Resources from the 2021 VASS-VASBO Virtual Winter Conference
January 11, 2021

Jim Regimbal

Speaker Eileen Filler-Corn
As a member of the House Transportation Committee from 2011-2018 and a member of the Joint Commission on Transportation Accountability, the Speaker actively fought for years to improve transit in the Commonwealth. She carried the Omnibus Transportation Modernization Bill. Among many other important provisions, this legislation ensures the Commonwealth’s transportation fund remains solvent and supports vital infrastructure to secure much-needed traffic relief for her constituents.
She has previously passed legislation making required higher education course materials, such as textbooks, more affordable, giving more Virginians the chance to succeed in post-secondary institutions.

Senator Ghazala Hashmi
Ghazala and her husband Azhar moved to the Richmond area in 1991, and Ghazala has spent the past 30 years as a leading educator in Virginia’s college and university system. She served both as a professor of English and as the Founding Director of the Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning (CETL) at Reynolds Community College.
Ghazala’s approach to public service is guided by the principles of integrity, social justice and ethics in government. She is dedicated to making government work for all citizens. Ghazala is the first Muslim-American to serve in the Virginia State Senate.

Delegate John Avoli
He graduated from Madonna High School, and earned a scholarship to play football and study at the University of Richmond. After his 1974 graduation from Richmond, John began a long career in public education by becoming a teacher and football and track coach at Wilson Memorial High School in Fishersville.
His political career started in 1990 when John ran for Staunton City Council. He served on the council for 16 years, including 14 as Staunton’s mayor.

Megan Healy
Having started her career as science professor at Patrick Henry Community College in Martinsville, Secretary Healy keenly appreciates how education can change lives and communities. Prior to joining the Northam administration, she served as Virginia’s first Director of STEM-H under Governor McAuliffe before returning to the Virginia Community College System as Assistant Vice Chancellor for Academics. Secretary Megan Healy is a proud product of Virginia’s public schools, holding a bachelor’s degree from Virginia Tech, a master’s from Virginia Commonwealth University, and a doctorate from Old Dominion University.

Dr. Brenda Pike

Stephen DeVita

Jeremy Bennett

Evan Feinman

Noelle Ellerson Ng
She speaks regularly on federal education policy to school leaders across the country. Before coming to AASA, Ellerson Ng was a high school special education teacher in Central New York. She worked in state-level advocacy for the College Board while earning her master’s degree.

Elleka Yost
Analysis of the Governor's Proposed Budget and the State Budget
Monday, January 11 | 9:10am
Co-founder, Fiscal Analytics
VASS Senior Partners and VASBO Diamond Sponsors
Forecast5 Analytics and American Fidelity
VASS Senior Partner and VASBO Platinum Sponsor
Horace Mann Insurance
VASS Partner and VASBO Gold Sponsor
Pierce Group Benefits
VASS Associate Partners and VASBO Silver Sponsors
Frontline Education and Paymerang
VASS Senior Partners
Moseley Architects and CrisisGo
VASBO Platinum Sponsors
VACORP and The Supply Room
Potential Legislative Issues for the 2021 Session and Their Financial Implications
Monday, January 11 | 9:50am
Virginia House of Delegates
Ghazala Hashmi
Senate of Virginia
John Avoli
Virginia House of Delegates
VASS Senior Associate Partners
DreamBox Math Learning and Edgenuity
VASS Associate Partners
Audio Enhancement, Discovery Education, Istation, and Virginia Risk Sharing Association
VASBO Gold Sponsors
Sonny Merryman, Sodexo, The Nutrition Group, and ABM Technical
COVID 19-related Unemployment Issues and their Impact on School Divisions
Monday, January 11 | 10:30am
Chief Workforce Advisor to the Governor, Office of the Governor, Commonwealth of Virginia
VASS Associate Partners
Houghton-Mifflin Harcourt, Renaissance, Reading Plus, RethinkED, Stantec, Trane, Veritiv, and Vocabulary.com
VASBO Platinum Sponsor
Edlio
VASBO Silver Sponsor
Keystone Information Systems
Panel Discussion: Collective Bargaining and its financial implications for school divisions
Monday, January 11 | 11:00am
Executive Director, VEA
Stephen Devita
Division Counsel, Loudoun County Public Schools
Jeremy Bennett
Director of Intergovernmental Affairs, VACO
VASS Associate Partners
Lexia Learning, Mark III Employee Benefits, NWEA, Participate Learning, PowerSchool, and Virginia Lottery
VASBO Gold Sponsor
RDA Systems
VASBO Silver Sponsor
Virginia Retirement Specialists
Breakout Session: Lessons Learned During the Pandemic to Improve Learning and Instruction
Monday, January 11 | 11:30am
Chair, VASS Professional Learning Committee, and Division Superintendent, Stafford County
Jared Cotton
Division Superintendent, Chesapeake City
Sarah Calveric
Division Superintendent, Caroline County
Breakout Session: Ensuring Students Stay Engaged and On Track- The Critical Role of Data
Monday, January 11 | 11:30am
Managing Director, Forecast5 Analytics
Breakout Session: Innovative Staffing Solutions for Challenging Times
Monday, January 11 | 11:30am
Division Superintendent, Radford City
Breakout Session: Enhancing Communication about the Relationship between Instruction and Finance
Monday, January 11 | 11:30am
VASBO President and Assistant Superintendent for Budget and Finance, Virginia Department of Education
Laura Abel
VASS President-elect and Division Superintendent, West Point
The Status of Broadband Access in Virginia
Monday, January 11 | 12:25pm
The Governor’s Chief Broadband Advisor, Commonwealth of Virginia
VASS Senior Associate Partner
RRMM Architects
The Status of Federal Funding and What to Expect (Including a Basic Overview of the E-Rate)
Monday, January 11 | 1:15pm
Associate Executive Director of Advocacy and Governance, AASA
Elleka Yost
Government Affairs and Communications Manager, ASBO
VASS Senior Associate Partner
ST Math-Mind Research Institute
VASS Associate Partners
Achieve 3000, Catapult Learning/SESI, Crabtree Rohrbaugh & Associates, EF Education First, and R-Zero
VASBO Silver Sponsors
Data Business Systems and First Financial Group of America
The video recording of the 2021 VASS-VASBO Virtual Winter Conference will be available to Superintendents on the VASS Forum in Canvas.
Here is the LINK for Superintendents to log in to their account on the VASS Forum:
https://vaedstrategies.instructure.com/login/canvas
Superintendents are asked to contact Liza Scallet if they have any problems accessing their VASS Forum Account.
Representatives of VASS Business Partners who would like a link to the video recording of the VASS Virtual Fall Conference are asked to contact Liza Scallet.