2025 MAFEPD Summer CONFERENCE AGENDA: Connect, Collaborate, Engage

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2025 MAFEPD Summer Conference Agenda: Connect, Collaborate and Engage 

 
Tuesday, June 17, 2025

1:00 - 4:00 New Directors Pre-Conference

3:00 – 6:00 Exhibitor Set–up

3:00 – 5:00 Conference Registration

6:00 – 8:30 MAFEPD President’s Reception- JR Ballroom and Poolside

 
Wednesday, June 18, 2025

7:15 – 5:30 Registration and Visit Exhibitors

7:15 – 8:15 Breakfast Buffet- Grand Ballroom C

8:15 – 10:00 General Session- Welcome/Overview, Grand Ballroom A-B 

 
Mrs. Stephanie Bradshaw, MAFEPD President

Introduction:

Dr. Judy Nelson, MDE Federal Programs 

 
SPEAKER (Dr. Samuel Jones)

 
10:00 – 10:30 Break and Visit Exhibitors

10:30 – 11:30 Concurrent Sessions

Wednesday

June 18

10:30-11:30

JR Ballroom D - BruMan: Questions and Answers with the New EDGAR Changes

Meeting Room B - AI & Excel Hacks for Federal Programs: Chris Conwill - Lee County Schools 

JR Ballroom A - Designing a System Using a Blueprint and AI Tools: Chris Chism - Supt. Pearl Public Schools; Susan Muse Rucker - MS State Director NCEE; Cederick Ellis - National Facilitator NCEE

JR Ballroom B - MDE - Foster Care, New Federal Guidance: Terissa Williams

JR Ballroom C - United for Success; How Superintendents and Federal Program Directors Collaborate to Maximize Federal Grant Impact:

Brian Freeman - Superintendent Forrest County Schools; Vicki Kibodeaux - Federal Program Coordinator Forrest County Schools

 
Meeting Room A - Don't leave it to fate, use data to remediate: Leah Ivey - South Lauderdale Elementary; Lee Ann Fulton; Starr Brown (all with PBEC)

11:30 - 11:45 Break and Visit Exhibitors

11:45 – 1:15 Luncheon- Grand Ballroom C

SPEAKER (Dr. King)

 
1:15 – 1:45 Break and Visit Exhibitors 

 
1:45 – 2:45 Concurrent Sessions

 
Wednesday

June 18

1:45-2:45

JR Ballroom D - Wanting to be Better Is Not Enough; Actionable Practices to Achieve Strategic Goals: Dr. Melanie Nelson - Forest Municipal School District; Dr. Jeremy Stinson - Cognia

Meeting Room B - Partnering for Success; Elevating Parent Engagement and Federal Programs with Rosemont Consulting: Nathan Towers - Cleveland School; Benjamin Torrey - Rosemont Consulting

JR Ballroom A - Just a Spoonful of Sugar; The Recipe to Support your EL Students in the Writing Process: Dr. F. Burks/Assistant Federal Programs Director/ - Madison County School District; Gwen King -Director of EL Service/ Bailey Education Group

 
JR Ballroom B - MDE - Foster Care, New Federal Guidance, Terissa Williams

 
JR Ballroom C - It's Not Them, It's US! Federal Programs and Finance; Weaving Through the Web of Compliance Together: Jennifer Clanton - Chief Financial Officer Hattiesburg Public Schools; Chavis Bradford - Director of Federal Programs Hattiesburg Public Schools

 
Meeting Room A -Reaching All Subgroups: Dr. Missy Bufkin - Jones Co. School District; Mina Ross Bryan Lightsey and Laurie Brewer - Consultants, The Excellence Group 

 
2:45 – 3:00 Break and Visit Exhibitors 

3:00 – 4:00 General Session- Grand Ballroom A-B - Legislative Updates with BruMan, State 

4:00 – 4:15 Announcements, Door Prizes: Must be present to win. 

Thursday, June 19, 2025

7:15 – 4:00 Registration and Visit Exhibitors

8:00 – 9:15 Breakfast and Annual MAFEPD Business Meeting

9:15 – 9:45 Break and Visit Exhibitors

9:45 – 11:00 General Session- Grand Ballroom A-B 

Introductions:

Barbara Coats

11:00 – 1:00 Lunch: Conference participants on your own

1:00 – 2:00 Concurrent Sessions

 
Thursday 

June 19

1:00-2:00

JR Ballroom D - AI & Excel Hacks for Federal Programs: Chris Conwill- Lee County Schools

Meeting Room B -MDE -School Improvement: Dr. Sonja Robertson

 
JR Ballroom A - Growing Your English Learner Programs; Lessons Learned and Successes Celebrated: Landon Pollard - Marshall County Federal Programs; 

Dr. Monique Henderson - Owner and Director, English Learners Engage

JR Ballroom B - Federal Programs Bookkeeping: Navigate, Track, and Support with Confidence: Josh Dodd- Director of Federal Programs and Nicole Witzel - Federal Programs Administrative Assistant, Kosciusko School District; Wendi Dancy - Director of Federal Programs and Helen Glenn - Federal Programs Administrative Assistant, Noxubee County Schools; Misty Hanna, Kids First Education, LLC

JR Ballroom C -Planning for Retirement with PERS: Barbara Coats - Modern Woodmen; Stephanie Bradshaw - Copiah County School District

 
Meeting Room A -Designing a System Using a Blueprint and AI tools: Susan Muse Rucker - MS State Director NCEE, Cederick Ellis- National Facilitator, NCEE; Chris Chism- Supt. Pearl Public Schools 

 
Thursday 

June 19

2:00-2:30 Break with Exhibitors

2:30-3:30

 
JR Ballroom D - Turning Insights into Action; How Jackson Public Schools Uses Stakeholder Feedback to Drive Improvement: Latoya Blackshear - Director of Planning and Evaluation, Jackson Public Schools; Dr. Rajeeni Scott - Executive Director of School Support, Jackson Public Schools; Dr. Gayla Turner - CEO Education Resources, LLC  

Meeting Room B -MDE - Judy Nelson, LEA Plan, "Kapow!!!" 

JR Ballroom A -Things You Don't Even Know You Don't Know: Ken Hardy - Federal Programs Director Lauderdale County School District; Lori Wilcher - Federal Programs Director Union Public School District

 
JR Ballroom B - Federal Programs Bookkeeping: Navigate, Track, and Support with Confidence: Josh Dodd - Director of Federal Programs and Nicole Witzel - Federal Programs Administrative Assistant, Kosciusko School District; Wendi Dancy - Director of Federal Programs and Helen Glenn - Federal Programs Administrative Assistant, Noxubee County Schools; Misty Hanna, Kids First Education 

 
JR Ballroom C - Meeting Mississippi’s 60-minute Computer Science Mandate; Strategies and Solutions: Ruth Blackburn - Tate County School District; Nick Narayan- Skills Truck

Meeting Room A -Just a Spoonful of Sugar: The Recipe to Support your EL Students in the Writing Process, Dr. F. Burks/Assistant Federal Programs Director/ Madison County School District, Gwen King Director of EL Service/ Bailey Education Group

3:30 - 4:30 Announcements

Friday June 20, 2025

7:30-8:00 Continental Breakfast - Grand Ballroom C

 
Friday 

June 20

8:00-9:00

JR Ballroom D - Reading and Math Corps in Mississippi: An Evidence Based Intervention Program: Hope Mikell - Hattiesburg Public Schools; Quiton Garrett- Ampact 

 
Meeting Room B - Homelessness and Trauma; Its Impact on Students: Niki Robinson - Stone County School District; Dr. Ursula Whitehead

 
JR Ballroom A - Enhancing Academic Vocabulary and Comprehension with Word Up!: Anna Guntharp - Starkville Oktibbeha Consolidated School District; Connor Gray, Renaissance

JR Ballroom B - Equitable Services: Melissa Garrison - Harrison County School District; Stephanie Schepens - Harrison County School District

JR Ballroom C - MDE - MSIS Data for Federal Programs Directors

 
Meeting Room A - Growing Your English Learner Programs; Lessons Learned and Successes Celebrated: Landon Pollard - Marshall County Federal Programs; Dr. Monique Henderson - Owner and Director, English Learners Engage

9:00-9:15 - Break

9:15-10:15 - General Session - Grand Ballroom A-B

Introduction:

Updates from various MDE Officers -

Mississippi Department of Education

10:15-10:30  -   Break

10:30 - 12:00   General Session - Grand Ballroom A-B

Dr. Lance Evans, State Superintendent-
                                  Mississippi Department of Education,

                                 Wendy Clemmons, Chief Academic Officer 

                                                                    Guest Speaker

12:00 - 12:45    Door Prizes: Must be present to win

Closing Remarks and Adjourn

MAFEPD President