Panel of Experts: Empowering Through Engagement
Thank you for attending our Panel of Experts event! It was great to see so many community members come out and support our event and efforts.
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It is with immense pride and anticipation that we invite you to our Panel of Experts: Empowerment Through Engagement – a panel of thought leaders and pioneers in the realm of K-12 education. Hosted by Lakeland Leads, this event is to shine a light on the transformative impact of business engagement in the educational landscape.
Over the years, businesses and non-profits have come to realize that our collective future hinges on the quality of education we provide today’s young minds. This symposium is a testament to that belief. We’ve curated a Panel of Experts, leading non-profits, and visionaries who’ve successfully bridged the worlds of business and education to create tangible, lasting change.
Join us for an enlightening day of discourse, collaboration, and inspiration. Let’s reimagine the future of K-12 education, hand in hand with those who believe in its power to reshape societies.
Meet our Panelists
Lori Davis | Chief Transformation Officer for E3 Alliance
Lori Davis has served the Central Texas region as a professional educator for more than 20 years in the roles of Classroom Teacher, Special Education Teacher, District Behavior Specialist, Assistant Principal and Principal. Her relentless dedication to doing the right things for students resulted in a career of achievements, such as District Teacher of the Year, Special Educator of the Year and participation in the Raise Your Hand Texas Harvard Leadership Program. Lori now supports students in districts throughout the region and beyond as the Chief Transformation Officer for E3 Alliance. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in Special Education from the University of Texas-San Antonio and a Master of Arts in Special Education at Texas State University.
Sonn Sam, Ed. D. | National Director of Partnerships for Big Picture Learning
Sonn Sam, Ed. D is the National Director of Partnerships with Big Picture Learning, an international network of schools committed to activating the potential of schools, systems, and education through student-driven, real-world learning. He has been an innovative educator for over 20 years, serving as a teacher, principal, district lead, and regional director. In alignment with BPL’s mission, Sonn provides coaching around student-centered learning practices and ecosystems such as Personalization, Advisory, Real World Learning, Interest Driven PBL, and Authentic Assessments. Sonn is also a proud ISTE’ s Certified Educator and Coach. As a current resident of central Florida, Sonn is passionate about helping his community reimagine student-centered learning ecosystems. He enjoys spending quality time with his beautiful wife and three children in his downtime.
Carolyn Holly | Vice President of Development for Idaho Business for Education
Carolyn Holly enjoyed a 33-year career at Idaho’s #1 TV station, KTVB. She became one of Idaho’s most experienced and best-known television personalities through her sincere approach to news and her community. Carolyn is thrilled to be the current Vice President of Development for Idaho Business for Education. Carolyn is also highly involved in community work through FACES of Hope, FUNDSY, the Boise Police Chief’s Citizen Advisory Group and Idaho Youth Sports Commission.
Colin Groth | Chief Advancement Officer for StriveTogether
Colin Groth is Executive Vice President of Strategy and Development at StriveTogether, where he provides leadership and strategy for StriveTogether’s programmatic work, including impact, advancement, learning and evaluation for the Cradle to Career Network. Colin holds a Bachelor of Arts in communications from The Ohio State University, where he also completed the Goodlinks nonprofit management internship program. He is the former president of the Charter Committee of Greater Cincinnati; a graduate of the Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber’s C-Change leadership development program and the City of Cincinnati’s Citizen’s Government Academy; an alumnus of 40 under 40 awards for both the Cincinnati Business Courier and Mass Transit Magazine; and an Eagle Scout (Troop 502).
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