Dr. Walter Milton, Jr. is a native of Rochester, New York. He received his K-12 education from the Rochester City School District. He is a proud product of the State University of New York (SUNY) system. He earned a B.A. from the University of Albany and an M.S. from SUNY College at Brockport. He took postgraduate courses at the University of Rochester to receive his administrative certifications. 

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He holds a Doctor of Education degree in leadership and policy, Ph.D., from the University of Buffalo.  Dr. Milton started his career in education in 1991 as a junior high school teacher for the Webster Central School District in Webster, New York, and then moved on to Brighton Central School District, a National Renowned School District in Brighton, New York.  Through the years, he moved from being a teacher to principal, central administration, and then to Superintendent of Fallsburg Central District, Fallsburg, New York. 

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In 2005, he became Superintendent of Flint Community Schools, Flint, Michigan where he designed and implemented a district-wide education reform that has been recognized throughout the State of Michigan and other parts of the country. He is the former superintendent in Springfield, Illinois, where he served as superintendent for almost eight years. Throughout his educational career, Dr. Milton has received numerous awards and recognitions.   

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In addition to his academic and professional pursuits, Dr. Milton is an inventor who holds a patent. Through his vision, he has had the ability to motivate educational organizations and communities to develop and support initiatives/programs that encourage students to achieve their highest potential. He is a focused and disciplined leader with a great vision, effective communication skills, and a passion for students in the midst of triumph or adversity.     

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Dr. Milton has also taught at several universities across the United States. He is also a published author of Parents Perception of Schools and Schools Perception of Parents, (2006), Me in the Making – One Man’s Journey to Becoming a School Superintendent (2008), Why Black Men Must Save Black Boys in America’s Public Schools (2014), Truth Be Told-Narratives from The Souls of Black Women (2018) and Black History 365-An Inclusive Account of American History (2020).  

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BH365 was birthed from his passion for history and a traumatic 4th-grade classroom experience with his teacher attempting to teach black history, starting with slavery. This lesson was contradictory to what his parents had taught – that black history dates to the beginning of time. In 2018, he began to research and write, spending many tireless evenings crafting the manuscript.  A year later, Dr. Milton invited his friend, Dr. Joel Freeman to join him on the Black History 365 project. Dr. Milton is currently CEO of Black History 365 (BH365) and From the Heart International Educational Services (FTH). 

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Dr. Lisa DeVeaux served as a teacher, principal and learning community executive director in the 11th largest district in the country for 33 years. As an elementary and high school principal, she designed and implemented Professional Learning Community (PLC) protocols that significantly increased teacher engagement and student achievement.  The PLC cycles and protocols she developed continue to sustain the work of numerous campus leaders. During her four years as the executive director responsible for 37 elementary schools, she recognized the role principals played in the equity and access equation. To support their work, she designed and delivered professional development that improved the leadership practices of the principals in her learning community.  As a certified coach, Lisa utilizes her expertise to support leaders and teams in effectively identifying school improvement leverage points.   Lisa received her doctorate from The University of Texas at Austin’s Cooperative Superintendency Program.

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Dr. Michele Hancock is the Professor of Practice in Education and Director of the Accelerated Certification for Teachers (ACT) Program at Carthage College, where she developed, launched, and leads the Urban Teacher Preparation Program. Dr. Hancock has devoted her career to address inequities in the U.S. educational school system. She joined the Carthage administration and faculty in 2014 and, during the same year, launched her private business, MH Educational Consulting, LLC that provides a series of professional development workshops to school districts, charter and parochial schools, and community organizations to help close access and opportunity gaps of underserved populations.      Dr. Hancock was an elementary and middle school classroom teacher for twenty-five years. During her tenure in K-12 education, Dr. Hancock received many awards highlighting her dedication to students, families, and marginalized communities.

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Gloria J. Davis professional career in education spans over 46 years primarily in the area of administration.  She has served as Superintendent of Schools for the past 16 years in primarily urban and multi-cultural school districts, such as Decatur, Illinois and Dodge City, Kansas where academic achievement and graduation rates increased with an improved, systematic curriculum.  She was responsible for leading the education reform initiative as Superintendent of Schools for the Illinois Department of Juvenile Justice. Ms. Davis has served as an elementary teacher, elementary and middle school principal and Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum and Instruction in University City, Missouri, which is an inner-ring suburb of St. Louis, Mo. Her background as a Superintendent of Schools who has a thorough knowledge of quality instruction has allowed her to dramatically improve academic success for students while providing guidance for staff to enhance their skills.  

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Dr. Ramont M. Roberts attended Harvard Graduate School of Education to obtain a Masters Degree in K-12 Administration and Public Policy. Later he attended Michigan State University and obtained a Ph.D. in K-12 administration. Dr. Roberts was formerly the Principal of Ruben Daniels Middle School and as Principal of Saginaw High School led the transformation of the school out of state low performing status. After serving three years as an Asst. Superintendent for Human Resources and Labor Relations, and accumulating over 19 years of educational experience, Dr. Roberts was appointed Superintendent of Saginaw Public Schools in June 2018.

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