There’s still time to join the state’s only professional development experience specifically designed for classified school leaders.

Anchored by this year’s theme — “Leading With Purpose: Empowering People, Elevating Possibilities” — ACSA’s Classified Educational Leaders Institute centers the everyday leadership of office managers, HR and payroll teams, business officials, technology support, transportation, nutrition services, operations and facilities.

When these leaders know their purpose, they clarify priorities and align services to promote student success. When they empower others, they are building capacity in team members who can innovate, adapt, and lead change from any seat. Together, these commitments elevate what’s possible: streamlined systems, stronger school culture, and visible gains for students.

Whether you manage a front office or districtwide operations, you’ll leave this conference with people‑first strategies, practical tools, and renewed conviction to lead with clarity — so your colleagues feel valued, your processes run smarter, and your community sees what’s achievable when classified leadership is empowered and elevated.

To further uplift leaders, the planning committee for this year’s institute has selected two keynote speakers with a track record of inspiring educators in the state: Dr. Candy Singh and Kevin Bracy.

Dr. Candy Singh Dr. Candy Singh is a nationally recognized leader with over three decades of experience in education. As a former superintendent and university professor, she now empowers leaders and organizations through speaking, coaching, and consulting, guiding them to create workplaces and schools where individuals feel inspired, valued, and motivated to contribute.

In 2024, Singh retired as superintendent of Fallbrook Union Elementary School District, where she made professional development a district priority. Her investments in human capital included full-time TOSAs at each school to provide job-embedded teacher coaching, and a professional development program for staff based on the “7 Habits of Highly Effective People.”

Her achievements as a mentor to women leaders, particularly as they aspire to the superintendency, contributed to her recognition as ACSA’s Exemplary Woman in Education in 2022.

During speaking engagements, Singh bring her decades of leadership experience to the stage, combining compelling storytelling with practical insights to inspire and empower audiences.

Kevin Bracy One of the most requested and sought-after speakers in California, Kevin Bracy is a “motivational entertainer” known for inspiring greatness in schools throughout the Golden State.

Born, raised, and educated in Sacramento, Bracy, is an executive producer, speaking coach, and the author of “Scared Great: How to Steer Your Fear Towards Greatness,” as well as his youth book, “Greatness Leaves Clues.” Over his 26-year career, Bracy has spoken to millions of people across America. For the past 10 years, he has been actively changing the culture and climate of California school campuses with his R.E.A.C.H. One Alliance program.

As Sacramento’s top anti-bullying speaker, character coach, and the voice of KDEE’s motivational segment, “Minute To Win It!” he has made it his mission to “dream globally, but focus locally.” These days he invests his time with his family, his fitness, mentoring for the future, and speaking several times a week to audiences ages 4 to 94, encouraging them all to be the greatest version of themselves and to positively reach out to one other person in kindness every day.