1. education
2. school

LEADERSHIP
National School Leadership Conference 2015
Top 20s Know How to See Things Differently: The Frame
*Thursday June 18 – single session
~ Willow Sweeney
The Frame helps people understand why they are getting the results they are getting out of life. The session
examines (1) the tendency we have to blame others when we are not getting the results we desire, (2) how our
'need to be right' activates blame, (3) how curiosity helps us to get better results, and (4) what we can do to see
more or differently.
Mrs. Willow Sweeney
Author; co-owner Top 20 Training
Willow Sweeney is co-founder of Top 20 Training that provides training and materials to empower leaders,
teachers, parents and students to develop their potential. She and her Top 20 team have trained over 350,000
leaders throughout the United States.
Willow has co-authored Top 20 Teachers: The Revolution in American Education, Top 20 Parents: Raising Happy,
Responsible and Emotionally Healthy Children and Top 20 Teens: Discovering the Best-kept Thinking, Learning and
Communicating Secrets of Successful Teenagers.
Willow's career has included high school teaching, coaching and she has been a national speaker and trainer since
2002. She and her husband, Brian, have two sons and live in St. Cloud, Minnesota.
Have You Shifted Your Monkey Today?
*Wednesday June 17 – single session
~ Todd Whitaker
Do the best staff members do too much and your worst employees too little? Are there people in your school
who work at avoiding doing work? Do you know anyone who whines, pouts, or complains endlessly? This session
is just what you need. Based on the book “Shifting the Monkey”, this session will help everyone lead their schools
more effectively. Come and join the fun as you learn how to shift the monkey!
Dr. Todd Whitaker
Author; motivational speaker
Dr. Todd Whitaker has been fortunate to be able to blend his passion with his career. Recognized as a leading
presenter in the field of education, his message about the importance of teaching has resonated with hundreds of
thousands of educators around the world. Todd is a professor of educational leadership at Indiana State University
in Terre Haute, Indiana, and he has spent his life pursuing his love of education by researching and studying
effective teachers and principals.
Prior to moving into higher education he was a math teacher and basketball coach in Missouri. Todd then served
as a principal at the middle school, junior high, and high school levels. He was also a middle school coordinator in
charge of staffing, curriculum, and technology for the opening of new middle schools.
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One of the nation’s leading authorities on staff motivation, teacher leadership, and principal effectiveness, Todd
has written over 30 books including the national best seller What Great Teachers Do Differently. Other titles
include: Shifting the Monkey, Dealing With Difficult Teachers, 10 Minute In-service, The Ball, What Great Principals
Do Differently, Motivating & Inspiring Teachers, and Dealing With Difficult Parents.
Todd is married to Beth, also a former teacher and principal, who is a professor of Elementary Education at Indiana
State University. They are the parents of three children; Katherine, Madeline, and Harrison.
Communicating Without a Net
~ Fish Sticks Improv Comedians
*Tuesday, June 17 – single session
Improv might seem effortless on stage, but it’s not – it requires well-developed communication skills. Fish Sticks
Comedy, our evening entertainment on Tuesday, will provide an improv-based communication workshop to teach
the skills that can help you and your team listen more effectively and communicate in a way that builds
productive conversations. You'll also enhance your ability to "be in the moment" and in tune with those that you
communicate with -- which will also add to your effectiveness and connectedness.
Fish Sticks Comedy is one of the nation's top Christian improv comedy teams. While hailing from Milwaukee, Fish
Sticks has traveled coast-to-coast, playing in big towns and small, playing before crowds of thousands in arenas or
large convention halls and also in small intimate venues for a hundred or two. With literally unlimited material to
draw from, Fish Sticks has produced five DVDs, and have three more in the works already. They also have vibrant
workshops that they provide for churches, businesses and potential performers.
Fish Sticks is high-energy, unscripted fun -- but always with a purpose behind what they do. You'll hurt your cheeks
laughing without having to worry about any ""blue"" humor, too.
Long Range & Strategic Planning ~ Harvey Hammond
*Wednesday, June 17 – single session
Two Questions to consider:
1. Do you want a plan?
2. Or do you want the results arrived at by the planning process?
Mr. Harvey Hammond
Consultant
Harvey is executive chairman of HNTB Corporation; a 100 year old employee owned company that provides
planning, program management, design and construction management for about eleven billion dollars of complex
infrastructure projects annually. He has served in many roles in WELS Lutheran congregations including basketball
coach, Board of Education Chairman, Church Council, planning and other committees, and fund raising
committees.
Harvey has been married for 51 years and has 4 children, 9 grandchildren and 2 great-grandchildren.
Performance Improvement Plans ~ David Schroeder
*Tuesday, June 16 – single session
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We will discuss and provide information relative to:
a) Goals & Objectives
b) Performance evaluations
c) Performance Improvement Plans
Mr. David Schroeder
Retired CEO
David Schroeder was raised on a family farm in rural Eitzen, MN, and graduated from Caledonia High School in
1963. Following graduation, he enlisted in the US Army and served as a radar display equipment repair technician
in Los Angeles, CA. David was employed by Pacific Bell Telephone Company as a PBX installer for two years in Los
Angeles but resigned his position to move back to Minnesota. He began employment with Ace Communication
Group in 1969 and served that company for over forty years. He held many positions within the company
beginning as a lineman and retiring as the Chief Executive Officer. David and his wife Anna have two children,
David and Angela, and seven grandchildren.
Lessons from Running a Large Brewery That Might be Applicable to Our WELS Schools ~ Glenn Wilson
*Tuesday, June 16 – single session
Hops - A simple yet complex process:
Brewing a cohesive team
Fermenting a good leadership style
Packaging for growth
Mr. Glenn Wilson
Brewing Industry Design Engineer
BS Electrical Engineering, MS Engineering Management; 30 years in the brewing industry working for Anheuser
Busch; Design Engineer, Construction Manager, Corporate Brewing, plant positions including 11 years as Plant
Manager;
Program Chair and instructor for Front Range Community College; Teacher of the year; Academic Dean for Ecotech
College building and overseeing six programs in renewable energy; three years campus president at Redstone
College with degrees offered in aviation, avionics, HVAC, and energy programs; Sinner, Saint.
Build Your Christ-Centered Leadership Team
*Tuesday, June 16 – single session
~ Greg Schmill
It has often been said that there is no I in team; however, there are a couple of I’s in ministry team. And
frequently on our school and church leadership teams, sin creeps in, and the ""me"" in team takes over. The
result—our leadership teams often do not function well!
This presentation will provide insights and tools to create and build on a foundation of trust that will empower
your cohesive Christ-centered team to sail the seven C’s – to deal with conflict positively, to commit to decisions,
to hold one another accountable, and to focus on the achievement of results. Additional resources will be
provided to take a solid team to a truly high performing team. Just as Jesus built a Christ-centered leadership
team of 12, today’s leaders have an amazing opportunity to develop a great team working together for the good
of God’s kingdom.
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Mr. Greg Schmill
Ministry Leadership Institute President
Greg Schmill has been a WELS teacher/administrator for thirty-four years, having served a total of thirteen years
as principal and upper grade teacher in Delano, MN, and in Maitland, FL. He has also served as a teacher,
guidance director, and assistant principal at Manitowoc Lutheran High School for fourteen years. He next served
as the synod's Forward with Lutheran Schools (FWLS) educational consultant, where he worked with
congregations to begin and strengthen full-time children’s ministries. He continued synodical service for five
additional years as the Director of the Commission on Lutheran Schools (CLS). His passion for supporting and
encouraging WELS school and church leaders led him to accept the call to begin serving in July 2014 as president of
the Ministry Leadership Institute. In this role, he develops and delivers leadership-related training and coaching
support for WELS ministry leadership teams, pastors, and principals.
From Soldiers to Students: Applicable Lessons from Military Leadership
*Wednesday, June 17 – single session
~ James Fischer
Leading a military organization is different than leading a classroom and a faculty, or is it? Are there techniques
and principles from the unique world of the military that you can apply when leading your students and your
staff? Lieutenant Colonel Fischer shares with you some concepts and ideas that he has found relevant to both
worlds.
James Fischer
High School Junior ROTC Instructor
James Fischer is a retired Army Lieutenant Colonel and the Senior Instructor for a high school Junior ROTC program
in St. Paul, MN. In this role, he teaches a nationally accredited leadership and citizenship curriculum. During his 22
year military career, he served in a variety of command and staff assignments. He deployed to Bosnia,
Washington DC, and Baghdad. He completed JROTC Instructor Training, the Command and General Staff College,
the Combined Arms and Services Staff School, Ranger School, the Air Defense Course, and Airborne Training. He
holds BAs in German and a PhD in History from the Ohio State University. He taught at the United States Military
Academy for three years and was the Professor of Military Science at St. John's University, the College of St.
Benedict, and St. Cloud State University from 2006-10. He is married to Christine and they have four children.
The Four Personality Types ~ John Gallander
Thursday, June 18 – single session
You will learn how to recognize different personalities that you deal with daily. You will also learn how to best
match the personality and speak on their terms to communicate more effectively.
Mr. John Gallander
Area Sales Manager
John has been in sales in different capacities for 15 years. He is currently an Area Sales Manager for Aegis Sciences
Corp. John's family includes wife Sarah and children Seth, Eva, and Kira. They are members of Lamb of God
Lutheran in Phoenix, AZ.
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Accelerating New Teacher Success: The Role of School Leaders
*Wednesday, June 17 – double session
~ Jonathan Schaefer
Some educators and policy makers have never fully understood the role of principals/directors or that role’s
potential as much as we do now. How does current research describe a school leader’s essential role in teacher
development, effectiveness, and new teacher induction? This workshop explores how principals/directors and
other school leaders support the development and success of new teachers through “Six Areas of Influence” that
connect instructional leadership, evidence-based feedback and evaluation, and thoughtful organizational
structures and policies.
Prof. Jonathan Schaefer
WELS New Teacher Induction Coordinator
Jonathan Schaefer -- (MLC 2002) was assigned to Siloah LES in Milwaukee, WI, where he was mentored under the
former Assisting Beginning Teachers program. His ministry has been characterized by high quality instruction,
strong repoire with parents, and skilled public relations. He served as an administrator for a few years. He was
involved with the Commission on Lutheran Schools (CLS) pilot program of New Teacher Induction (NTI) almost from
the start and has contributed to its development. Since 2013 he has served as the WELS New Teacher Induction
Coordinator at Martin Luther College.
Leading Change: What Works and What Doesn't
*Wednesday, June 17 – double session
~ Shaun Luehring
So you are a school leader, now what? You have an idea of where you need to go, but how do you get there?
What if I'm all alone? Attend this reflective and informational session to study and apply best practices -- and a
few ineffective practices - in change leadership.
Mr. Shaun Luehring
School Principal
Shaun Luehring serves as the principal of Atonement Lutheran School in Milwaukee, a school that went through a
significant turnaround process leading to a 45% increase in enrollment and 25% increase in achievement scores in
two years. Shaun completed his Master's degree in Educational Administration in 2014, studying change
leadership.
Register to attend today!
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