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Our Free Spirit Presenters

Our keynote presenters, led by nationally recognized experts and authors, are engaging, motivational, and highly skilled in their fields. They bring a wealth of knowledge and experience to inspire and empower audiences in a dynamic and impactful way.

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Alex Packer

Ph.D.

Alex Packer

Ph.D.

Etiquette Guru to the Youth of America,” Alex J. Packer, Ph.D., is an educator, psychologist, and award-winning author of numerous books for parents, teenagers, teachers, and youth care specialists including How Rude! The Teen Guide to Good Manners, Proper Behavior, and Not Grossing People Out and Slaying Digital Dragons: Tips and Tools for Protecting Your Body, Brain, Psyche, and Thumbs from the Digital Dark Side. Dr. Packer is sought after by the media for his provocative commentary on manners, child-rearing, substance abuse prevention, and the impact of screens on young people.

 

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Beth Baker

M.S.Ed.

Beth Baker

M.S.Ed.

Beth Baker is a teacher and advocate for students with special needs. During her more than 25 years in education, Beth has taught in self-contained special education classrooms, implemented and coached Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS) teams, and worked as a behavior specialist. She was also a district program facilitator assisting staff with professional development around social-emotional learning and coaching them in supporting students with emotional-behavioral needs.

 

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Deborah Farmer Kris

M.Ed. Parenthood365

Deborah Farmer Kris

M.Ed. Parenthood365

Deborah Farmer Kris is a parent educator, education journalist, children’s book author, and founder of Parenthood365. She has a Bachelor of Arts in English, a Bachelor of Science in Education, and a Master of Education in Counseling Psychology. Deborah and her husband live in Massachusetts with their two kids—who love to test every theory she’s ever had about child development.

 

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Diane Heacox

Ed.D. St. Catherine University

Diane Heacox

Ed.D. St. Catherine University

Diane Heacox, Ed.D., is a consultant and professional development trainer focusing on strategies to increase learning success for all students. She is professor emerita at St. Catherine University in St. Paul, Minnesota. She is a national and international consultant and professional development trainer to both public and private schools on a variety of topics related to teaching and learning.

 

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Dina Brulles

Ph.D. Mary Lou Fulton Teacher’s College

Dina Brulles

Ph.D. Mary Lou Fulton Teacher’s College

Dr. Dina Brulles is the gifted program coordinator at the Mary Lou Fulton Teacher’s College at Arizona State University and the former Director of Gifted Education at Paradise Valley Unified School District in Arizona. She recently served as NAGC’s Governance Secretary and as the board’s school district representative. Dr. Brulles’ work emphasizes and encourages equitable and inclusive identification practices and programming in gifted education.

 

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Emily Kircher-Morris

M.Ed.

Emily Kircher-Morris

M.Ed.

Emily Kircher-Morris, inspired by her own experiences as a twice-exceptional (2e) learner, is dedicated to supporting 2e children—including her own—in a way she wasn’t during her academic years. She currently practices as a licensed professional counselor, where she specializes in helping gifted, twice-exceptional, and neurodivergent children. Emily is the host of The Neurodiversity Podcast, which explores the psychological, educational, and social needs for enriching the lives of neurodivergent people.

 

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Justin Ashley

M.Ed.

Justin Ashley

M.Ed.

Justin Ashley is a nationally recognized, award-winning teacher, motivational speaker, published author, and public education advocate from Charlotte, North Carolina, where he began teaching in 2007. His first book, The Balanced Teacher Path, has been highlighted by the Miami Herald and NPR. He has been an inspirational keynote presenter for thousands of current and future teachers, creating an atmosphere that bounces back and forth between rapt silence and raucous laughter.

 

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Lee Hancock

Ph.D.

Lee Hancock

Ph.D.

Dr. Lee Hancock is a professor, performance psychology coach, published author, and program creator who works with students, athletes, coaches, educators, parents, organizations, and other high-level performers. He has had a private practice for more than 20 years, where he works with athletes from youth to professional organizations and with classroom teachers, students, and parents of awesome kids.

 

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Lindsay Giroux

M.Ed.

Lindsay Giroux

M.Ed.

Lindsay Giroux specializes in coaching preschool teachers on implementing the Pyramid Model to promote social-emotional development and prevent challenging behavior. Published by Free Spirit Publishing, Lindsay is the author of Create an Emotion-Rich Classroom, which provides frameworks for planning and implementing strategies to support emotional development in children. Her professional interests include teacher training, social skill instruction, and inclusion of preschoolers with special needs.

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Richard Cash

Ed.D.

Richard Cash

Ed.D.

Dr. Richard Cash is an award-winning author and educator who has worked in the field of education for over 30 years. His areas of expertise are educational programming, rigorous and challenging curriculum design, differentiated instruction, 21st century skills, brain-compatible classrooms, gifted and talented education, and self-regulated learning. For over 10 years, he co-directed a children’s theater company in Minnesota and co-authored four award-winning children’s plays.

 

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Shannon Anderson

M.Ed.

Shannon Anderson

M.Ed.

Shannon Anderson is an award-winning educator and children’s book author, a national speaker, and mentor. She has taught for 25 years, from first grade through college. Shannon served as the regional advisor for the Indiana Society for Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI), on the board of directors for the Indiana State Literacy Association, and as a gifted coordinator and literacy coach for her school corporation.

 

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