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As a former Director of Clinical Experiences and Professional Development Schools, Dr. Kristi James brings a wealth of knowledge to the ������Ƶ team. Kristi’s tenures as a Regional Special Education Director and Director of Professional Learning underscore her commitment to inclusivity, diverse learning needs, and educational excellence.

At the core of Dr. James’ philosophy lies the holistic development of every child. She is dedicated to equipping educators with essential tools for fostering complete student growth. From curriculum design to methodologies, her influence resonates in professional learning experiences for teachers and educational leaders alike.

Dr. Kristi James holds a Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership, specializing in Higher Education Administration from West Virginia University. Her dynamic blend of experience, vision, and educational background fortifies the ������Ƶ Professional Development team and the Department of Curriculum and Instruction.

Tameeka Pigford is a lifelong learner and educator. Working in Title I schools for almost two decades with the NYC Department of Education has equipped her with the tools to understand the nuances of social-emotional learning and the benefits that come with educating the “whole child”. She also completed a 200-hour yoga training through Breathe for Change where yoga and SEL were the objectives.

As an SEL Coach, her mission is to provide teachers with the resources to successfully incorporate strategies and skills while preparing their students to navigate the ebbs and flows of life.

In her spare time, she paints eclectic home decor pieces using the science of color called chromotherapy.

Amber Pearson is originally from sunny Phoenix, Arizona. She is an alumnus of Northern Arizona University (Go Lumberjacks!), and she has a BS in elementary and early childhood education, along with a MS in educational leadership and administration. Amber enjoys spending time with her husband and son, visiting family and friends, hiking with her dog, and reading mystery novels. 

While Amber will always be a Phoenician at heart (which is ever apparent in cold weather), her military family is often on the move. Throughout her 10 years in education, she has gained experience as an elementary teacher, Social Emotional Learning Instructional Coach, and/or Social Emotional Learning Behavior Interventionist while living in Arizona, New Mexico, Ohio, and Wyoming. She now teaches elementary students remotely for a district in New York State.

Amber is excited to be a part of the ������Ƶ team and she can’t wait to share her love of PBIS and social-emotional learning with other educators!

Kristin Calvert has been in the education field for over 20 years. She has a bachelor’s degree in Psychology and Sociology, a master’s degree in teaching in Early Childhood Education, and a master’s degree in School Counseling. She is currently working on a certificate in mental health counseling. 

Before transitioning into the role of school counselor, she was a teacher, mostly in the early elementary grades. For the past two years, she has been a K-8 school counselor and built a counseling program. This year, she will be a school counselor working primarily with grades 3-5. 

She has training in restorative practices, trauma-informed schools, yoga and mindfulness for kids, and is always looking for ways to stay up to date in all things social-emotional learning. 

India Williams is a native of Evansville, IN. Her love for reading, learning, diversity, community, travel and fun began at an early age. Every Friday, her mother would take her and her little brother to the public library to “travel” to a new country and learn about different cultures through books, crafts and conversations. India was inspired by her mother’s use of creativity to not let limited resources keep her family from having enriching experiences.

Those weekly experiences inspired India to become a teacher. She attended Indiana University on a full academic scholarship. She later obtained a masters degree in education from Indiana Wesleyan University. India taught at public, parochial and independent schools in Evansville and Indianapolis. She has a long, rich history of building up, educating and developing youth. India has been a diversity director for preschool through 8th grade students, has started youth ministries in various organizations and founded a women’s ministry that is still going strong after 20 years. After years of teaching students, India now works with teachers as a professional development educator at PBIS Rewards.

In her spare time, India still enjoys reading, learning, traveling, building community and having fun with diverse people. One of her most meaningful accomplishments is being able to continue the tradition her mother started by taking her own two children to the public library to enjoy books, crafts and conversations every Friday.

Growing up in a family of teachers, Anna knew early on that education would be in her future. After graduating from the University of North Texas with a degree in Elementary Education, she started her classroom career with 6th graders as a science and social studies teacher. Her career path led her to become an assistant principal and allowed her to help students and teachers be successful each day. Her passion for working with students, teachers and others continued to grow as she found new opportunities with Motivating Systems.

Anna is a native Texan, through and through. She knows where to find the best chicken fried steak and says that word ‘y’all’ often! She is sadly lacking in cowgirl skills but will happily chat with you about the Dallas Cowboys any day (especially after a winning game). When Anna isn’t working, she loves to travel, see movies and spend time with friends.

Adam joins us from the great state of North Carolina, where he grew up in a small farming community. From an early age, his experience as a tutor for friends and family created a passion for helping others. As a first-generation college student, he found himself drawn to teaching. He began his teaching career at a school that was launching a PBIS initiative, an atmosphere that fit well with his belief that all people deserve to be treated with respect and dignity.

It didn’t take long for his school and district to notice Adam’s enthusiasm, optimism and energy when it came to promoting PBIS. He worked tirelessly toward improving PBIS practices and encouraged his fellow staff members to join in the excitement of developing PBIS expectations and procedures. Thanks to his passion for PBIS, Adam has presented at several schools in his district and has helped many across the state in developing their PBIS initiatives.

Adam holds degrees in music education, counselor education and school administration. After a decade of using these degrees at the school and district levels, Adam was ready to expand his reach. As a professional development educator with PBIS Rewards, he now trains schools all over the world!

Paige has been in education for over 20 years working with adolescent youth and their families as a social and emotional learning specialist, mindfulness coordinator, prevention coach, guidance counselor and teacher. Paige is also the CEO and Co-founder of IM Mindful, an organization that provides social and emotional wellness courses for students, families and educators. In addition, Paige is a certified yoga teacher (200 RYT) and wellness, SEL and trauma-informed yoga teacher (200 RYT). Paige’s passion is supporting youth, families and educators with their wellness needs and empowering them to draw on their strengths, skills and values to unearth their purpose to fuel their passion and bring out the best version of themselves.

Macy Lane is an SEL coach and lifelong learner. With almost 20 years of experience in education, she is most proud of the relationships she created with students and colleagues. Presently, as an IB Coordinator, she collaborates with teachers to create engaging curricula, as well as provide professional development throughout the year. Her current passion is exploring the connection between SEL and inquiry-based learning.

Jessica is a SEL coach at Navigate 360. She has more than a decade of experience in K-12 education, including teaching, curriculum leadership and EdTech. She is currently managing SEL curriculum in the K-12 market. Jessica is also the Co-founder of Brick by Brick Educational Consultants, an organization that helps teachers build effective relationships with at-risk students and parents to improve academic outcomes. Jessica’s passion is supporting educators and parents in empowering their students with a holistic education and cultivating academic and personal development.