Build Momentum for Education - K-12 Superintendent Series

In this episode of Build Momentum, we are joined by Heidi Sipe, Superintendent of Umatilla School District in Oregon, a role she has held for a remarkable 17 years. Heidi previously served as the district’s Federal Programs Director and Assistant Superintendent for five years. She also has a higher education background: She is an Adjunct Professor at Lewis and Clark College in Oregon and was an Adjunct Professor at Concordia Univer...

In this episode of Build Momentum, we are joined by Dr. James Lane, Chief Executive Officer of PDK International, a nonprofit that supports those who work in public education, and its community-based movement Educators Rising. He has served at the federal, state, and local levels: in the U.S. Department of Education as Acting Assistant Secretary and Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary in the Office of Elementary and Secondary Educ...

In this episode of Build Momentum, we are joined by Dr. Buddy Berry, the superintendent of Eminence Independent Schools in Kentucky. He founded the innovative model “School on FIRE” (Framework of Innovation for Reinventing Education). He was recognized by the Obama Administration as one of the top 100 School Superintendents in America for his district’s implementation of digital learning and invited to the ConnectED Superintendents...

In this episode of Build Momentum, we are joined by Dr. Matthew Hicks, Superintendent of Northeastern Wayne Schools in Indiana. He is also currently a lecturer at Purdue University and a dissertation chair at Indiana Wesleyan University. Earlier in his career, he served as a language arts classroom teacher and as a principal at the high school and middle school levels. He has volunteered as a Den Leader for Crossroads for America C...

In this episode of Build Momentum, we are joined by Dr. Rachel White, Founder and Lead Researcher at The Superintendent Lab, a hub for data, research, insights, and innovation on the public school district superintendency. She is currently the Associate Professor of Educational Leadership and Policy at the University of Texas at Austin. Dr. White has also taught at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville and Old Dominion Universit...

In this episode of Build Momentum, we are joined by Dr. Alena Zachery-Ross, Superintendent of Ypsilanti Community Schools in Michigan. She has decades of experience at public K-12 and charter schools of all sizes, including serving as Superintendent for Okemos Public Schools and for the Muskegon Heights Public School Academy System. She is a sought-after professional speaker, educational consultant, and leadership development coach...

In this episode of Build Momentum, we are joined by Dr. Dan Cox, the Superintendent of Schools in Rochester Community Unit School District 3A in Rochester, Illinois. In his 16-year education career in the state, he led the Staunton Community Unit School District and the Jasper County Community Unit 1 School District. He also served as an Assistant Principal and Principal at East Richland Elementary School in Olney. He is active on ...

In this episode of Build Momentum, we are joined by Dr. Quintin Shepherd. Quintin has 19 years’ experience as a superintendent and currently holds that leadership role at Pflugerville Independent School District in Texas. He has a demonstrated history of improving school districts in both rural and urban areas in multiple states by being committed to transformational and collaborative leadership focused on doing what is best for th...

In this episode of Build Momentum, we are joined by Dr. George Philhower, Superintendent of Eastern Hancock Schools in Indiana since 2021. Previously he was an administrator for 13 years at Western Wayne Schools, another rural Indiana district. He holds a bachelor’s degree in elementary and special education from Cardinal Stritch University, a master’s in educational leadership and administration from the University of Indianapolis...

In this episode of Build Momentum, we are joined by Dr. Rainey Briggs, the superintendent of the Baraboo School District in Baraboo, Wisconsin.. In 2022, he was recognized as one of the 48 Most Influential Black Leaders in Wisconsin. Dr. Briggs and his wife, Julie, who is also an educator, are the co-founders of Meraki Consulting, which offers seminars, workshops, professional development, coaching, mediation, and other services ce...

In this episode of Build Momentum, we are joined by Dr. Sandy Husk. During her remarkable 48-year career, she has served at every level, from classroom teacher and school counselor to superintendent to  interim CEO and executive director for ACSD (the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, a nonprofit with more than 125,000 members in 128 countries). She is currently the advisor to the CEO for MindPrint Learning; a...

In this episode of Build Momentum, we are joined by Dr. Adam Clark, Superintendent of Mount Diablo Unified School District in California. He was named as a 2022 Superintendent to Watch by the National School Public Relations Association. Previously, Dr. Clark served as Superintendent for Vallejo City Unified School District and Associate Superintendent at Antioch Unified School District. He has also been a principal at the elementa...

In this episode of Build Momentum, we are joined Dr. Randy Mahlerwein, an Assistant Superintendent in Mesa Public Schools in Arizona. He has been a public educator and leader for the past 24 years and a key contributor for the past four years in his district’s implementation of the Next Education Workforce. He is also an influencer, researcher, and educator. Dr. Mahlerwein is hyper-motivated to change the conditions that influence ...

In this episode of Build Momentum, we are joined by Dr. Susan Enfield, the former superintendent of the Washoe County School District in Nevada. She also spent 10 years as the superintendent of Highline Public Schools in Burien, Washington. Prior to joining Highline in 2012, she had held the positions of Chief Academic Officer and Interim Superintendent at Seattle Public Schools. 

Some Questions We Ask:

• Please tell us ...

Hello Build Momentum for Education listeners, we're so excited to kick off Season 5 of the Build Momentum for Education Podcast.

This season, we're exploring a particularly unique perspective in K-12, thought leadership, humanizing the role of the superintendent. In this special podcast series, we interview current and former superintendents and researchers to pursue the core question, how can we better see supe...

In this episode of Build Momentum, we are joined by Marina Parr, Director for Workforce System Advancement at Washington’s Workforce Training and Education Coordinating Board and Stephanie Davidsmeyer, a Director of Communications for the Washington State Board of Education. Stephanie has 10 years of experience in nonprofit, corporate, and government outreach media relations.

Some Questions I Ask:

• Marina, tell us more a...

In this replay episode of Build Momentum, we are joined by Jessica Morrison, the Executive Director of Southwest Colorado Education Collaborative, one of the partners in the newly established Career Launch Southwest initiative, which serves as a vital link between employers and the workforce of the future. She was previously the Director of Career and College Counseling at Animas High School in Durango for six years. In June 2021, ...

In this replay episode of Build Momentum, we are joined by Aaron Black. He is currently the Superintendent at Randolph Eastern School Corporation in Union City, Indiana, and is spearheading the Rural Alliance Zone 32. Aaron was named a semifinalist for the Yass Innovation Prize 2023 from the Yass Center for Education (formerly the Center for Education Reform). The prize recognizes leaders in sustainable, transformational, outstandi...

In this episode of Build Momentum, we are joined by Lauren Marie Hall Riggins, a senior manager at Empower Schools, a national nonprofit that partners with communities and educators to reimagine local education systems. Lauren is currently the Director of Youth Poet Laureate at VOICES Corporation, an organization offering culturally sustaining programs for young people, where she also serves as a board member and consultant. She is...