Morning Keynote: Anne Marie Anderson is now touring and presenting nationwide about her acclaimed book, Cultivating Audacity, including a featured interview on Good Morning America. Anne Marie Anderson is a three-time Emmy Award winning broadcaster, keynote speaker and author. As she walked through ESPN’s doors fresh out of college, Anne Marie embarked on a career that led her into the boardrooms and locker rooms of some of the most successful franchises in sport. Utilizing the methods observed through behind closed doors coverage of high performing coaches, athletes and executives, Anderson applied their penchant for taking bold, sometimes surprising, risks to her own personal and professional life. The knowledge and experience she has gained through making one surprising career move after another lead her to becoming one of the most experienced female play-by-play announcers in the country. In Cultivating Audacity, Anne Marie shares the system she developed to find the courage to confront her hesitation and break down barriers that stood between her and the life she wanted. Anne Marie is known for delivering keynotes that are alternately funny and touching; connecting with the audience through the power of storytelling.
Afternoon Keynote: Robin Fawcett is a theatre arts educator and director devoted to fueling the urge for artful expression in others. For 40 years she’s taught for organizations including The University of Iowa, University of Vermont, The Flynn Center, Skinner Barn Musical Theatre, New England Youth Theatre, and Champlain Valley Union High School. In addition to directing plays in schools and professional settings, Robin regularly offers an origami of workshops, private coaching sessions, and professional development in-services, igniting possibility with the transformative power of play.
Workshop Presenter: Lucinda Garthwaite is the Founder and Executive Director of the Institute for Liberatory Innovation, a VT- based nonprofit with a mission to generate and implement innovative strategies so that more people thrive in an ever more peaceful world. The ILI builds solutions to create environments where compassion leads to action, curiosity inspires change, and accountability ensures sustained progress. Before founding the ILI in 2019, Lucinda worked in youth-serving organizations and taught writing and social change at the University of New Hampshire and Goddard College, where she also co-directed the undergraduate program and served as Academic Dean. Lucinda hold Doctorate in Leadership for Change from the Fielding Graduate University, an M.Ed. in Counseling from the University of New Hampshire and an MFA in Creative writing from Goddard College. She is a Fellow of Fielding Institute for Social Innovation, and the author of Bumbling Humans: Reflections on Liberatory Change (2023). She posts regularly in the ILI Newsletter.
Workshop Presenter: Superintendent, Dr. Jennifer Norell leads East Aurora School District in Illinois. Before joining the district on July 1, 2018, Dr. Norrell served as assistant superintendent for curriculum, instruction, assessments and grants for Bloom Township High School District 206. In that role, Dr. Norrell led all district and state partnerships under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) Waiver and ESSA, including activities for both Priority and Focus status schools, district wide. She also served as the district’s Title 1 director and bilingual education director. Dr. Norrell also served as transformation office leader for the federal School Improvement Grant, and led the board of education’s curriculum committee. She created an annual parenting conference for the district’s Parent University, and quarterly parent engagement series. Dr. Norrell has led the development and implementation of the teacher Performance Evaluation Act student growth components, evaluated district principals, including PERA student growth model component, and evaluated district coordinators for all major content areas and ELL program.
Workshop Presenters: Nancy J.DeGennaro, CNM, MPH, IBCLC, Ms. DeGennaro received her Master’s Degree in Public Health for Yale University and post graduate certificate in Midwifery from Frontier University. She is a certified lactation consultant and childbirth educator for decades. She has focused her research on HIV care in pregnancy, diabetes management during pregnancy, substance abuse and group prenatal care. She currently works at Yale New Haven Hospital in the Maternal Fetal Medicine Unit providing care for women with high risk pregnancies. She was one of the founding members of a midwifery practice in New Haven devoted to providing midwifery care to all women. She has multiple publications in peer reviewed journals and has presented her research at national conferences. Her entire career has been dedicated to advocating for women’s right to fair and equitable health care.
Carrie Wolf, CNM, MSN, Carrie Wolf is a Certified Nurse Midwife with over 25 years of experience providing comprehensive OB/GYN care to women throughout all stages of life. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Villanova University and began her clinical career at Yale New Haven Hospital. She later completed her Master’s Degree in Midwifery at Yale University. Carrie has worked in private practice for more than two decades, offering compassionate, patient-centered care that emphasizes education, empowerment, and holistic health. In addition to her clinical work, Carrie serves as adjunct faculty at Fairfield University School of Nursing, where she has taught in both undergraduate and graduate programs. Carrie is passionate about advancing women’s health and supporting women as they navigate the complexities of reproductive health and leadership roles.
Workshop Presenter Dr. Diane Wynne is the Executive Director of the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at the New York State Education Department. In this role, she led the opening of a new office at NYSED and currently leads the direction and provision of statewide guidance and support to educators in advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion within New York State schools, in alignment with the Board of Regents DEI Policy. Prior to working at NYSED, Diane has served as a Director of Wellness and Equity, Assistant Principal, School Psychologist, leadership coach, and educational consultant.
Workshop Presenter Katie Kluk is a strength and fitness coach at Waterbury Functional Fitness. She is certified: CF L2, 8000+ Group Coaching Hours, CF Mobility, NASM. In her own words, “Through sports and fitness, I developed a strong sense of discipline that helped ground my naturally high-energy, ADHD tendencies. More recently, my biggest achievements have been around postpartum health and wellness. I’ve been rediscovering what my body can do functionally—and honestly, it’s still capable of so much. This journey has given me incredible insight as a coach. When I first started coaching in 2012, I was nervous and had no idea how many layers and skills it involved. Now, I’m constantly learning—about my members, my team, and my community—and I’m so thankful for the challenges that continue to come with it. Coaching has become the stage I always dreamed of growing up.”
Featured Lunchtime Speaker: Jane Lindholm, journalist, podcast producer and host of But Why: A Podcast for Curious Kids. She joined Vermont Public in 2007 to host Vermont Edition and has been recognized with regional national journalism accolades and awards.
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Featured Lunchtime Speaker: Esther Charlestin, consultant, speaker and politician, Esther was the democratic nomination for Vermont Governor in the 2024 election. She also has an extensive background in Educational leadership.
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Featured Lunchtime Speaker: Kristina von Trapp, Kristina was born and raised in Stowe, Vermont on her family’s property, von Trapp Family Lodge & Resort. Kristina and her husband, Walter Frame moved back to Stowe in 2003 to raise their family and ultimately work full-time at von Trapp Family Lodge & Resort. Currently their two daughters are 20 and 22. Growing up in the hospitality business has taught her about the value of hard work, warmth, and that everyone has their own story. Besides downhill and cross-country skiing, she loves to hike, trail run, ride horses, read books and travel.