The League of Innovative Schools is guided and advised in its work by the following district leaders:
Tim Bobrowski is Superintendent of Owsley County Schools in Booneville, Kentucky, the district from which he graduated high school. He has been an educator for more than 27 years. Owsley County Schools is the only school system in eastern Kentucky to recently receive distinction as a “District of Innovation” by the Kentucky Department of Education. Preparing students adequately for their college and/or career choice is a top priority in Mr. Bobrowski’s administration, while also focusing on personalizing education for every student based on individual learning needs. In 2013, he completed his EdD in Educational Leadership from MSU. Mr. Bobrowski and his wife (an educator of more than 27 years in Owsley) have two children, one who graduated from Owsley and one who is currently enrolled in the district’s middle school.
A visionary educational leader with a career spanning over two decades, Dr. Baron R. Davis serves as the superintendent of Richland School District Two. No stranger to trailblazing, Dr. Davis became the district’s first African American to hold this position upon his appointment in 2017. Dr. Davis has been an unapologetic advocate for public education for over two decades. Using personal experiences, dating back to growing up in public housing, he assesses needs and creates innovative structures to achieve goals of equity and excellence. His dedication to dismantling historical and current policies and practices that create structures and conditions of inequity and inequality in education has led to the adoption of a school board Equity Policy that commits to providing resources for student success and employing a high quality, diverse staff.
Dr. Davis’s passionate and results-driven approach has earned Richland Two recognition for its outstanding achievements, including landing a spot on the 10th Annual AP District Honor Roll by the College Board for increasing student participation and performance in Advanced Placement, in addition to being named a Purple Star School District for its commitment to supporting military families. Since his administration began, Dr. Davis has also prioritized funding for establishing top-notch learning facilities and the Premier 100 Initiative, a partnership with the Call Me MISTER program to aid in increasing the recruitment and retention of male teachers of color.
Dr. Davis earned a Bachelor of Science degree in sociology from Francis Marion University, master’s degrees in school counseling and educational administration, as well as an Educational Specialist degree and Ph.D. in educational counseling from the University of South Carolina, where he currently serves as the superintendent in residence in the UofSC College of Education’s Department of Educational Leadership and Policies. Dr. Davis holds superintendent, school counseling, secondary principal, and secondary supervision certifications.
Widely recognized for his educational leadership, Dr. Davis was named 2017 Administrator of the Year for both Richland County Association of Educational Office Professionals and the National Association of Educational Office Professionals, 100 Black Men of Greater Columbia Educational Leader of the Year in 2018, the Francis Marion University Professional Industry Award for Education and Arts, and the Columbia Chamber of Commerce Cathy Novinger Trailblazer Award. Recently, Dr. Davis was awarded the 2021 AASA Dr. Effie H. Jones Humanitarian Award, the 2021 NSPRA Bob Grossman Leadership in School Communication Award,recognized by K-12 Dive as 1 of 4 National Educational Leaders to Watch in 2021 and Education Week 2021 Educational Leaders to Learn From.
Suzanne Lacey is superintendent of Talladega County Schools, and has served as a teacher, assistant principal, principal, Elementary/Federal Programs Coordinator, Director of Personnel and Deputy Superintendent in Talladega County Schools prior to being appointed Superintendent in 2008. Dr. Lacey holds membership with School Superintendents of Alabama (SSA) where she served as president during the 2015-2016 year and is past president of both the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD) and the Council for Leaders in Alabama Schools (CLAS). She is also a member of Leadership Alabama Class XX. Dr. Lacey serves on the Board of Directors for HIPPY, Ritz Theatre, Easter Seals, and Sylacauga Alliance for Family Enhancement (SAFE). Dr. Lacey holds a Bachelor of Science degree in elementary education from Auburn University, a Master’s of Science and Educational Specialist degrees in elementary education and school administration from the University of Montevallo, and a Doctorate in Educational Leadership from Samford University.
Matt Miller is superintendent of Lakota Local Schools. He has spent the more than 24 years serving Ohio communities as an educator in the roles of Superintendent, Director of Student Services and Instruction, Principal, and Teacher. He was selected as one of 100 superintendents to attend and present at the #FutureReady National ConnectED Superintendents Summit at the White House; was named to the National School Boards Association Top 20 to Watch in the Nation; and conducted his first TEDx Talk in 2016 entitled: Don’t Buy the Book: Cultivate, Curate and Go Open. Having completed his undergraduate and master’s degree at the University of Cincinnati, Mr. Miller was selected for the Harvard Graduate School of Education’s Leadership Institute for Superintendents.
Dr. Melissa Moore is superintendent of the El Segundo Unified School District (ESUSD) in Southern California. An educator for more than 35 years, she was honored as Superintendent of the Year in 2018 by the Association of California School Administrators (Region 14). ESUSD joined the League of Innovative Schools in 2016 and in the last seven years, has been honored with more than 30 awards from outside agencies. Having every student feel seen, heard, supported, and loved is a primary focus at ESUSD. Under Dr. Moore’s guidance, ESUSD adopted a Graduate Profile; implemented Project Lead the Way/STEM curriculum for K-12; brought the Yale Institute for Social Emotional Learning’s RULER Approach to the district; and implemented a 1:1 technology initiative for grades K-12. She earned a doctorate degree in educational leadership from the University of Southern California, a master’s degree in education from California State University, Los Angeles, and a bachelor’s degree in liberal studies from the University of Redlands. Her educational leadership was recognized through the 8th Congressional District Woman of Distinction Award, USC Dean’s Superintendents Advisory Group Merit Scholarship Award, and a Leading Educator Scholarship to ASU’s Global Silicon Valley Summit. She also serves as an Honorary Commander at the Los Angeles Air Force Base.
Dr. Michael Nagler is superintendent of Mineola Public Schools, a suburb of New York City. Dr. Nagler began his career as a social studies teacher in NYC. While teaching he earned his doctorate from Columbia University and accepted an administrative position with Mineola in 1999. He believes strongly in the district’s mission to inspire students to become lifelong learners that exhibit strength of character and contribute positively to a global society. During his more than 18 years with the district, he has been a big proponent of using technology to engage students in rigorous content. Dr. Nagler has also been instrumental in creating a platform to assess student learning using electronic portfolios and digital badges. He even coded his own digital portfolio. All five schools in Mineola are recognized as Apple Distinguished Schools. In 2020, Dr. Nagler was named New York State Superintendent of the Year by the New York State Council of School Superintendents. Bestowed at the Winter Institute, the award is part of the American Association of School Administrators’ national award, which was established in 1988.
Marlon Styles, Jr., is the Superintendent at Middletown City School District in Ohio. During his career he has served as a Math Teacher, 7-12 Principal, and Executive Director of Curriculum & Instruction. In 2017, Mr. Styles received the Center for Digital Education Top 30 Digital Trailblazers Award. Under his leadership in 2019, Middletown City Schools earned the ISTE Distinguished District Award for ensuring equitable, accessible, and appropriate technology use for all students. He was recently recognized as the 2020 K-12 DIVE Superintendent of the Year. Mr. Styles is passionate in his efforts to close the systemic equity gaps many students in this country face. He is devoted to transforming education and finding ways to integrate technology to create inclusive learning experiences for all students. He can often be found on social media promoting the district’s positive #MiddieRising culture.
League of Innovative Schools