Are you ready to be inspired?
General Sessions will help you bring home new ideas to your district that are inspired by thought-provoking education keynotes.
AASA’s National Conference on Education will feature three influential and knowledgeable education keynote speakers to help you take your leadership to new heights so you can move your district and community forward. Get a high-level view of education policy, transformational leadership strategies, and more.
There is one General Session each day. They include the award presentations, special appearances, and keynote addresses. All General Sessions take place at the Music City Center, Karl F. Dean Grand Ballroom.
Download the NCE Mobile App to add General Sessions to your schedule and so much more.
Thursday, February 12 | 3:30 - 5:30PM
Keynote
Joe Sanfelippo
Leadership Coach, Joseph M Sanfelippo LLC, Fall Creek, WI
Lead from WHO You Are
You answer to a board, a community, and a system that rarely slows down long enough to notice how heavy leadership can feel. But the most effective superintendents don't start by doing more—they start by becoming more intentional about who they are bringing into the work every day.
Lead From Who You Are isn't about adding more strategies—it's about finding your rhythm. When leaders find their rhythm, they stop carrying leadership alone. In doing so, they simplify what has become unnecessarily complex, lead with purpose instead of pressure, and choose a way of leading that is sustainable—for themselves and for the system—starting with who they are, not just what they do.
Joe Sanfelippo, retired Superintendent of the Fall Creek School District in Wisconsin, is an educational leader and author. During his tenure, the Fall Creek School District was recognized as an Innovative District twice by the International Center for Leadership in Education. Joe authored multiple books, including best-sellers “Hacking Leadership” and “Lead From Where You Are.” Honored as one of 117 Future Ready Superintendents and among the 50 Personalized Learning Leaders by the US Department of Education, Joe was also named one of the 100 Most Influential Educators by District Administration Magazine. In 2019, Education Dive awarded him National Superintendent of the Year.
Special Performance by Charlie Worsham
Charlie Worsham
Musician and Band Leader for Dierks Bentley, Nashville, TN
Charlie Worsham has the entire Music City creative community in his corner, and that’s never been more apparent than with his upcoming project Compadres. Due October 13, the five-cut album finds a handful of his friends and admirers putting their stamp of approval on an artist who makes high-value music with even higher-value intent. Worsham’s decade-long career has earned him unparalleled praise from NPR, The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, The Tennessean, Billboard, Rolling Stone, Forbes, American Songwriter and more. A versatile celebration of musicianship and camaraderie, Compadres features collaborations with Dierks Bentley, Luke Combs, Elle King, Kip Moore and Lainey Wilson. In addition to creating his own music, the proud Mississippi native has recently contributed his talents as both a vocalist and instrumentalist to projects from Eric Church, Brandy Clark, Vince Gill, Kacey Musgraves, Hailey Whitters, Marty Stuart, Carrie Underwood and Keith Urban, among others. He continues to tour as part of Dierks Bentley’s band, and he was honored with the ACM Award for Acoustic Guitar Player of the Year. Worsham is also the host of Pickers Radio on Apple Music Country, celebrating the liner note legends who create the magic behind your favorite records.
Friday, February 13 | 9 - 11AM
Keynote
Marcus Whitney
Co-Founder and Minority Owner of MLS team, Nashville Soccer Club; Founding Partner of Jumpstart Health Investors, Nashville, TN
Be Courageous: Dream Beyond Your Comfort Level
Marcus moved to Nashville in 2000, he was a college dropout with a one-year-old son and a baby on the way. He waited tables and lived in a week-to-week efficiency hotel. From the outside, Marcus looked like the furthest thing from a budding success.
Flash forward, two decades later, Marcus is a successful venture capitalist, a bestselling author and co-founder and co-owner Nashville's Major League Soccer team.
This type of journey doesn't happen accidentally. Marcus walks you through his unlikely journey. He demystifies much of what keeps people from pursuing success, and he helps instill the necessary courage for you to dream beyond your comfort level. Making your dreams into your new reality.
Marcus Whitney is a Founding Partner of Jumpstart Health Investors (JHI), the most active early-stage healthcare venture capital firm in America. Of JHI’s funds, Marcus leads Jumpstart Nova, JHI's institutional, strategic, healthcare seed fund.
Marcus is also co-founder and minority owner of Major League Soccer team, Nashville Soccer Club.
Marcus is the author of the Amazon #1 best-selling book “Create and Orchestrate”, about claiming your Creative Power through entrepreneurship. His work has been featured by Entrepreneur, CNBC, Inc., NPR, Fast Company, and The Atlantic.
Marcus is an Aspen Health Innovators Fellow, and a member of the board of the Healthcare Finance Management Association, Celtic Bank, the Country Music Hall of Fame® and Museum, the Nashville Convention and Visitors Corporation, OZ Arts, and Scott Hamilton CARES.
Marcus actively competes in Jiu Jitsu, is a 3X IBJJF Masters World Champion, and trains on the competition team at Renzo Gracie Nashville under Shawn Williams.
He has an incredible, supportive family.
Saturday, February 14 | 10:30AM - 12NOON
Keynote
Marcelle Haddix
Dean, Karen A. Falk Distinguished Chair of Education, University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Education, Madison, WI
Creative Visioning: Leading for Imagined Futures
Dr. Marcelle Haddix will narrate stories from her experiences as a literacy scholar, a teacher educator and a leader in higher education to offer a framework for visioning possible futures in the fields of literacy, teacher education and leadership. Her presentation will provide historical contexts, address current issues and answer the questions: What leadership is needed to address pressing issues in literacy education today? What leadership will insure and sustain equitable and transformative outcomes in literacy education in the future?
Marcelle Haddix is the dean of UW–Madison’s No. 1 ranked School of Education. During her tenure as dean, Haddix has championed a “One School” vision that unites the School’s 10 departments across the arts, education, and health with a shared commitment to collaboration, growth, and community engagement.
Haddix is a leading scholar in literacy and teacher education, with a particular focus on the experiences of students and teachers of color. Her award-winning book is titled, “Cultivating Racial and Linguistic Diversity in Literacy Teacher Education: Teachers Like Me.”
Prior to arriving at UW–Madison, Dean Haddix spent 16 years in numerous leadership positions at Syracuse University, including most recently as associate provost for strategic initiatives. She is passionate about the arts, theater, and dance, and oversaw campuswide arts and humanities affiliates and programs during her tenure at Syracuse University. She is also a 500-hour-trained yoga instructor and reproductive health doula.
She received her bachelor’s degree from Drake University, master’s degree from Cardinal Stritch University, and doctoral degree from Boston College.
Page Last Updated: February 9, 2026.