Dr. Jennifer Norrell has served as superintendent since 2018 for East Aurora School District. Norrell was named 2022 Superintendent of the Year for Illinois’ largest region of Kishwaukee. Norrell is the leader of the 12th largest school district in Illinois overseeing a $300M annual budget and roughly 2,000 employees. Serving as the first female superintendent in 180 years in the State of Illinois’ oldest public-school district. She leads the Pre-K– 12th grade district with equity-focused leadership and proudly implements the only districtwide dual language program in Illinois. In over 25 years, Norrell has served in many roles including teacher, school and district leader for high school and Pre-K–12th grade unit school districts. She also served as district liaison for Illinois, overseeing underperforming districts across the state through a partnership with the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE). Norrell also served many years as university faculty for Saint Xavier University and Governors State University. Norrell has served as consultant supporting improvement efforts and mentoring leaders for Dallas ISD, Indianapolis and Atlanta Public Schools, and school principals in Chicago Public Schools. She also presents at numerous State, national, and regional conferences including the American Educational Research Association (AERA), U.S. Department of Education ESEA Conference, College Board Forum, and the American Association of School Administrators (AASA). Norrell, a 2021 Chicago Defender Women of Excellence Honoree, serves on the College Board’s National Superintendent’s Advisory Council, Education Research and Development Institute (ERDI) as an ED Leader, and member of Midwest Suburban Superintendent’s Association (MSSA). In Fall of 2022, Dr. Norrell was elected nationally as a Trustee for the College Board for a four-year term. Norrell earned a Bachelor of Science degree in biology and chemistry from Hampton University in Virginia, a Master of Education from Saint Xavier University and a Doctorate of Education from Loyola University Chicago.
Storyteller Ferene Paris is the founder of All Heart Inspirations where she creates heart-centered spaces through live performances, interactive workshops, and community engagements. Known for living out loud as a Black Haitian femme, she embodies courageous truth-telling and vulnerable vibes as an artist. Aspiring to make a collective difference within her local Vermont community and beyond – one story at a time – Ferene has manifested over 100 storytelling offerings. Highlights include opening up for activist/author Dr. Angela Davis and musician/actress Angélique Kidjo, heartfelt keynotes, storytelling workshops, artist residencies, and guest appearances on a variety of Vermont Public programs such as Brave Little State, Homegoings, and Vermont Edition, as well as Seven Days’ Stuck in Vermont.
Ferene’s feature on Vermont Public’s Homegoings was nominated for an Emmy in the Best Interview/Discussion category. She believes we all have stories worthy of sharing and will be asking attendees “What’s yours?!”
Beth White is an Education Possibilitarian, Artist, Writer, Doula, Mentor, Aviatrix, Breast Cancer Survivor, Pilot-in-Command at Habitat for Aviation. In the spring of 2022, Beth White emerged from a 10-month battle with breast cancer with an idea: to create an apprenticeship program at Franklin County State Airport where youth work alongside adult mentors servicing conventional and electric aircraft. A pilot and airplane mechanic apprentice herself, and with family roots in the trades, Habitat for Aviation provides a taxilane for world learning opportunities for youth and adults who love to work with their hands to enter the FAA’s apprenticeship certification track. Each learning experience is grounded in relationships, relevance, and practice, a deep throughline from her time at Antioch University New England and as Regional Director and School Leadership and Innovation Partner for Big Picture Learning. In October, 2024, Habitat for Aviation launched its Women Build Planes program, where an all-female team of Modern Day Rosies is building an airplane at Franklin County Airport, in northwestern Vermont, to show folks everywhere that despite the fact that only 2.6% of airplane mechanics are female, women BUILD, FLY, and FIX airplanes.
Dr. Smita Ruzicka serves as the Vice President for Student Affairs at Middlebury College where she provides leadership for a wide portfolio of services and programs aimed at enhancing the overall student experience. Smita has over 20 years of leadership experience in higher education in a variety of institutions and regions of the country. Smita holds a Ph.D. in higher education administration from The University of Texas at Austin. She also has a master’s degree in counseling psychology from Texas State University in San Marcos, TX. She received her undergraduate degree in English and Psychology from Trinity University in San Antonio, TX. Smita worked as a Licensed professional mental health therapist and Licensed supervisor for counseling interns in the State of Texas for many years, including having her own counseling private practice where she provided therapeutic services to both individuals and couples. Smita has also been an organizational diversity and leadership consultant, training and consulting with a wide variety of groups on topics including leadership development, building inclusive and equitable organizations and teams as well as organizational teambuilding and strategic planning. Her research interests and areas include South Asian American college students, Asian American issues especially mental health, and leadership development.
Mari McClure is President and CEO of Green Mountain Power, an industry-leading clean energy provider and certified B corporation, serving over 70% of the State of Vermont. GMP’s power supply is 100% carbon free and GMP is committed to providingVermonters with 100% renewable power by 2030. In 2023, Mari launched the first-in-the-nation Zero Outages Initiative so Vermonters stay powered up – no matter where they live, or how severe the weather. Fast Company named GMP the No. 2 Most Innovative Energy Companies in the world in 2024, and also honored by Smart Electric Power Alliance (SEPA) as a nationwide leader in resiliency in 2024. Time Magazine recognized GMP as a Time100 Most Influential Companies of 2022. Mari has been featured in Time Magazine and the New York Times for groundbreaking work to transform the electric grid to a resilient and sustainable system for all communities across the state. Mari also served as Chair of Vermont Governor Phil Scott’s Pandemic Employer and Technical Support Team and was named one of Business Insider’s Top 100 People Transforming Business in 2021 in the sustainability category. McClure has been recognized for her innovative leadership as a Top 100 Women Impact Leader for 2021 by Real Leaders Magazine, and top 20 C-Suite Sustainability Champion by GreenBiz in 2020.
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