Overview

The K-12 Leadership Summit is an invitation-only gathering of superintendents and senior district leaders hosted by the Center for Digital Education. This closed-door, peer-to-peer forum brings together educational and industry leaders to exchange ideas, compare strategies, and shape the future of K-12 leadership and innovation.

The summit begins with a networking dinner, followed by a full day of focused, candid discussions. Topics reflect the real-world responsibilities and strategic priorities shared by superintendents and their CIO partners today, including:

• Sustainable funding, legislative shifts, and long-term district planning
• Cybersecurity resilience, data privacy, compliance, and systemwide risk management
• Responsible AI integration to support teaching, learning, operations, and student well-being
• Leadership practices that strengthen culture, clarity, communication, and community trust
• Talent development, educator capacity, and strategies to support an overstretched workforce
• Modernizing processes, student information systems, and digital tools to improve service delivery
• Enhancing the parent, student, and educator digital experience across all district touchpoints

This is a working session—not a conference. Attendees leave with practical insights, meaningful connections, and strategies to strengthen resilience, accelerate innovation, and deliver better outcomes for the communities they serve.

Speakers

David Long

Superintendent, Beaver County School District

David Long is Superintendent of Beaver County School District in Beaver, Utah, where he leads a small rural district of roughly 1,450 students across five schools. He serves on the boards of the Utah Education and Telehealth Network (UETN), the Utah Rural School Boards Association, the Southwest Educational Development Center, and the ULEAD Education committee, and brings a rural-district perspective to statewide conversations on education technology, connectivity, and infrastructure policy. Under his leadership, Beaver County has pursued innovative approaches to school connectivity and cooperative infrastructure, reflecting his broader interest in how rural communities can build resilient, community-controlled technology systems.

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Michael Ballone

Superintendent of Schools, Marlboro Township Public Schools

Michael Ballone serves as Superintendent of the Marlboro Township Public Schools (MTPS), a PreK–8 district in suburban Monmouth County, New Jersey, serving approximately 4,600 students. Under Michael’s leadership, he and his team have implemented creative and strategic budget solutions to address the extraordinary rise in healthcare and other operating costs facing school districts nationwide while protecting the educational experience for students.

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Dr. Jeff Horton

Superintendent, Rush City Public Schools

Dr. Jeff Horton, the 2026 National Superintendent of the Year, serves as Superintendent of Rush City Public Schools. He is dedicating this coming school year to a collaborative vision themed "Listen. Reflect. Transform." By continuously embedding the community’s voice into district governance over the next year, he is guiding the creation of a shared "Portrait of a Graduate" and a new, board-approved strategic plan. Renowned as a transformational turnaround superintendent, Dr. Horton partners with stakeholders to collectively build and implement a future that leads the way in education.

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Dr. Brian Graham

Superintendent, Grand Island Central School District

Dr. Brian Graham is the Superintendent of the Grand Island Central School District in Western New York, where he is beginning his 11th year leading the district. An educator and administrator with more than three decades of experience, he has served as a special education teacher, elementary and middle school principal, and assistant superintendent. Dr. Graham has become a recognized voice in the emerging field of artificial intelligence in education, helping school leaders explore how AI can strengthen leadership, teaching, learning, and organizational effectiveness while maintaining a clear focus on responsible implementation.

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Kris Hagel

Chief Information Officer, Peninsula School District

Kris Hagel is a visionary education technology leader with over two decades of experience transforming K-12 learning environments. As the Chief Information Officer for Peninsula School District in Washington, Kris masterfully bridges the worlds of cutting-edge technology and effective pedagogy. With a unique blend of technical expertise and deep understanding of instructional practices, Kris has become a driving force in creating technology environments that support Universal Design for Learning principles. His leadership extends beyond IT, encompassing communications and school safety & security, demonstrating a holistic approach to educational excellence.

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Dr. Leanna Mullen

Student Data Coordinator, Egg Harbor Township School District

Dr. Leanna Mullen is the Student Data Coordinator for the Egg Harbor Township School District, NJ. She works in District Administration within the Office of Curriculum and Instruction, where she analyzes universal screening data to help guide targeted MTSS supports for students. She is a leader on the district's Innovation Team and Professional Development Committee, helping support education technology and AI integration in the classroom. Dr. Mullen also established the district's Data Governance Team, bringing departments together to streamline systems and provide more consistency for analysis and reporting.

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Stephen Safranek

Chief Information Security Officer, West Chester University of Pennsylvania

Stephen leads the university’s information security, risk management, and incident response programs. He has over twenty years experience addressing cybersecurity challenges in higher education, including identity and access management, security awareness, and incident response. Stephen also works as a cybersecurity consultant, advising organizations on security strategy, risk, and designing/delivering security-related training exercises. His approach focuses on building practical, sustainable security programs that balance risk reduction with the operational needs of complex organizations.

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Made Possible by Our Corporate Sponsors

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Registration Information / Contact Us

Event Date: September 22 and 23, 2026

This is an invitation-only event, open to Public Sector only. For more information or to request an invitation, please contact Lindsay Anthis.

Sponsorship is open to Industry members of the K-12 Leadership Council Program only. To learn more about becoming an Industry member, please contact Heather Earney.

This event is open to all individuals who meet the eligibility criteria, without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity, age, disability, or any other protected class. We are committed to fostering an inclusive and welcoming environment for all participants.

Contact Information

Need help registering, or have general event questions? Contact:

Lindsay Anthis
Center for Digital Education
A division of e.Republic
Phone: (916) 932-1495
E-mail: lanthis@erepublic.com

Already a sponsor, but need a hand? Reach out to:

Mireya Gaton
Center for Digital Education
A division of e.Republic
Phone: (916) 296-2617
E-mail: mgaton@erepublic.com

Sponsorship is open to Industry members of the K-12 Leadership Council Program only. To learn more about becoming an Industry member, please contact:

Heather Earney
Center for Digital Education
A division of e.Republic
Phone: (916) 365-2308
E-mail: heather.earney@erepublic.com