Advisory Board

Dr. Avossa spent 25 years as a teacher, principal, executive leader, and school superintendent in Florida, North Carolina, and Georgia. Robert ended his career in public education as school superintendent of Palm Beach County, the 10th largest district in the country with a student enrollment of nearly 200,000 students. Dr. Avossa is a Broad Academy Fellow and a member of Chiefs for Change, an esteemed network of state and district education chiefs, as well as part of the faculty of The Forum for Educational Leadership. He has served locally on the boards for the American Heart Association and Center for Creative Education, and he speaks nationally on education issues.

Randall Dennis is a market leader for a security technology integrator ranked as the world’s top-ranked security integrator for seven consecutive years. With a proven track record in executive leadership, he previously held c-suite roles at three edtech firms, two of which earned a spot on the Inc. 500 list. In addition to his role at Convergint, Randall is a trusted consultant, passionate advocate, and sought-after public speaker on school safety and security.

Kathleen Hurley is a former senior executive for numerous educational publishing and technology companies, including IBM and Pearson. Currently, she is a senior advisor to edtech companies, education associations, and school superintendent networks. She also serves on the board of directors for several non-profit and for-profit organizations. After retiring from Pearson, she was selected as a Fellow of the Advanced Leadership Initiative (ALI) at Harvard University. Upon completion of the program, she co-founded a global nonprofit organization, Girls Thinking Global, which has since merged with the Women’s Education Project (WEP), where she serves on the board of directors.

Dr. Carol Kelley is a transformative leader and accomplished superintendent who brings her deep commitment to equity-centered systems to her work with the Salem City School District (a PK-12 public school system located in Salem County, NJ). Throughout her career as a classroom teacher, administrator, and superintendent, she has focused on addressing racial, economic, and academic disparities. Her accomplishments are a testament of her collaborative approach. By working closely with stakeholders, she created a shared vision that helped raise academic achievement for special education students in one district and among black students and special education students in another, effectively narrowing the opportunity gaps in those areas.

Jason McKenna is V.P. of Global Educational Strategy for VEX Robotics and author of “What STEM Can Do for Your Classroom: Improving Student Problem Solving, Collaboration, and Engagement, Grade K-6.” His work specializes in curriculum development and global educational strategy, and he continuously engages stakeholders in education – from parents to educators, and policymakers, helping prepare students for a knowledge-based 21st-century economy​. For more of his insights, subscribe to his newsletter.

Lenny Schad is a nationally recognized K12 technology leader with more than 25 years of experience driving innovation and digital transformation in K12 education. He has served as CIO for some of the largest school districts in the U.S., including Houston ISD and Katy ISD in Texas, where he led major initiatives in 1:1 student device deployment, cybersecurity, and IT governance. Lenny is the author of "Bring Your Own Learning," a widely referenced book on implementing technology programs in school districts. In addition to his leadership roles, he is a frequent keynote speaker, advisor, and contributor to national conversations around education technology and cybersecurity.