Inspiring stories, visionary leaders
Top speakers to appear at upcoming ACSA events
September 4, 2023
Have you heard who’s keynoting ACSA’s conferences this year? Take a look at these names — some of the most sought-after speakers on the topics of education, equity and leadership in the country — that will inform and inspire attendees at ACSA’s upcoming conferences.
Women in School Leadership Forum
Sept. 20-22, Newport Beach
Register: bit.ly/WISL2023
![Jacquelyn_Wieland_CVENT.jpg](/image/11271557.1693423932000/Jacquelyn_Wieland_CVENT.webp)
Jacquelyn Wieland founded Solutions Provided LLC in 1996, a boutique leadership consulting firm based in New Jersey and Texas serving corporate leaders and their teams to elevate presence, clarity of message and connection internally and externally while building awareness, resilience and the ability to collaborate. Wieland is a leadership strategist and speaker who serves as a thinking partner and provides leadership and team coaching focused on awareness and connection to self and others, and the development of congruent behaviors that characterize impactful and influential leaders.
![Genein_Letford_CVENT.jpg](/image/11271553.1693422863000/Genein_Letford_CVENT.webp)
Genein Letford is an award-winning educator, best-selling author and global speaker on Intercultural Creativity®. She is a leading voice on creating across cultural lines and her 7 Gems of Intercultural Creativity® framework is the top training for 2021 and beyond. As a sought-after speaker and corporate trainer, she has inspired many employees, leaders and C-suites to develop their creative abilities while establishing a culture of inclusion and belonging for their teams.
Personnel Institute
Sept. 27-29, Long Beach
Register: bit.ly/PersonnelInstitute2023
John Gray, president and CEO of School Services of California, Inc., serves clients by conducting fiscal health analyses, providing collective bargaining assistance, preparing multiyear financial projections, performing school district efficiency studies, conducting internal control reviews, administering district office organizational reviews, and directing executive search services. He is an instructor at the University of Southern California Rossier School Business Management Certificate program, the CSBA Masters in Governance program, and the CASBO Chief Business Official Certification courses.
Dr. Rick Rigsby is an internationally acclaimed speaker and author who inspires audiences to live better lives and reach their full potential. More than 300 million people globally have viewed his speech in the viral video “Lessons from a Third Grade Dropout.” His book of the same name, which has become a Wall Street Journal, USA Today and Amazon best-seller, illustrates how living out the simple lessons of “the wisest person he ever met” — his father — will transform individuals to be better people and greater leaders. A former award-winning professor and journalist, Rigsby brings a combined four decades of experience and expertise to his “How Ya’ Livin’?” podcast.
Every Child Counts Symposium
Jan. 10-12, Palm Desert
Register: bit.ly/ECC2024
Dave Dravecky is a motivational speaker and former left-handed pitcher for the San Francisco Giants known for his heroic comeback to baseball after a cancer diagnosis in his pitching arm. In 1988, Dravecky was at the top of his game, playing professional baseball for the division champion Giants. That fall, doctors discovered cancer and told Dravecky, “Short of a miracle, you’ll never pitch again.” One year later, he returned to pitching with a 4-3 win for the Giants. However, his comeback was short-lived: In his next starting game, he suffered a horrendous injury on the mound that split his arm in two. Cancer returned and in 1991, his arm was amputated to save his life. Today, Dravecky and his wife, Jan, operate Endurance with Jan and Dave Dravecky, a nonprofit organization located in Colorado that helps others dealing with cancer, depression and loss.
Diana Pastora Carson, M.Ed., has been an educator for over 30 years, teaching both at the elementary school level and the university level. She is a consultant and trainer on diversity as it relates to disability and is the author of several articles and books including “Beyond Awareness: Bringing Disability into Diversity Work in K-12 Schools & Communities.” She currently serves as a board member of Disability Voices United. Although Pastora Carson experiences disability herself, she credits her brother, Joaquin Carson, for her passion for inclusion, disability advocacy, and activism. Joaquin endured years of segregated schooling and subsequent institutionalization. Pastora Carson takes the most pride in knowing that after many years of fighting for his release, Joaquin now lives a life of inclusion and quality.
Jacob “Ten20” Thompson is an acclaimed inspirational communicator, award-winning recording artist, and author of “From Diagnosis to Destiny: Your Trials Aren’t Meant to Break You; They’re Meant to Make You.” A devastating diagnosis of Friedreich’s Ataxia at age 24 provided Thompson with an opportunity to give up on his dream of being a professional athlete. Instead, he has allowed his difficult circumstance to guide him into his destiny.
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