Dr. Catlin Tucker is a bestselling author, international trainer, and keynote speaker. She was named Teacher of the Year in 2010 in Sonoma County, where she taught for 16 years. Catlin earned her doctorate in learning technologies from Pepperdine University. Currently, Catlin is working as a blended learning coach, education consultant, and professor in the Masters of Arts in Teaching program at Pepperdine University. Catlin has written a series of bestselling books on blended learning, which include The Shift to Student-Led, The Complete Guide to Blended Learning, UDL and Blended Learning, Balance With Blended Learning, Blended Learning In Action, Power Up Blended Learning, and Blended Learning In Grades 4-12. She is active on X (formerly Twitter) @Catlin_Tucker and writes an internationally ranked blog at CatlinTucker.com

Donna Williamson has a diverse work experience in the field of education and technology. She became interested in technology while working on her Master's Degree in Secondary Education at the University of AL Birmingham. Donna started her career in 1982 as a technology leader and teacher in Midfield City Schools, where she worked until 1994. During this period, she installed and maintained all of the computers for the district and wrote the curriculum for and taught six different technology-related courses, from PC repair to computer applications. During her tenure in Midfield, she worked with students and teachers in elementary, middle, and high school. From 1994 to 2019, she served as the Technology Director (CTO) at Mountain Brook Schools, leading a team responsible for managing all operational and instructional technology resources. Donna also served as a CoSN Board Member, Executive Board Member, and Officer from 2013 to 2019 and as the Chairperson and founder of CoSN AL Leaders from 2010 to 2017. In addition to serving as an officer on the Board, Mrs. Williamson co-chaired the CoSN conference from 2017-2019.

She is a thought partner to many in the instructional technology arena. She has worked on numerous district, state, and national technology plans and technology education curriculums. She is a familiar face at state and national conferences. She presents at national conferences such as ISTE, CoSN, and FETC and state conferences such as NYSCATE, TCEA, KySTE, and ALET, presenting on topics such as innovation, edtech leadership, communication and other soft skills in edtech, data analytics, and more. Donna has been quoted in national publications such as District Administration, EdSurge, EdTech, Tech & Learning, edScoop, SIAA publication, American Library Association publication, Education Week, Forbes, eSchool News, and various local publications.

Mrs. Williamson is a recipient of the National ISTE Making It Happen Award, the Alabama Education Technology Association Sally Moore Award, the National Withrow CTO Award for Educators Honorable Mention, EdTech Digest’s Trend Setter Award, and Alabama’s 2016 Marbury Technology Innovation Award. Mrs. Williamson’s school district was named ISTE’s 2016 Distinguished. In 2022, Donna was named as one of EdTech's Top 100 influencers and became a Certified Cybersecurity Rubric Evaluator for the Cybersecurity Coalition in 2023.

In 2019, Donna shifted her focus towards consulting and project facilitation in the education technology field as a Consultant and Project Director for the CoSN Early Career K-12 CTO Academy for CTOs in the role for 4 years or less and aspiring CTOs.

Donna's work experience highlights her expertise in technology leadership, project management, professional development, and cybersecurity evaluation.

Dr. Sheryl R. Abshire, a veteran educator and visionary leader, has cemented her legacy in the intersection of education and technology. Holding a Ph.D. in Educational Administration and Leadership from the University of New Orleans, Dr. Abshire’s journey in the academic world spans over four decades.

Beginning her career as an elementary teacher, Dr. Abshire quickly rose through the ranks, serving as a school librarian, elementary school principal, university professor, and culminating as the Chief Technology Officer for the Calcasieu Parish Public School System. Her commitment to merging education with technology led her to create Abshire Consulting, where she currently stands at the helm as an EdTech Specialist, Thought Partner, and Consultant. Additionally, she is an ISTE Certified Educator and Certified Cybersecurity Rubric Evaluator (CCRE). As a founding member of the ISTE NETS, ISTE Standards and Accreditation Committees, she is deeply involved in infusing technology into standards-based instruction.

Her unparalleled expertise is echoed in her long list of professional experiences and accolades. Notably, Dr. Abshire's leadership has been recognized on national and international platforms, with presentations and keynote addresses delivered at esteemed conferences such as ISTE, CoSN, TCEA, and FETC, to name just a few. She has also dedicated her knowledge and skills to shaping national educational policies, evident in her contributions to the U.S. Department of Education's National Educational Technology Plan, serving on the national technical writing team.

Dr. Abshire’s leadership extends to various advisory boards, including those of tech giants like Dell, Microsoft and Blackboard, and her dedication to public service is exemplified by her longstanding association as Chair of the Board of the Teachers Retirement System of Louisiana and her position as a USAC board member appointed by the FCC to represent U.S. schools and libraries on ERATE matters. Sheryl also served as the President and Vice-President for Advocacy and Programs for the Louisiana ISTE affiliate, LACUE.

In recognition of her substantial contributions to the field, Dr. Abshire has received numerous awards, such as the CoSN Seymore Papert Lifetime Achievement Award in 2023, the ISTE Public Policy Advocate of the Year in 2009 and the ISTE Making It Happen Award. Furthermore, in 1993, she was the first teacher to be recognized by President Clinton and Secretary Riley at a White House ceremony for her induction into the National Teachers Hall of Fame.

An accomplished author, Dr. Abshire has penned and contributed to numerous research articles and papers, illuminating the potentials of EdTech and its practical applications in the real world. Her publications offer insights on everything from ROI in EdTech purchases to best practices in grant writing for schools.

With a career that serves as a testament to her dedication, knowledge, and leadership, Dr. Sheryl R. Abshire stands as a beacon for the next generation of EdTech leaders, exemplifying the limitless possibilities at the nexus of education and technology.

Ross Lemke, Ross Lemke is the Director of the Privacy Technical Assistance Center (PTAC) and has an extensive knowledge of the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) and the intersection and overlap between IDEA and FERPA. Ross has provided on-site and remote privacy-related technical assistance to almost every state in the country, and to multiple levels of stakeholders, from SEAs to school community members. 

Mr. Lemke has twenty years’ experience in the public, nonprofit, and private sectors in technical assistance, data management, data collection, and privacy and security for the public and private sector, including over twelve years in education. Previously, he worked on the IDEA Data Center (IDC), where he provided technical assistance on the IDEA Confidentiality Rule and authored a Part B and a Part C confidentiality checklist and presented at multiple conferences on the intersections between FERPA and IDEA. He has worked with the state of Maine around requirements gathering and user acceptance testing for a new Part C and Part B 619 tracking system, and with special education offices in Idaho, South Dakota, Georgia and Nebraska on data governance activities involving the mapping of business processes around their special education systems and how the data in those systems rolled up to the Department of Education.

Mr. Lemke has managed two of EDs largest K-12 data collections centers (EDFacts and CRDC), helping states and districts provide federally mandated data to the U.S. Department of Education including data in support of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and data used in support the Office for Civil Rights’ mission to enforce federal civil rights laws that prohibit discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, disability, and age. He has extensive experience in evaluating education data systems, developing business intelligence analysis and reports for elementary and secondary education data systems. He also has provided technical support for data collection in areas such as Part B, Part B 619, Part C, Title 1, Assessment, Discipline, McKinney Vento, English Language Learners (ELL), data integration, data security, and student privacy.