Culture 2.0 Recruitment and Retention October 2024 | Chicago, IL

Stefanee Tolbert

Life Christian Academy

Head of School and Co-Founder

Stefanee Tolbert is the visionary, head of school, & co-founder of Life Christian Academy which was named by Lagniappe Magazine as the Best Private School in SWLA for the past two years. She attended LSU and earned a Bachelor of Science in Education with a minor in English, as well as a degree in Educational Leadership and Administration. She also earned an associate’s degree in Advanced Youth Ministry from Christ for the Nations in Dallas, TX. In 2020, she was named one of Thrive Magazine’s Thirteen Thriving 30-somethings. She was also awarded Fusion Five’s 30 Something Young Professional of the Year for 2021. Stefanee is the author of the best-selling book Shatter the Box: A guide to revolutionizing Christian education, and through this book her passion for raising the bar in education is prevalent. With over a decade of experience in the area of Christian education she not only leads her team of educators, but specializes in mentoring and guiding other leaders to reach their full potential. Stefanee has a passion to encourage, equip, and empower others so that they can then encourage, equip, and empower those around them.

• 4:30 - 5:00 PM, Oct 27, 2024 Lilac Room | The Westin Chicago Lombard ( 70 Yorktown Shopping Center, Lombard, IL 60148)

  Registration & Welcome Reception

Sadie Elliott

Training Director

Herzog Foundation

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Curating human experiences that drive learning and growth as Training Director at the Herzog Foundation. Traveler, auntie, daughter of the King.

Sadie is passionate about developing leaders who steward both people and operational excellence well. After beginning her career in non-profit management, she developed a passion for organizational effectiveness and went on to pursue an MBA in International Management from ESCP Europe. As Training Director at the Herzog Foundation, she now has the privilege of leading a team to produce the Foundation’s leadership development efforts.

As a proud alumna of The King’s College in New York City, Sadie possess a Bachelor of Arts in Politics, Philosophy, and Economics with a minor in International Development. While living in New York City, Sadie led the college’s City Engagement efforts to partner with non-profit ministries across NYC in serving local communities. Directly out of college Sadie catalyzed The Global Orphan Project’s grants efforts as a subset of their Development Team. Working on a small team with limited resources, she and the team set a goal of generating $1 million within the first year of developing foundation relations. Together, they reached $1.3 million of grant funding within 13 months for educational projects in Haiti, agricultural programs in Africa, technology initiatives in the US, and refugee care in the Middle East.

Sadie later went onto lead marketing and development efforts for her alma mater, Northland Christian Education System where her love and appreciation for Christian education grew. She went on to complete her MBA at ESCP Europe where she lived and worked in London, England, and Paris, France. After completing her MBA, she was recruited by the Stanley M. Herzog Charitable Foundation to help launch their charitable initiatives. The Herzog Foundation’s mission is to catalyze and accelerate the development of quality Christ-centered education so that families and culture flourish. Sadie has had the privilege of assisting in the launch of the Foundation’s grant making program, school startup program, and leadership development program.

As Training Director, she has the privilege to combine her experience in Christian education and the broader non-profit sector with her passion for savvy business acumen and strong leadership. She facilitates experts and practitioners to create best in class adult learning experiences on Donor Development, Marketing and Enrollment, Strategic Planning, Culture Building and People Management, Succession Planning, and Board Leadership.

• 4:30 - 5:00 PM, Oct 27, 2024 Lilac Room | The Westin Chicago Lombard ( 70 Yorktown Shopping Center, Lombard, IL 60148)

  Registration & Welcome Reception

Christopher Murphy

Superintendent

Education:
AA- Hesston College
BS- Elementary Education, Faith Baptist Bible College
MA- Educational Leadership, Viterbo University

• 4:30 - 5:00 PM, Oct 27, 2024 Lilac Room | The Westin Chicago Lombard ( 70 Yorktown Shopping Center, Lombard, IL 60148)

  Registration & Welcome Reception

Joel Nydam

Principal - Legacy Christian Academy, Minnesota

Joel Nydam is an educational leader at Legacy Christian Academy (Minnesota) where he has been a principal since 2012. He was a 3rd-5th grade teacher at a local public elementary school for 10 years before "Making the Leap" to Christian Education. He earned his B.A. in Elementary Education from the University of Northwestern St. Paul and holds two M.A. degrees, one in Education and the other in Educational Leadership. Joel is married to Amanda and they have four wonderful daughters. His passions include travel, sports, fishing, board games, and grilling on beautiful summer days! He enjoys connecting with people, listening to their stories, and furthering God's Kingdom by sharing the Good News of the Gospel!

• 4:30 - 5:00 PM, Oct 27, 2024 Lilac Room | The Westin Chicago Lombard ( 70 Yorktown Shopping Center, Lombard, IL 60148)

  Registration & Welcome Reception

Doug Waldo

Senior Consultant

Best Christian Workplaces Institure

Doug serves as a Senior Consultant with the Best Christian Workplaces Institute (BCWI), specializing in culture engagement, leadership development, and strategic planning. Doug has 25+ years of senior leadership experience. Early on, he served as CEO of a workplace assessment publisher, leading a team of I/O psychologists and talent consultants in designing employee selection and development systems that incorporated psychometric surveys, 360-degree feedback, and culture surveys to achieve measurable performance outcomes. Doug authored the REACH Quotient, a survey-based solution for people and culture development used around the world by trainers, coaches, and organizational development professionals.
Doug’s academic experience has been in organizational development and strategic leadership. He serves in Christ-centered graduate school programs as an instructional mentor and faculty team leader. For one such program, Doug designed and published a master’s degree in strategic leadership from a Christian worldview. He continues to teach today, while also contributing to scholarly conferences and publications. Recognition for his teaching has included multiple Provost's Awards, as well as a Distinguished Faculty Award for 2022.

• 4:30 - 5:00 PM, Oct 27, 2024 Lilac Room | The Westin Chicago Lombard ( 70 Yorktown Shopping Center, Lombard, IL 60148)

  Registration & Welcome Reception

Rusty Campbell

Associate Training Director

Herzog Foundation

• 4:30 - 5:00 PM, Oct 27, 2024 Lilac Room | The Westin Chicago Lombard ( 70 Yorktown Shopping Center, Lombard, IL 60148)

  Registration & Welcome Reception