Classified school leaders will once again gather at ACSA’s Classified Educational Leaders Institute, which will be held Feb. 26-28 in Los Angeles.

This year’s theme, “Adapt and Innovate in 2025,” is a nod to the potential artificial intelligence has for reshaping how classified leaders do business.

“The committee considered a few themes. Artificial intelligence was a topic that kept coming up,” said Antonio Romayor, chair of this year’s planning committee and chief operations officer with Imperial County Office of Education. “We landed on Adapt & Innovate, which has a play on ‘AI.’ The theme is meant to showcase AI as a tool to help institute attendees continue adapting and innovating in their respective jobs.”

As the only statewide professional development conference specifically designed for classified school leaders, attendees will be able to strengthen their professional networks with other classified leaders, whether they have years of experience or it’s their first year in the role.

“We’re in the people business,” Romayor said. “Getting together with our colleagues helps us learn from each other and, more importantly, support each other in our work. Attending the CEL Institute allows first-time attendees to meet other folks working to solve similar problems and learn new strategies that attendees can immediately implement at their LEAs.”

The institute is designed for administrators in several essential areas of school leadership, including:

• Business/fiscal services.
• Human resources/personnel.
• Maintenance/operations/custodial.
• Information technology.
• Facilities.
• Nutrition.
• Transportation.
• Administrative assistants.

Attendees will gain knowledge from presenters with expertise in various fields who will share strategies for providing students with a first-class education. The planning committee has suggested presenters focus on AI and specifically how classified leaders can utilize this tool.

This year’s keynote presenter is international speaker and violinist Diane Allen, who speaks on increasing the meaning, joy and fulfillment in one’s work and life by accessing the flow state. Years before neuroscientists discovered the positive impact of the flow state, Allen had already experienced its transformative power in her own career as a violinist. It was her unique approach to getting into flow, on demand, that earned her a spot on the TEDxNaperville stage and feature stories in national news media. Allen shares her insights on how to harness the power of flow in her book “Flow: Unlock Your Genius, Love What You Do” as well as in her experiential keynotes, trainings and coaching programs.

“The committee recognizes the importance of practicing happiness, joy and fulfillment. These skills are vital for any leader,” Romayor said. “Diane will do a phenomenal job helping us feel reinvigorated and discuss how we can go beyond engagement.”

Romayor said every classified leader will benefit from attending this institute and gaining timely resources and strategies for improving their work.

“The CEL Institute is designed by classified leaders, for classified leaders,” he said. “The committee continues to focus on bringing keynotes and presenters that are experts in their field, and capable of sharing their learning with others. We’ll see in you in LA!”