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2ND ANNUAL IRVING R AND VIRGINIA A MELBO CHAIR LECTURE Leading in Times of Radical Change Finding Common Ground Wednesday October 18 2023 4 00 p m USC Hotel

Dr Irving R Melbo Born in Minnesota Dr Irving R Melbo graduated from New Mexico State College AB New Mexico Western College BA and received his Doctor of Education degree from UC Berkeley He taught in a number of public schools in Minnesota as well as at New Mexico Western College and held a post doctoral fellowship in the Advanced School of Education at Teachers College Columbia University Later he joined the staff of the California State Department of Education and subsequently worked in the Oakland Public Schools and as the deputy superintendent of the Alameda County Schools During this time he held visiting professorships at the University of Kansas University of Utah University of Wisconsin and the University of Hawaii During World War II Dr Melbo served as a lieutenant in the U S Naval Reserve and was attached to the training division of the Bureau of Naval Personnel After the war he was chosen by President Eisenhower to monitor war activities and training for all branches of the Armed Forces Dr Melbo joined University of Southern California in 1939 as an assistant professor of Educational Administration He was later promoted to associate professor professor and in 1945 chair of the Department of Educational Administration He was appointed dean of the School of Education in 1953 and served in that position until 1973 An acknowledged authority on executive leadership and the organization and structure of school districts Dr Melbo also worked as a consultant to many state and national professional associations legislative committees and worked directly with hundreds of school districts He held memberships on the Education Committee of the California State Chamber of Commerce the Board of Directors of the Southwest Regional Education Laboratory the Committee for the Accreditation of Teacher Education of the California State Board of Education and the Policies Commission of the California Association of School Administrators To honor Dr Melbo following his retirement several professional organizations affiliated with the School of Education established the first endowed chair in his name EDUCARE the USC Chapter of Phi Delta Kappa Education Alumni Honorary Association of Women in Education HAWE and the Society of Delta Epsilon announced the endowed chair at a dinner held in Dr Melbo s honor on May 16 1974 Dr Melbo as dean emeritus was appointed as the first incumbent of the chair and held this position for the 1974 1975 academic year

SCHEDULE 2ND ANNUAL IRVING R AND VIRGINIA A MELBO CHAIR LECTURE Leading in Times of Radical Change Finding Common Ground Welcome Maria G Ott Irving R and Virginia A Melbo Chair in Education Administration USC Rossier School of Education Introductory Pedro A Noguera Address Emery Stoops and Joyce King Stoops Dean USC Rossier School of Education Panel Discussion Moderator Eric Olsen Executive Director of Communications USC Rossier School of Education Panelists Lesley Bruinton Executive Vice President Nichols Strategies Vivian Ekchian Superintendent Retired Glendale Unified School District Stephen Nichols Founder and CEO Nichols Strategies Film Audience Q A Closing Remarks Reception A Trusted Space Meeting The Moment by All It Takes Maria G Ott

Maria G Ott Irving R and Virginia A Melbo Chair in Education Administration USC Rossier School of Education Maria Gutierrez Ott holds the Irving R and Virginia A Melbo Chair in Education Administration at the USC Rossier School of Education In addition to her years as a classroom teacher and site and central office administrator Dr Ott served more than 40 years as an educator in K 12 urban systems That includes fourteen years as a superintendent and five years as senior deputy superintendent of the Los Angeles Unified School District Her transition to higher education was an opportunity to apply her practitioner experiences to the preparation of leaders for school systems colleges and universities and other organizations In 2019 Dr Ott was asked to advise LAUSD Superintendent Austin Beutner and his senior leadership team as Executive Mentor in Residence Dr Ott was approved to spend half of her USC assignment working directly with LAUSD leaders This two year experience moved Dr Ott into the work of the second largest school district during major transformation of the district into a Communities of Schools structure As an advisor to the leadership team Dr Ott provided connections between USC Rossier expertise and the work of the school system Ott designed and launched the USC Rossier Urban Superintendents Academy in 2015 in partnership with AASA to prepare diverse and equity minded leaders for K 12 system leadership She serves as a member of the Association of Latino Administrators and Superintendents ALAS Board of Directors to promote the goal of advancing diverse leaders who work to close opportunity and achievement gaps for Latino and youth of color She was honored with the 20212022 ALAS Lifetime Achievement Award and received the USC Rossier Dean s Superintendents Advisory Group DSAG Achievement Award in 2017 Ott is recognized for her leadership and advocacy for bilingual education and programs for English language learners leadership development for women and publicprivate partnerships in education She is a founding member of the California Association of Latino Superintendents and Administrators CALSA Her work on cultural proficiency is detailed in her books A Culturally Proficient Society Begins in School Leadership for Equity 2011 and Now What Confronting Uncomfortable Truths About Inequity in Schools 2023 with co authors Carmella S Franco and Darline P Robles Ott has presented to national audiences on the topic of her books and continues to contribute to the educational literature about the importance of cultural proficiency in closing achievement gaps She is a member of the Ethical Educators Panel for AASA s School Administrator Magazine and contributes ethical advice in response to real cases encountered by superintendents in their school districts

SPEAKER Pedro A Noguera Emery Stoops and Joyce King Stoops Dean USC Rossier School of Education Pedro A Noguera is the Emery Stoops and Joyce King Stoops Dean of the Rossier School of Education and a Distinguished Professor of Education at the University of Southern California Prior to joining USC Noguera served as a Distinguished Professor of Education at the Graduate School of Education and Information Studies at the University of California Los Angeles Before joining the faculty at UCLA he served as a tenured professor and holder of endowed chairs at New York University Harvard University and the University of California Berkeley He is the author of 15 books His most recent books are Common Schooling Conversations About the Tough Questions and Complex Issues Confronting K 12 Education in the United States Today Teachers College Press winner of the Association of American Publishers 2022 Prose Award with Rick Hess and City Schools and the American Dream Still Pursuing the Dream Teachers College Press with Esa Syeed In 2022 he was ranked 3rd in the nation for influence and impact in the field of education by Education Week

SPEAKER Eric Olsen Executive Director of Communications USC Rossier School of Education Eric Olsen grew up in Southern California and attended UC Davis where he graduated with a degree in communications and political science Prior to joining USC Rossier as Executive Director of Communications he worked as Campaign Manager and then Communications Director Senior Advisor to U S Representative John Garamendi His work took him to Capitol Hill where he worked with the UC and CSU systems to develop two comprehensive bills to boost several federal grant programs and provide relief to student loan borrowers Eric s passion for communications and mission oriented work empowered him to partner with over 500 organizations one presidential administration and dozens of Members of Congress to coordinate public relations campaigns around legislative initiatives and hearings in Congress Eric brings a passion for service and a steadfast commitment to pursuing educational equity to his work at USC Rossier

SPEAKER Lesley Bruinton Executive Vice President Nichols Strategies Lesley Bruinton uses her passion for stories and knack for data driven planning to craft award winning communication strategies advice and counsel for K 12 education leaders A former president of the National School Public Relations Association Lesley leads the Nichols Strategies team in all things communication She was formerly the Public Relations Coordinator for the Tuscaloosa City Schools where she earned three Gold Medallion Awards the highest honor from NSPRA for her strategic communications work Lesley was awarded Gold Medallion Awards in 2016 2018 and 2020 She was also the 2020 AASA The School Superintendents Association s Women in School Leadership Award recipient Lesley earned her Accreditation in Public Relations in 2013 She holds a Masters in Strategic Communication from Troy University and a B A in Telecommunication and Film with an emphasis on broadcast news from The University of Alabama Lesley has an affinity for reading and learning new things and it is not uncommon for her to check out too many books at the library When she is not counseling Superintendents Lesley is chauffeuring her two children to various extra curricular activities Lesley and her husband reside in Tuscaloosa Alabama with their aforementioned children and dog Oakley Roll Tide

SPEAKER Vivian Ekchian Superintendent Retired Glendale Unified School District Vivian Ekchian is a lifelong educator and learner visionary leader and champion for equity with a relentless focus on accelerating student outcomes She recently retired as the superintendent of the Glendale Unified School District the third largest school district in Los Angeles County serving 25 000 students in grades PreK 12 She was also the first female Superintendent for Glendale Unified Prior to coming to Glendale USD she was the Deputy Superintendent for Los Angeles Unified School District Having served 38 years as an urban school district educator she has a proven track record of implementing reform in complex systems Her refined ability to develop leadership and talent focusing internal and external educational partners on a common goal and building coherence has benefited countless students employees families and community members Much of her success stems from her life experiences including a multicultural upbringing and journey to Southern California as an immigrant As superintendent she has been instrumental in building partnerships with outside organizations to close the digital divide provide dual college enrollment and internship opportunities for students open health and wellness centers at every middle and high school and expand the district s before and after school childcare program As a lifelong learner in March 2022 she completed the Fellowship for Public Education Leadership sponsored by the Broad Center at Yale School of Management She has a doctoral degree in educational leadership from the University of Southern California a Master s degree in educational administration from the University of California Los Angeles and a Bachelor s degree and teaching credential from California State University Northridge Dr Ekchian was named the 2022 Superintendent of the Year for Los Angeles County She was an honoree of the 2023 Women of the Year by the Los Angeles County Commission for Women Additionally she received the Heart Excellence Award from the YWCA Distinguished Educator Award from California State University Los Angeles and Women in Educational Leadership Outstanding Contributions to Education Award A firm believer in empowering students to lead us next and the unparalleled power of education to transform lives Dr Ekchian remains committed to providing a world class globally competitive education to all students in order to ensure they are college career and life ready

SPEAKER Stephen Nichols Founder and CEO Nichols Strategies Stephen Nichols goal for each client is to be treated as the only one as the Nichols Strategies team delivers a custom client relationship experience by listening intently and being accessible and available to meet their needs There are no off rack solutions offered here as the firm was created to work around how he approaches working with clients He uses the same methodology as the head of the company ensuring Nichols Strategies employees have everything they need to produce and deliver bespoke solutions for clients by addressing employee s needs individually It s a lesson he learned early in his career as an administrative secretary who listened to families on the other end of the phone express their unique needs That s why he s compelled now to offer customized or bespoke solutions now Stephen s education administration began in Natomas Unified School District in Sacramento which in 2006 was the second most diverse school district in the United States He previously served as the chief communications officer for Capistrano Unified School District and as public information officer for the Folsom Cordova Unified School District Stephen began consulting in 2014 with Communication Resources for Schools and founded Nichols Strategies in 2017 He is an active member of the California School Public Relations Association CalSPRA serving in various officer roles including 2014 15 chapter president He also served on the Executive Board of Directors of the National School Public Relations Association NSPRA as Vice President At Large for Diversity Engagement A California native he earned a BA in Classics from Howard University and an MBA from Drexel University Stephen received his Accreditation in Public Relations APR from the Universal Accreditation Board of the Public Relations Society of America in 2015 He is a self professed student of YouTube University where one can learn everything from classical civilizations to how to fix things around the home Stephen takes great pride in how he presents himself to others and his yard He s as meticulous about getting regular haircuts with his barber as he is about doing his own landscaping Stephen and his wife Dr CaLynna Nichols reside in Sacramento California

SPEAKER

Dean Melbo revolutionized our perspective on educational leadership USC Rossier empowers leaders with the essential resources required to foster greater equity in education while providing a dynamic network for lifelong learning This dedication has resulted in an impressive outcome with over 80 USC Rossier alumni currently serving the role of superintendents in various districts across California A multitude of others have assumed pivotal positions as principals and district administrators throughout the state To help support our future educational leaders please visit rossier usc edu giving rossier usc edu 2ND ANNUAL IRVING R. AND VIRGINIA A. MELBO CHAIR LECTURELeading in Times of Radical Change: Finding Common GroundWednesday, October 18, 20234:00 p.m. USC Hotel Dr. Irving R. MelboBorn in Minnesota Dr. Irving R. Melbo graduated from New Mexico State College (AB), New Mexico Western College (BA) and received his Doctor of Education degree from UC Berkeley. He taught in a number of public schools in Minnesota as well as at New Mexico Western College and held a post-doctoral fellowship in the Advanced School of Education at Teachers College, Columbia University. Later he joined the sta of the California State Department of Education and subsequently worked in the Oakland Public Schools and as the deputy superintendent of the Alameda County Schools. During this time, he held visiting professorships at the University of Kansas, University of Utah, University of Wisconsin, and the University of Hawaii.During World War II, Dr. Melbo served as a lieutenant in the U.S. Naval Reserve and was attached to the training division of the Bureau of Naval Personnel. After the war, he was chosen by President Eisenhower to monitor war activities and training for all branches of the Armed Forces.Dr. Melbo joined University of Southern California in 1939 as an assistant professor of Educational Administration. He was later promoted to associate professor, professor, and, in 1945, chair of the Department of Educational Administration. He was appointed dean of the School of Education in 1953 and served in that position until 1973. An acknowledged authority on executive leadership and the organization and structure of school districts, Dr. Melbo also worked as a consultant to many state and national professional associations, legislative committees and worked directly with hundreds of school districts. He held memberships on the Education Committee of the California State Chamber of Commerce, the Board of Directors of the Southwest Regional Education Laboratory, the Committee for the Accreditation of Teacher Education of the California State Board of Education, and the Policies Commission of the California Association of School Administrators.To honor Dr. Melbo following his retirement, several professional organizations aliated with the School of Education established the first endowed chair in his name. EDUCARE, the USC Chapter of Phi Delta Kappa, Education Alumni, Honorary Association of Women in Education (HAWE), and the Society of Delta Epsilon announced the endowed chair at a dinner held in Dr. Melbo’s honor on May 16, 1974. Dr. Melbo, as dean emeritus, was appointed as the first incumbent of the chair and held this position for the 1974-1975 academic year. SCHEDULE2ND ANNUAL IRVING R. AND VIRGINIA A. MELBO CHAIR LECTURELeading in Times of Radical Change: Finding Common GroundWelcome Maria G. Ott Irving R. and Virginia A. Melbo Chair in Education Administration, USC Rossier School of EducationIntroductory Pedro A. Noguera Address Emery Stoops and Joyce King Stoops Dean, USC Rossier School of EducationPanel Discussion Film A Trusted Space: Meeting The Moment by All It TakesAudience Q & AClosing Remarks Maria G. OttReceptionModerator:Eric OlsenExecutive Director of Communications, USC Rossier School of EducationPanelists: Lesley BruintonExecutive Vice President, Nichols StrategiesVivian EkchianSuperintendent, Retired, Glendale Unified School DistrictStephen NicholsFounder and CEO, Nichols Strategies Maria Gutierrez Ott holds the Irving R. and Virginia A. Melbo Chair in Education Administration at the USC Rossier School of Education. In addition to her years as a classroom teacher and site and central oce administrator, Dr. Ott served more than 40 years as an educator in K-12 urban systems. That includes, fourteen years as a superintendent and five years as senior deputy superintendent of the Los Angeles Unified School District. Her transition to higher education was an opportunity to apply her practitioner experiences to the preparation of leaders for school systems, colleges and universities, and other organizations.In 2019, Dr. Ott was asked to advise LAUSD Superintendent Austin Beutner and his senior leadership team as Executive Mentor in Residence. Dr. Ott was approved to spend half of her USC assignment working directly with LAUSD leaders. This two-year experience moved Dr. Ott into the work of the second largest school district during major transformation of the district into a Communities of Schools structure. As an advisor to the leadership team, Dr. Ott provided connections between USC Rossier expertise and the work of the school system.Ott designed and launched the USC Rossier Urban Superintendents Academy in 2015 in partnership with AASA to prepare diverse and equity-minded leaders for K-12 system leadership. She serves as a member of the Association of Latino Administrators and Superintendents (ALAS) Board of Directors to promote the goal of advancing diverse leaders who work to close opportunity and achievement gaps for Latino and youth of color. She was honored with the 2021-2022 ALAS Lifetime Achievement Award and received the USC Rossier Dean’s Superintendents Advisory Group (DSAG) Achievement Award in 2017. Ott is recognized for her leadership and advocacy for bilingual education and programs for English language learners, leadership development for women, and public-private partnerships in education. She is a founding member of the California Association of Latino Superintendents and Administrators (CALSA).Her work on cultural proficiency is detailed in her books, A Culturally Proficient Society Begins in School: Leadership for Equity (2011) and Now What? Confronting Uncomfortable Truths About Inequity in Schools (2023) with co-authors Carmella S. Franco and Darline P. Robles. Ott has presented to national audiences on the topic of her books and continues to contribute to the educational literature about the importance of cultural proficiency in closing achievement gaps. She is a member of the Ethical Educators Panel for AASA’s School Administrator Magazine and contributes ethical advice in response to real cases encountered by superintendents in their school districts.Maria G. OttIrving R. and Virginia A. Melbo Chair in Education Administration, USC Rossier School of Education Pedro A. Noguera is the Emery Stoops and Joyce King Stoops Dean of the Rossier School of Education and a Distinguished Professor of Education at the University of Southern California. Prior to joining USC, Noguera served as a Distinguished Professor of Education at the Graduate School of Education and Information Studies at the University of California, Los Angeles. Before joining the faculty at UCLA, he served as a tenured professor and holder of endowed chairs at New York University, Harvard University and the University of California, Berkeley. He is the author of 15 books. His most recent books are Common Schooling: Conversations About the Tough Questions and Complex Issues Confronting K-12 Education in the United States Today (Teachers College Press winner of the Association of American Publishers 2022 Prose Award) with Rick Hess and City Schools and the American Dream: Still Pursuing the Dream (Teachers College Press) with Esa Syeed. In 2022 he was ranked 3rd in the nation for influence and impact in the field of education, by Education Week. Pedro A. NogueraEmery Stoops and Joyce King Stoops Dean, USC Rossier School of EducationSPEAKER SPEAKEREric Olsen grew up in Southern California and attended UC Davis, where he graduated with a degree in communications and political science. Prior to joining USC Rossier as Executive Director of Communications, he worked as Campaign Manager and then Communications Director & Senior Advisor to U.S. Representative John Garamendi. His work took him to Capitol Hill, where he worked with the UC and CSU systems to develop two comprehensive bills to boost several federal grant programs and provide relief to student loan borrowers. Eric’s passion for communications and mission-oriented work empowered him to partner with over 500 organizations, one presidential administration and dozens of Members of Congress to coordinate public relations campaigns around legislative initiatives and hearings in Congress. Eric brings a passion for service and a steadfast commitment to pursuing educational equity to his work at USC Rossier.Eric OlsenExecutive Director of Communications, USC Rossier School of Education Lesley Bruinton uses her passion for stories and knack for data-driven planning to craft award-winning communication strategies, advice and counsel for K-12 education leaders. A former president of the National School Public Relations Association, Lesley leads the Nichols Strategies team in all things communication.She was formerly the Public Relations Coordinator for the Tuscaloosa City Schools, where she earned three Gold Medallion Awards, the highest honor from (NSPRA) for her strategic communications work. Lesley was awarded Gold Medallion Awards in 2016, 2018 and 2020. She was also the 2020 AASA, The School Superintendents Association’s Women in School Leadership Award recipient. Lesley earned her Accreditation in Public Relations in 2013.She holds a Masters in Strategic Communication from Troy University and a B.A. in Telecommunication and Film with an emphasis on broadcast news from The University of Alabama.Lesley has an anity for reading and learning new things, and it is not uncommon for her to check out too many books at the library.When she is not counseling Superintendents, Lesley is chaueuring her two children to various extra-curricular activities. Lesley and her husband reside in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, with their aforementioned children and dog, Oakley. Roll Tide. Lesley BruintonExecutive Vice President, Nichols StrategiesSPEAKER SPEAKERVivian Ekchian is a lifelong educator and learner, visionary leader, and champion for equity with a relentless focus on accelerating student outcomes. She recently retired as the superintendent of the Glendale Unified School District, the third largest school district in Los Angeles County, serving 25,000 students in grades PreK-12. She was also the first female Superintendent for Glendale Unified. Prior to coming to Glendale USD, she was the Deputy Superintendent for Los Angeles Unified School District.Having served 38 years as an urban school district educator, she has a proven track record of implementing reform in complex systems. Her refined ability to develop leadership and talent, focusing internal and external educational partners on a common goal and building coherence, has benefited countless students, employees, families, and community members. Much of her success stems from her life experiences, including a multicultural upbringing and journey to Southern California as an immigrant. As superintendent, she has been instrumental in building partnerships with outside organizations to close the digital divide, provide dual college enrollment and internship opportunities for students, open health and wellness centers at every middle and high school, and expand the district’s before and after school childcare program.As a lifelong learner, in March 2022, she completed the Fellowship for Public Education Leadership sponsored by the Broad Center at Yale School of Management. She has a doctoral degree in educational leadership from the University of Southern California; a Master’s degree in educational administration from the University of California, Los Angeles; and a Bachelor’s degree and teaching credential from California State University Northridge.Dr. Ekchian was named the 2022 Superintendent of the Year for Los Angeles County. She was an honoree of the 2023 Women of the Year by the Los Angeles County Commission for Women. Additionally, she received the Heart & Excellence Award from the YWCA, Distinguished Educator Award from California State University Los Angeles, and Women in Educational Leadership Outstanding Contributions to Education Award.A firm believer in empowering students to lead us next and the unparalleled power of education to transform lives, Dr. Ekchian remains committed to providing a world-class, globally competitive education to all students in order to ensure they are college, career and life ready.Vivian EkchianSuperintendent, Retired, Glendale Unified School District Stephen Nichols goal for each client is to be treated as the only one as the Nichols Strategies team delivers a custom client relationship experience, by listening intently and being accessible and available to meet their needs. There are no o-rack solutions oered here, as the firm was created to work around how he approaches working with clients.He uses the same methodology as the head of the company ensuring Nichols Strategies employees have everything they need to produce and deliver bespoke solutions for clients, by addressing employee’s needs individually.It’s a lesson he learned early in his career as an administrative secretary who listened to families on the other end of the phone express their unique needs. That’s why he’s compelled now to oer customized, or bespoke, solutions now.Stephen’s education administration began in Natomas Unified School District in Sacramento, which in 2006 was the second most diverse school district in the United States. He previously served as the chief communications ocer for Capistrano Unified School District and as public information ocer for the Folsom Cordova Unified School District. Stephen began consulting in 2014 with Communication Resources for Schools and founded Nichols Strategies in 2017.He is an active member of the California School Public Relations Association (CalSPRA), serving in various ocer roles, including 2014-15 chapter president. He also served on the Executive Board of Directors of the National School Public Relations Association (NSPRA), as Vice President At-Large for Diversity Engagement.A California native, he earned a BA in Classics from Howard University and an MBA from Drexel University. Stephen received his Accreditation in Public Relations (APR) from the Universal Accreditation Board of the Public Relations Society of America in 2015.He is a self-professed student of YouTube University, where one can learn everything from classical civilizations to how to fix things around the home. Stephen takes great pride in how he presents himself to others and his yard. He’s as meticulous about getting regular haircuts with his barber as he is about doing his own landscaping.Stephen and his wife, Dr. CaLynna Nichols, reside in Sacramento, California.Stephen NicholsFounder and CEO, Nichols StrategiesSPEAKER SPEAKER rossier.usc.eduDean Melbo revolutionized our perspective on educational leadership.USC Rossier empowers leaders with the essential resources required to foster greater equity in education while providing a dynamic network for lifelong learning. This dedication has resulted in an impressive outcome, with over 80 USC Rossier alumni currently serving the role of superintendents in various districts across California. A multitude of others have assumed pivotal positions as principals and district administrators throughout the state.To help support our future educational leaders, please visit rossier.usc.edu/giving.