Nick Atchley is currently the assistant principal at Fremont Middle School. He has also served as the assistant principal at Fremont Intermediate School and as Dean of Students at Parkland School in McHenry. Nick currently services on several Fremont District 79 safety committees. He is also a certified ALICE Trainer and a Stop The Bleed Trainer.

An educator and leader, Merritt brings nearly 20 years of teaching experiences throughout Illinois' schools to his current role as principal at Oglesby Junior High. Recognized for his leadership, he serves as president of the Vermilion Grade School Conference (2021) and was named Starved Rock Middle School Principal of the Year (2023-2024).

Tim is currently working to implement Restorative Practices at York High School in Elmhurst, where he is serving in his first year as Assistant Principal for Culture and Climate. Prior to York, he was a Dean of Students for nine years at Niles West High School and has taught social studies, coached baseball, and served as a Dean's Assistant at East and West Leyden High Schools and Mannheim Middle School.

Dr. Podgorski is the Director of Programs & Support Services for South Cook ISC/ROE. He provides extensive professional development on implementing social-emotional learning system wide, building capacity of SEL team members & staff. He has partnered with Southland Juvenile Justice Council (SJJC) to reduce violence and absenteeism and is a learning partner for improving the school’s summative designations.Dissertation: SEL Walkthroughs: Promoting Elements to Foster SEL

James is currently the Principal at Grayslake North High School and brings more than 30 years of experience in innovative teaching practices and disruptive leadership. He was named the IPA Principal of the Year and was selected as a finalist for the 2019 Illinois Golden Apple Excellence in Leadership award. James is a national presenter on topics of Disruptive Leadership, Student Voice and Culture. He is the co-founder of DisruptionEDU, an educational consulting group committed to rethinking education.

Dr. Jeff Schagrin is currently the Associate Principal for Curriculum and Instruction at Grayslake North High School, District 127. He has served as a teacher, department chair, and director for student activities. Jeff has presented extensively on leadership, program evaluation, academic interventions, and experiential education. He is passionate about rethinking education, focusing on models that disrupt the status-quo to increase authentic engagement for students and faculty. Jeff earned his bachelor's degree in Political Science from Miami University and holds a doctorate in Educational Leadership from Western Illinois University.

Dr. Richard Smith has had a long and award winning career as a school administrator with the Chicago Public Schools. He has held various administrative roles including, School Principal, Chief Network Officer and Chief Officer for the Office of Special Education and Supports. Following retirement Dr. Smith has been asked to serve as an Interim Principal on 12 occasions and most recently spent six months as the Interim Chief Officer for The Office of Diverse Learner and Supports (formerly Office of Special Education) for CPS.

Dr. Smith is a frequent presenter for The Illinois Administrators Academy and has been a Mentor/Coach for IPA for the past 10 years.

Amy has been in education for over 20 years. She has been a school psychologist, an assistant principal, an administrative RtI coordinator, and a dean. Amy completed her dissertation on racial microaggressions in 2015 and has been a facilitator for restorative practices circles since 2021.