Minnesota Department of Education

Willie Jett understands the challenges and strengths of all communities, and his career is characterized by a commitment to raising student achievement and closing opportunity gaps. He is committed to preparing our future citizens, growing Minnesota’s workforce and supporting professional educators.

Prior to his appointment as commissioner, Jett served as an instructor in the Education Administration Licensure program in the Department of Organizational Leadership, Policy, and Development at the University of Minnesota. He has also taught and led in urban, suburban and greater Minnesota School districts for more than three decades. He earned his master’s degree from the University of Pittsburgh and his bachelor’s degree from the University of Illinois at Chicago.

K12 Education Consultant

President, StrategicEDU

With two decades of expertise in consulting, Adam guides educational institutions on their journey toward digital and student-centered learning transformations. He recently led Dell Technologies' education innovation and strategy for 14 years and has been a speaker at prominent conferences around the world.  Over the last 20 years, he has contributed articles, blogs, and podcasts on many aspects of education including personalized learning, assessment, generative AI, and leadership. He is currently supporting school districts and companies across the US and Canada with Generative AI initiatives. Additionally, he has co-written two books: "Teaching the iGeneration" and "Personalized Learning Through Voice and Choice". A former elementary teacher, Adam possesses a Bachelor's degree in Elementary Education, a Master's in Teaching and Learning with a focus on Technology, and a Certificate in Administration and Supervision.

Chair of the Education Finance Committee

Senator Mary K. Kunesh was first elected to the Minnesota House of Representatives in 2016 and served for two terms before being elected to the Senate in 2021. She represents Senate District 39, which covers the communities of St. Anthony Village, New Brighton, Hilltop, Columbia Heights, Fridley, and Spring Lake Park.

Kunesh was born in Saint Paul and raised in Sartell, Minnesota. Her mother is an enrolled member of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, and her father a former St. Cloud City Attorney, and later Assistant Stearns County Attorney. She attended St. Catherine University, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in elementary education in 1995, and later attended St. Cloud State University, graduating with a Master of Arts in information media in 2010. She retired from her role as a library media specialist for Robbinsdale Area Schools in November 2020, most recently Robbinsdale Middle School. Kunesh resides in New Brighton and has three adult children.

Sen. Kunesh is chair of the Education Finance Committee and serves on the Agriculture, Broadband, and Rural Development Committee, Education Policy Committee, and Environment, Climate, and Legacy Committee.

Professor, College of Education and Human Development, University of Minnesota

Dr. Panayiota (Pani) Kendeou is a Distinguished McKnight University Professor and Guy Bond Chair in Reading in the Department of Educational Psychology at the University of Minnesota. Dr. Kendeou directs the Reading + Learning Lab and co-directs the CEHD Learning Informatics Lab. In her research program, Dr. Kendeou develops theoretical models that explain how students learn during reading, and uses those models to design and test innovative, AI technologies that transform instruction and improve learning. The significance of her approach is in the development of theoretically oriented work and its translation into school-based practical applications. Dr. Kendeou has published extensively and her work has received numerus awards. She has also published a book on Misinformation and Fake News in Education and works on developing tools that teach news and digital literacy skills in young students. Kendeou’s work has been featured in national and local media, including The Guardian, Healthline, VICE, Voice of America, Morning Consult, Star Tribune, MplsStPaul Magazine, and KSTP Channel 5 News.

Dr. Kendeou is currently the Editor of the Journal of Educational Psychology and serves on the editorial boards of Scientific Studies of Reading, Contemporary Educational Psychology, Learning and Instruction, Educational Psychologist, Educational Psychology Review, and Reading Research Quarterly. She is a fellow of the American Psychological Association (APA), the American Educational Research Association (AERA), and the Society for Text and Discourse (ST&D).

Keith R. Krueger is CEO of the Consortium for School Networking (CoSN), a nonprofit organization that serves as the voice of K-12 school system technology leaders in North America. CoSN’s mission is empowering educational leaders to leverage technology to realize engaging learning environments.

He was selected by Ed Tech for its 2019 30 K-12 IT influencers. In 2016 Technology & Learning selected him as one of the “big 10” most influential people in edtech, and the Center for Digital Education identified him as a Top 30 Technologist/ Transformer/ Trailblazer. In 2008 he was selected by eSchool News as one of ten people who have had a profound impact on educational technology over the last decade. In 2016 he received a Special Recognition award from the Council of Great City Schools.

He has served on many Advisory Boards including the Friday Institute at NC State University, the Public Policy Advisory Council for the American Library Association, Ed Tech Digest, as well as previously the Education Committee of the National Park System and past Board Member/Treasurer of the National Coalition on Technology in Education & Training (NCTET). He serves as a co-principal investigator of the Driving K-12 Innovation series.

Keith has a global reputation as a key thought leader and has organized senior-level U.S. delegations to visit Australia, Asia, Europe, and South America to examine best practices in ICT in education.

In the fall of 2015, Keith conducted a Work-Study on Digital Equity as an Associate in Practice at Harvard’s Graduate School of Education. As a Certified Association Executive, he has an extensive background in nonprofit management and has a Masters from the Humphrey School of Public Affairs at the University of Minnesota.

Brian Myres of MYRES Consulting and DAYTA Marketing is originally from Pequot Lakes MN. He moved to St. Cloud MN in 1980 to obtain a BS degree in Finance from SCSU and had a successful banking career spanning 36 years. Most recently as Managing Vice President of Capital One 360. Today Capital One in St Cloud is one of the region's larger employers employing nearly 900 people. Prior to the acquisition by Capital One, Brian was one of the founders and President of Citizens Savings Bank and a founder of ING DIRECT in the US and led both the operations and sales operations areas of ING DIRECT USA. In 2018 Brian served as interim CEO of the Central Minnesota United Way. 

Today Brian resides in Clear Lake with his wife Karla and one son and is enjoying his post-banking career as a management consultant and board member and executive of DAYTA Marketing, a community volunteer and a Founder and Board Chair of the St. Cloud Regional Airport, past Board Chair and a Founder of the Greater St Cloud Public Safety Foundation, past Board Chair and a Founder of the Greater St Cloud Development Corp, Board Chair of the JA Wedum Foundation, past Chair and current board member of the Central MN BSA, past Board Chair and board member of the Central Minnesota Community Foundation.

Dr. Laurie Putnam is the Superintendent of St. Cloud Area School District 742. Putnam holds a BA from Dartmouth, a MEd from the University of Maine, and EdD from St. Cloud State University. She has served in several roles for St. Cloud Area Schools including counselor and assistant principal at South Junior High, principal at Kennedy Community School, and Assistant Superintendent of Secondary Education. Dr. Putnam is committed to partnering schools with individuals and organizations within our communities and is a dedicated advocate for student voice.

Kurt Zellers was named CEO of the Minnesota Business Partnership in August 2023, taking the reins of the influential civil and policy advocacy organization comprised of the CEOs and top executives of Minnesota’s largest companies. 

Previously, he served as Vice President of Communications and Public Affairs for Primacy Strategy Group in St. Paul. Kurt is a strategic public relations and public affairs expert with 25+ years of experience in the industry, working with many of Minnesota’s leading Fortune 500 companies, as well as the University of Minnesota, Minnesota AgriGrowth Council, and the Center for Rural Policy & Development. 

Kurt began his work in political advocacy in 1990 while working on a North Dakota State House campaign. Over the course of his political career, he has worked on statewide campaigns in North Dakota and Minnesota, serving as a spokesman, strategic advisor, and communications director for candidates running for the United States Senate, U.S. House of Representatives, and Governor of two different states. In addition to his work on state-wide campaigns, Kurt has advised and assisted candidates running for state legislative seats in states across the U.S. 

Kurt served six terms in the Minnesota House of Representatives from 2003 to 2015, including as the state of Minnesota’s 57th Speaker of the House from 2011-2012. He also served as House Minority Leader and Assistant Majority and Minority Leader. During his tenure in the Minnesota House, Kurt authored legislation on key initiatives including public safety issues, mental health treatment for adolescents, and building a new hospital for his local community in Maple Grove. He also served as a member of the Executive Committee for the Republican Legislative Campaign Committee. Kurt received a Bachelor of Science in political science from the University of North Dakota. He and his wife reside in Maple Grove with their three children. 

Alma Mater: University of North Dakota, B.S. 

Dr. Laura Allen holds the Bonnie Westby Huebner Chair in Education and is an Associate Professor in the Department of Educational Psychology at the University of Minnesota. Her research focuses on the cognitive and social factors that influence how we learn and communicate through language and discourse. By conducting both experimental and intervention studies, Dr. Allen examines how language supports learning and how these insights can be applied to develop educational technologies. Specifically, her work leverages artificial intelligence and natural language processing to create and refine adaptive learning environments that provide personalized feedback and instruction tailored to individual student needs.