Conference Presenters
UASSP Secretary Conference 2019 Presenters
Amanda Covington
Amanda Covington is Executive Vice President, Communications & Government Affairs, for the Larry H. Miller Group of Companies. She recently served as Senior President, Communications and Government Relations for Vista Outdoor Inc. Covington has more than 20 years of experience leading corporate communications and government relations strategies impacting financial communications, crisis communications, domestic and international media/public relations, corporate branding and advertising, digital media, employee relations, public policy and legislation, industry associations, and community relations.
She earned an Honors bachelor's degree in Mass Communications and a Master of Public Administration from the University of Utah. Covington enjoys spending her free time wake surfing, snow skiing and traveling with her husband and two teenage boys.
Melinda Colton
Melinda Colton has spent the past 26 years working in public relations in higher and public education. She was named Director Communications for Park City School District in August 2017.
She most recently served as Director of Public Relations for Utah Valley University, Utah’s largest four-year university.
As an experienced communications professional, she is skilled at developing strategic and crisis communications plans, implementing branding and public relations campaigns, and messaging with diverse publics. She has developed a reputation with the news media because of her integrity and responsiveness. She is also adept at customer service training, conducting and passing bond campaigns, utilizing social media, and writing policies.
Maddie Wilson, Entertainer
Maddie Wilson’s soulful country-crossover style wins new fans wherever she performs, whether a high-energy live concert or a one-of-a-kind music video. After just a song or two, you’ll understand why the Nashville Songwriters Association International recently named Maddie “one to watch.”
Assistant Principal Conference 2019 Presenters
Heidi Alder, legal issues
Kris Packer, working with transgender population in the school: supporting and understanding transgender identities
Donovan A. Bergstrom
Luke Rasmussen
Brett Peterson, Youth Services Resource for Intervention Services
Mid-Winter Conference 2020 Presenters
Kenneth Williams, Presenter
Kenneth C. Williams is a former teacher, assistant principal, and principal. He shares his experience and expertise as a recognized trainer, speaker, coach, and consultant in education and leadership. Skilled in developing productive, student-focused learning environments, Kenneth is former principal of The Learning Academy at E. J. Swint in Jonesboro, Georgia, and Damascus Elementary School in Damascus, Maryland. His firsthand experience with transforming challenged schools translates into action-oriented presentations that inspire hope, create a clear vision, and offer practical strategies to those overwhelmed by challenges.
His leadership was crucial to creating a successful professional learning community (PLC) at Damascus, a challenged school that needed a new direction. The results of his efforts can be seen across all grade levels. Over a two-year period, the school’s state standardized test scores revealed a significant increase in the percentage of students performing at proficient and advanced levels. The process of building a PLC at E. J. Swint continues thanks to Kenneth’s work in laying a solid foundation in this underserved community.
Kenneth earned a bachelor of arts from Morehouse College, a master of science from the University of Bridgeport, and an administration and supervision certificate from Bowie State University.
Kevin Atlas, Presenter
At nearly seven feet tall with his left arm discontinued just below his elbow, Kevin faced his fair share of adversity in his early life. Born and raised in the Bay Area of California, Kevin grew up in a split custody household, overcame the early death of his father, and faced a legion of critics prior to his success. He became one of the top high school basketball players in his home state, played one postgraduate year at a military school in Virginia, and earned a full athletic scholarship to join the Manhattan College Jaspers in New York City. By doing this, Kevin achieved becoming the first disabled player in NCAA history to receive a full Division I athletic scholarship in his sport.
After a successful college career, Kevin went on to play professionally in Asia and has since become one of the top young professional speakers in the nation. Employing a mixture of humor, audience interaction, and a uniquely strong delivery, he tells the story of a life so extraordinary, it was chronicled in the Oscar-qualifying documentary Long Shot: The Kevin Laue Story. In his speeches, Kevin uses his own inspirational journey as a jumping o point to examine the challenges faced by others every day and his triumphs help audiences see their own problems in a new light. He shares his story to help change attitudes and perspectives of youth, corporate, faith-based, and international audiences. Kevin’s engaging manner, easy confidence, and comfort around others make his presentation a sure-fire success for audiences of every background and description.