Keynote Speaker: Deanna Townsend-Smith, Ed.D.
Dr. Deanna Townsend-Smith has been working in education for over 20 years. In 2014, she earned her doctorate in Educational Leadership. She has worked and gained expertise in a variety of roles, including as a teacher, mentor, new teacher coach, administrator and, most recently, as the Director of Board Policy and Operations for the North Carolina State Board of Education. Prior to that role, Dr. Townsend-Smith served as the assistant director in the NC Office of Charter Schools. Deanna has a passion for education and has dedicated her life’s work to the field. Most of her career has been spent in North Carolina, where she resides with her husband and son. In her spare time, she enjoys spending quality time with friends and family, reading, and traveling.
In her capacity as Senior Director, Dr. Townsend-Smith advances and expands the current programmatic and policy efforts of the Flood Center in an effort to achieve its mission of addressing issues of systemic racism by advocating for structural changes in policy and practice to build an equitable education system that meets the social, emotional, and academic needs of NC’s diverse student population.
Keynote Speaker: Amy Wartham
Amy Wartham is the Director of Corporate Training and Executive Education at UNC Charlotte and works with some of Charlotte’s largest organizations assessing and managing their specific workforce training needs. She has been at UNC Charlotte for over
25 years.
Amy has previously served as a lecturer and academic advisor in the Belk College of Business at UNC Charlotte and as a Marketing and Management instructor at Central Piedmont Community College. Owing to her significant experience in various aspects of adult learning and corporate training, Amy has mastered the ability of establishing and building positive relationships with corporate clients and all levels of management, through her excellent communication skills along with successful negotiations, presentations, effective training methodologies and written communications. Amy’s keen business insight and expertise in ascertaining and analyzing needs, streamlining operations and envisioning future goals and processes, have played a pivotal role in the success of her department.
Amy completed her BS and Masters in Business Administration from Winthrop University and specializes in the areas of business communications, emotional intelligence, organization development, teambuilding, leadership and change management. Amy is the recipient of numerous awards including the 2023 Governor’s Award for Excellence and a 2020 Charlotte Business Journal Charlotte’s Top 25 Women in Business leaders. Charlotte Business Leader Magazine named Amy as one of Charlotte’s “Mover and Shakers” in 2008 and in 2009 she was named as one of Charlotte’s “Women Extraordinaire.” In addition, in 2011 and in 2014, the Mecklenburg Times named Amy as one of Charlotte’s “50 Most Influential Women.” Amy is a member of the Charlotte Chamber of Commerce Workforce Development and Talent Committee, a member of the Charlotte Chapter of the Association of Talent Development (ATD) and the University Professional Continuing Education Association (UPCEA).
Presenter: Dr. Amy Holcombe
Dr. Amy Holcombe is Dean of the Stout School of Education at High Point University. Prior to her role at HPU, she served in K-12 public education for 25 years as a teacher, principal, and in multiple executive leadership roles. Dr. Holcombe has been a featured keynote, speaker and panelist for National Public Radio, Capitol Hill senate briefings, the Carnegie Foundation, the National Press Club, the Large District Superintendents’ Consortium, the Governor Jim Holshouser Legislators Retreat, the Legislative Task Force on Teacher and School Administrator Effectiveness and Compensation, and The Education Trust. In 2006, she hosted President Bush and Secretary Spellings at her school to launch the renewal of No Child Left Behind. To date, she has won over $115 million in competitive grant funding for program innovations related to human capital. Holcombe has published and presented nationally on the topics of teacher effectiveness, performance-based compensation, human capital management, alternative certification, and education leadership.
Dr. Holcombe holds a Ph.D. in Curriculum and Teaching from UNCG, a Masters in School Administration from NC A&T, an M.Ed. in English from UNCG, and a B.A. in English from Sonoma State University.
Presenter: Dr. Amy Washburn
Dr Washburn currently serves as the Director of Digital Teaching & Learning, Reich College of Education, and Interim Chair of the Department of Leadership and Educational Studies, Appalachian State University.
Presenter: Dr. Siobahn Day Grady
Dr. Siobahn Grady’s trailblazing journey began as the first woman to earn a Ph.D. in Computer Science from North Carolina A&T State University in 2018. Now, as an Assistant Professor and Program Director at North Carolina Central University, she leads the Laboratory for AI and Equity Research (LAIER) and co-directs the Center for Data Equity (CODE). A dedicated researcher, Dr. Grady focuses on machine learning for combating misinformation and improving autonomous vehicles, while also championing women and minorities in STEM. As an AAAS IF/THEN ambassador, she’s recognized nationally, including in the world’s largest exhibit of women’s statues. Her commitment to diversity in technology is further evidenced by the six STEM scholarships she established at HBCUs in North Carolina. Dr. Grady’s influence extends through Quality Matters Certifications and her active roles on various boards. With a dedication that transcends the classroom and a vision for an inclusive future, Dr. Grady continues to shape the trajectory of women and minorities in STEM.
Presenter: Dr. Denise Hunt
Dr. Denise Hunt is a Lead Instructional Coach for the North Carolina New Teacher Support Program at UNC Pembroke with over 25 years of experience in education. She collaborates with new teachers on planning, instruction, and assessment, believing every novice teacher deserves support. Denise has worked as a classroom teacher and district instructional coach. She holds a Bachelor's in English from UNC Pembroke, a Master's in English from Western Carolina University and a Doctorate in Educational Leadership from UNC Wilmington.
Presenter: Dana K. Rice, Dr.PH, Assistant Dean, Gillings School of Public Health, UNC-Chapel Hill
Dana Rice is the Assistant Dean for Master’s Programs and an Associate Professor at UNC-Chapel Hill's Gillings School of Global Public Health. A “pracademic,” she bridges public health practice and academia with over 20 years of experience in public, private, and nonprofit sectors, including roles at Wayne State University and Wayne County Jails in Detroit. Her expertise includes public health leadership, mass criminalization, community engagement, and health equity. At Gillings, she oversees master’s programs and teaches courses on community engagement and the public health impacts of mass incarceration. Dr. Rice holds a Dr.PH from Boston University, an MS from Wayne State, and a BS from Clark-Atlanta University. She has received multiple awards for her contributions to public health and education.
Presenter: Dr. Sarah Egan Warren
Dr. Sarah Egan Warren has spent her career developing curricula and delivering presentations, training, and instruction in undergraduate, graduate, government, non-profit, and industry settings. Currently, she is on the faculty at the Institute for Advanced Analytics at NC State University where she created and teaches the technical communication and ethical data storytelling curriculum. She is also focused on the use of AI in higher education through her involvement as the co-facilitator of the UNC System’s faculty learning community on teaching and learning with AI, a former DELTA Faculty Fellow, and a member of the AI in Society group at NC State.