President and General Manager – School Partnerships. Todd has been married for 30 years and has four children. His family’s hobbies include snow skiing, cycling, hiking, reading and traveling. He is fluent in German and holds a master’s degree in Modern European History.

Jenna Trowbridge

Jenna Trowbridge

Director, School and Community Advocacy
Cook Center for Human Connection

Show Bio
Hide
Jenna is a dedicated mental health advocate with over a decade of experience in helping educators on a national scale. She has special interest and expertise working with schools noted for their rural, high-risk, and native populations. She is an experienced Director/Business Development Manager who excels in client relationships, business strategies, and exceeding expectations. With a proven track record, Jenna continues to be a trusted advisor to school districts on a national and state level to address the youth mental health crisis. Her advocacy for students resulted in a state-wide initiative with the state of North Dakota Department of Health and Human Services. Her passion for promoting mental well-being and her expertise in providing strategic guidance make Jenna a valuable asset in the crucial field of mental health advocacy.

Paul Richins

Director, K12 and Community Advocacy: Intermountain West/Hawaii and Alaska
Cook Center for Human Connection

Show Bio
Hide

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.

Grace Brown

Sr. Manager of Impact & Curriculum,
Cook Center for Human Connection

Show Bio
Hide

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

Show Bio
Hide

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

Cook center logo
ParentGuidance.org

Agenda

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