faculty and special presenters
Dr. Rodney Glasgow
Institute Founder & Chair
Head of Middle School and Chief Diversity Officer, St. Andrew's Episcopal School
President, The Glasgow Group
Video Interview with Rodney
Rodney is a noted speaker, facilitator, trainer and activist in the areas of diversity, equity, and social justice. He has given a number of keynote presentations, delivered workshops, and offered consultation to schools and organizations nationwide. He is one of the founding members and now Chair of the National Association of Independent School’s annual Student Diversity Leadership Conference, a 20 year-old training ground drawing over 1500 high school students nationwide. He was a member of Call-to-Action, the advisory board to the Vice President of Equity and Justice for the National Association of Independent Schools. Additionally, he is an advisory board member for the Family Diversity Projects, Inc. He was on the Board of Directors for The Friendly House, a Worcester-based community empowerment organization, and a Community Solutions Council Specialist for Supporting Positive Youth Development with the United Way of Central Massachusetts. Rodney currently serves on the board of trustees for Sheridan School in Washington, D.C. In 2009, he was given the People of Courage Award by the City of Worcester for his work with the Greater Worcester Community Foundation’s LGBT Initiative. A graduate of Harvard University with a joint degree in Afro-American Studies and Psychology, holding a Master of Arts in Organization and Leadership from Columbia University and an Ed.D. from George Washington University, he is also an independent school alum, having graduated from Gilman School in his hometown of Baltimore, MD. An experienced educator, trainer, and administrator for students and faculty in grades kindergarten through post-graduate, Rodney is currently the Head of Middle School and Chief Diversity Officer at St. Andrew’s Episcopal School in Maryland.
Read Rodney's blog post for NAIS' Independent Ideas: Why Middle School is the Ideal Time to Teach Civic Engagement
Institute Founder & Chair
Head of Middle School and Chief Diversity Officer, St. Andrew's Episcopal School
President, The Glasgow Group
Video Interview with Rodney
Rodney is a noted speaker, facilitator, trainer and activist in the areas of diversity, equity, and social justice. He has given a number of keynote presentations, delivered workshops, and offered consultation to schools and organizations nationwide. He is one of the founding members and now Chair of the National Association of Independent School’s annual Student Diversity Leadership Conference, a 20 year-old training ground drawing over 1500 high school students nationwide. He was a member of Call-to-Action, the advisory board to the Vice President of Equity and Justice for the National Association of Independent Schools. Additionally, he is an advisory board member for the Family Diversity Projects, Inc. He was on the Board of Directors for The Friendly House, a Worcester-based community empowerment organization, and a Community Solutions Council Specialist for Supporting Positive Youth Development with the United Way of Central Massachusetts. Rodney currently serves on the board of trustees for Sheridan School in Washington, D.C. In 2009, he was given the People of Courage Award by the City of Worcester for his work with the Greater Worcester Community Foundation’s LGBT Initiative. A graduate of Harvard University with a joint degree in Afro-American Studies and Psychology, holding a Master of Arts in Organization and Leadership from Columbia University and an Ed.D. from George Washington University, he is also an independent school alum, having graduated from Gilman School in his hometown of Baltimore, MD. An experienced educator, trainer, and administrator for students and faculty in grades kindergarten through post-graduate, Rodney is currently the Head of Middle School and Chief Diversity Officer at St. Andrew’s Episcopal School in Maryland.
Read Rodney's blog post for NAIS' Independent Ideas: Why Middle School is the Ideal Time to Teach Civic Engagement
2019 Special Presenter:
nancy chang
executive director, reel grrls
Nancy Chang is the Executive Director of Reel Grrls, whose mission is to support young people to explore, critique, and author media through a feminist lens. She is a founding board member of the Womxn’s Creative Industries Meet-up, centering womxn of color in the field of the creative economy. Nancy co-founded Skate Like a Girl to create gender and racial equity in skateboarding, and expanded operations from Seattle to Portland, Oregon, and the San Francisco / Bay Area. Nancy is the co-author of a chapter that examines equity in after-school programs in a practitioner book: Feminist Interventions in Participatory Media: Pedagogy, Publics, Practice. A facilitator, trainer, and panelist for various equity discussions, most recently Nancy facilitated discussions on racial equity for the National Art Education Association's Museum Division.
In our keynote session, Nancy will be joined by James Miles, Executive Director of Arts Corps. James is an original cast member of In the Heights with Lin-Manuel Miranda and a former Professor in the Steinhardt School of Arts, Education and Community Practice at NYU. James is an advisory board member for the SXSW Edu Conference, ensuring that social justice is embedded into the highly regarded conference program. James has trained school districts in racial sensitivity and is only one of a handful of arts educators to receive a grant from George Soros' Open Society Foundation for his work on race and social justice. Also joining Nancy and James will be Shannon Halberstadt, CEO of Artist Trust and former Executive Director of the Vera Project, Seattle’s only All-ages Venue, where she worked with youth-led membership, board, staff, and stakeholders to create and document an organizational culture of skill sharing, power sharing, and equity. Shannon led Artist Trust’s organizational transformation to embrace racial equity as a priority in leadership, operations, and mission delivery. She has over 25 years leadership experience, with a depth of experience in youth services, non-hierarchical organizational structures, racial equity, and the arts.
Their keynote session will be entitled, Examining and Tackling White Supremacy in Education Through an Intersectional Feminist Lens.
In our keynote session, Nancy will be joined by James Miles, Executive Director of Arts Corps. James is an original cast member of In the Heights with Lin-Manuel Miranda and a former Professor in the Steinhardt School of Arts, Education and Community Practice at NYU. James is an advisory board member for the SXSW Edu Conference, ensuring that social justice is embedded into the highly regarded conference program. James has trained school districts in racial sensitivity and is only one of a handful of arts educators to receive a grant from George Soros' Open Society Foundation for his work on race and social justice. Also joining Nancy and James will be Shannon Halberstadt, CEO of Artist Trust and former Executive Director of the Vera Project, Seattle’s only All-ages Venue, where she worked with youth-led membership, board, staff, and stakeholders to create and document an organizational culture of skill sharing, power sharing, and equity. Shannon led Artist Trust’s organizational transformation to embrace racial equity as a priority in leadership, operations, and mission delivery. She has over 25 years leadership experience, with a depth of experience in youth services, non-hierarchical organizational structures, racial equity, and the arts.
Their keynote session will be entitled, Examining and Tackling White Supremacy in Education Through an Intersectional Feminist Lens.
Institute faculty and staff
Yvonne Adams
Director of Diversity, St. Stephen's Episcopal School
Principal Consultant, The Glasgow Group
Yvonne Adams is the Director of Equity and Inclusion at St. Stephen’s Episcopal School, a 6th-12th grade boarding/day school located in Austin, Texas, where she has worked for over 25 years. In addition to overseeing diversity and equity initiatives at St. Stephen’s, Yvonne is an academic advisor, advisor of Unapologetic (Black Affinity Space), teaches health and wellness courses, leads diversity seminars and peer leadership classes for middle and upper school students, and enjoys being a house parent for upper school girls. She is an educator, school senior administrator, diversity practitioner and activist, a strong advocate for the disadvantaged and underrepresented, a presenter/facilitator at national and local conferences, community forums, and at schools across the country, and works with students, faculty, administrators, and board members to understand the institutional, cultural, and systemic processes that impact the ways in which people live and work together. She serves on the board of Austin Bat Cave, a nonprofit organization that provides a diverse population of students with opportunities to develop their creative and expository writing skills. Yvonne recently completed her professional certification at Cornell University in Diversity and Inclusion in addition to holding a B.S. in Community Health from Texas A&M University and a Master of Science in Education for School Leadership from the University of Texas at Tyler. She and her husband, Kevin, have three children: Brittany, KJ, and Jaila. Yvonne was also recently inducted into the National Sorority of Phi Delta Kappa, Incorporated-Delta Beta Chapter, a professional organization of women in the field of education. Yvonne was an attendee at the National Diversity Practitioners Institute in its inaugural year and subsequently joined the faculty to become a Principal Consultant for The Glasgow Group.
Director of Diversity, St. Stephen's Episcopal School
Principal Consultant, The Glasgow Group
Yvonne Adams is the Director of Equity and Inclusion at St. Stephen’s Episcopal School, a 6th-12th grade boarding/day school located in Austin, Texas, where she has worked for over 25 years. In addition to overseeing diversity and equity initiatives at St. Stephen’s, Yvonne is an academic advisor, advisor of Unapologetic (Black Affinity Space), teaches health and wellness courses, leads diversity seminars and peer leadership classes for middle and upper school students, and enjoys being a house parent for upper school girls. She is an educator, school senior administrator, diversity practitioner and activist, a strong advocate for the disadvantaged and underrepresented, a presenter/facilitator at national and local conferences, community forums, and at schools across the country, and works with students, faculty, administrators, and board members to understand the institutional, cultural, and systemic processes that impact the ways in which people live and work together. She serves on the board of Austin Bat Cave, a nonprofit organization that provides a diverse population of students with opportunities to develop their creative and expository writing skills. Yvonne recently completed her professional certification at Cornell University in Diversity and Inclusion in addition to holding a B.S. in Community Health from Texas A&M University and a Master of Science in Education for School Leadership from the University of Texas at Tyler. She and her husband, Kevin, have three children: Brittany, KJ, and Jaila. Yvonne was also recently inducted into the National Sorority of Phi Delta Kappa, Incorporated-Delta Beta Chapter, a professional organization of women in the field of education. Yvonne was an attendee at the National Diversity Practitioners Institute in its inaugural year and subsequently joined the faculty to become a Principal Consultant for The Glasgow Group.
Rohan Arjun
Director of Admission, George School
Principal Consultant, The Glasgow Group
Rohan is a seasoned admissions professional now serving as Director of Admission at George School near Philadelphia. Prior to that, he served as Associate Director of Admission at St. Mark's School. He also worked as an Admission/Global Service & Scholarship/Multicultural Affairs Fellow at The Taft School. Rohan is a founding member of the National Diversity Directors Institute. He has also served as a faculty member for the annual Student Diversity Leadership Conference (SDLC). After graduating from George School in Pennsylvania, Rohan earned a Bachelor of Arts from Temple University in Afro-American Studies with a minor in History. While at Temple, Rohan was initiated into the Lambda Chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. In addition to his role in the Admission Office at St. Mark’s, Rohan is an academic advisor, advisor of the Students Heightening Awareness of Diversity, Equality, and Service Affinity Group (S.H.A.D.E.S), Health Teacher, Assistant Varsity Football Coach, and a house parent. Rohan holds a Master of Science in Education for School Leadership from the University of Pennsylvania. He is a native of Jamaica, where he lived in Tivoli Gardens until the age of seven.
Director of Admission, George School
Principal Consultant, The Glasgow Group
Rohan is a seasoned admissions professional now serving as Director of Admission at George School near Philadelphia. Prior to that, he served as Associate Director of Admission at St. Mark's School. He also worked as an Admission/Global Service & Scholarship/Multicultural Affairs Fellow at The Taft School. Rohan is a founding member of the National Diversity Directors Institute. He has also served as a faculty member for the annual Student Diversity Leadership Conference (SDLC). After graduating from George School in Pennsylvania, Rohan earned a Bachelor of Arts from Temple University in Afro-American Studies with a minor in History. While at Temple, Rohan was initiated into the Lambda Chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. In addition to his role in the Admission Office at St. Mark’s, Rohan is an academic advisor, advisor of the Students Heightening Awareness of Diversity, Equality, and Service Affinity Group (S.H.A.D.E.S), Health Teacher, Assistant Varsity Football Coach, and a house parent. Rohan holds a Master of Science in Education for School Leadership from the University of Pennsylvania. He is a native of Jamaica, where he lived in Tivoli Gardens until the age of seven.
John Gentile
Co-Director of the Office of Identity, Culture, and Institutional Equity, Horace Mann School
Principal Consultant, The Glasgow Group
John Gentile currently serves as the Co-Director of the Office for Identity, Culture and Institutional Equity at the Horace Mann School. He is a nationally recognized equity and inclusion practitioner specializing on whiteness, white identity development, and white privilege. He has led workshops, facilitated dialogues and affinity groups, trained faculty, and has been featured as a keynote speaker. He has presented at the Critical Analysis of Race in Learning and Education (CARLE) Institute and the Immigrant Justice Corps in New York City. He has worked with the YWCA of the City of New York as a facilitator around identity development. He is a co-founder of the conference, (Re)defining Power: White Male Voices in Diversity Work, a space for 6th to 12th grade white males students wanting to explore their role in equity and justice work. He is a founding faculty member of the National Diversity Practitioners Institute (NDPI). He has been a faculty member for the National Association of Independent Schools' Student Diversity Leadership Conference (SDLC) since 2009. He was the recipient of The Princeton Prize for Race Relations in 2007. He is a graduate with honors from Eugene Lang College at The New School in New York City. He currently serves on the New York State Association of Independent Schools (NYSAIS) Diversity Committee. Originally from Washington D.C., he now calls Brooklyn home.
Co-Director of the Office of Identity, Culture, and Institutional Equity, Horace Mann School
Principal Consultant, The Glasgow Group
John Gentile currently serves as the Co-Director of the Office for Identity, Culture and Institutional Equity at the Horace Mann School. He is a nationally recognized equity and inclusion practitioner specializing on whiteness, white identity development, and white privilege. He has led workshops, facilitated dialogues and affinity groups, trained faculty, and has been featured as a keynote speaker. He has presented at the Critical Analysis of Race in Learning and Education (CARLE) Institute and the Immigrant Justice Corps in New York City. He has worked with the YWCA of the City of New York as a facilitator around identity development. He is a co-founder of the conference, (Re)defining Power: White Male Voices in Diversity Work, a space for 6th to 12th grade white males students wanting to explore their role in equity and justice work. He is a founding faculty member of the National Diversity Practitioners Institute (NDPI). He has been a faculty member for the National Association of Independent Schools' Student Diversity Leadership Conference (SDLC) since 2009. He was the recipient of The Princeton Prize for Race Relations in 2007. He is a graduate with honors from Eugene Lang College at The New School in New York City. He currently serves on the New York State Association of Independent Schools (NYSAIS) Diversity Committee. Originally from Washington D.C., he now calls Brooklyn home.
Lorraine Martinez Hanley
Spanish Teacher, St. Andrew's Episcopal School
Principal Consultant, The Glasgow Group
Having recently joined St. Andrew's Episcopal School as a Spanish Teacher, Lorraine was formerly the Director of Diversity and World Languages Department Head at Indian Creek School in Maryland. A gifted educator committed to responsive and inclusive pedagogy, Lorraine is certified in All Kinds of Minds (AKOM) and is a member the school’s Brain Awareness Committee. She has also been a veteran faculty member of the National Association of Independent Schools’ Student Diversity Leadership and is a founding faculty member of the National Diversity Directors Institute. Lorraine has worked with National Geographic on their diversity initiatives and served as the lead curriculum writer for the America to Me: Real Talk discussion guides that accompanies the highly acclaimed series on Starz. Lorraine is a recipient of the 2015 YWCA Tribute to Women and Industry Award. Born in Los Angeles, California, Lorraine began her career as a Financial Analyst for Rockwell International and Hughes Aircraft, and next served as the President of the British Columbia, Canada Women’s Ice Hockey Association and Regional Diversity of USA Hockey’s Southeast Women’s Ice Hockey. She attended San Diego State University and graduated from the University of Southern California with a B.S. in Business Administration.
Spanish Teacher, St. Andrew's Episcopal School
Principal Consultant, The Glasgow Group
Having recently joined St. Andrew's Episcopal School as a Spanish Teacher, Lorraine was formerly the Director of Diversity and World Languages Department Head at Indian Creek School in Maryland. A gifted educator committed to responsive and inclusive pedagogy, Lorraine is certified in All Kinds of Minds (AKOM) and is a member the school’s Brain Awareness Committee. She has also been a veteran faculty member of the National Association of Independent Schools’ Student Diversity Leadership and is a founding faculty member of the National Diversity Directors Institute. Lorraine has worked with National Geographic on their diversity initiatives and served as the lead curriculum writer for the America to Me: Real Talk discussion guides that accompanies the highly acclaimed series on Starz. Lorraine is a recipient of the 2015 YWCA Tribute to Women and Industry Award. Born in Los Angeles, California, Lorraine began her career as a Financial Analyst for Rockwell International and Hughes Aircraft, and next served as the President of the British Columbia, Canada Women’s Ice Hockey Association and Regional Diversity of USA Hockey’s Southeast Women’s Ice Hockey. She attended San Diego State University and graduated from the University of Southern California with a B.S. in Business Administration.
Diane Nichols
Director of Equity and Inclusion, Winchester Thurston School
Principal Consultant, The Glasgow Group
Diane Nichols currently serves as the Director of Equity & Inclusion at Winchester Thurston School, a PK-12th grade coed independent school in Pittsburgh, PA. She served in similar roles for four years at Worcester Academy in Worcester, MA and 17 years at Hathaway Brown School, a PK – 12th all-girls school in Shaker Heights, Ohio. Diane is a Licensed Counselor with a B.A. in Psychology and a M.Ed. in Community Counseling. She recently completed a certification in Organizational Leadership form UMass Dartmouth. Diane is a trainer for the ADL's World of Difference Institute, a faculty member for the National Association of Independent School’s Student Diversity Leadership Conference and a presenter/facilitator at a host of conferences. She is a founding faculty member of the National Diversity Practitioners Institute (NDPI). Diane has taught AP psychology, health & wellness and several diversity seminar electives for middle and upper school students. Diane was a contributing author to the NAIS publication, Diversity Work in Independent Schools, the Practice and the Practitioner. She is a strong advocate for equity and justice in our schools and community.
Director of Equity and Inclusion, Winchester Thurston School
Principal Consultant, The Glasgow Group
Diane Nichols currently serves as the Director of Equity & Inclusion at Winchester Thurston School, a PK-12th grade coed independent school in Pittsburgh, PA. She served in similar roles for four years at Worcester Academy in Worcester, MA and 17 years at Hathaway Brown School, a PK – 12th all-girls school in Shaker Heights, Ohio. Diane is a Licensed Counselor with a B.A. in Psychology and a M.Ed. in Community Counseling. She recently completed a certification in Organizational Leadership form UMass Dartmouth. Diane is a trainer for the ADL's World of Difference Institute, a faculty member for the National Association of Independent School’s Student Diversity Leadership Conference and a presenter/facilitator at a host of conferences. She is a founding faculty member of the National Diversity Practitioners Institute (NDPI). Diane has taught AP psychology, health & wellness and several diversity seminar electives for middle and upper school students. Diane was a contributing author to the NAIS publication, Diversity Work in Independent Schools, the Practice and the Practitioner. She is a strong advocate for equity and justice in our schools and community.
Toni Graves Williamson
Director of Equity and Inclusion, Friends Select School
Principal Consultant, The Glasgow Group
Toni Graves Williamson is a nationally recognized diversity practitioner and consultant, now serving as Director of Equity and Inclusion at Friends Select School in Philadelphia. Toni specializes in developing student leadership and programming for grades PK-12. Toni is a founding faculty member of the National Diversity Practitioners Institute, and she has served on the faculty of the Student Diversity Leadership Conference. She is the founder of the Mid Atlantic Regional Diversity Conference, now in its 7th year. Using her knowledge of organizational change management, she conducts diversity climate studies and trains educators in cultural competency and best practices. Additionally, Toni provides professional development opportunities for Quaker schools through a partnership with the Friends Council on Education. Toni completed a fellowship for the Program in Education at Duke University that focused on Education through the Lens of Social Justice. She holds a bachelors degree from Duke University in Political Science and a masters of education degree from Columbia University. Toni is a facilitator for The Race Institute for K-12 Educators and is a contributing author to The Guide for White Women Who Teach Black Boys.
Director of Equity and Inclusion, Friends Select School
Principal Consultant, The Glasgow Group
Toni Graves Williamson is a nationally recognized diversity practitioner and consultant, now serving as Director of Equity and Inclusion at Friends Select School in Philadelphia. Toni specializes in developing student leadership and programming for grades PK-12. Toni is a founding faculty member of the National Diversity Practitioners Institute, and she has served on the faculty of the Student Diversity Leadership Conference. She is the founder of the Mid Atlantic Regional Diversity Conference, now in its 7th year. Using her knowledge of organizational change management, she conducts diversity climate studies and trains educators in cultural competency and best practices. Additionally, Toni provides professional development opportunities for Quaker schools through a partnership with the Friends Council on Education. Toni completed a fellowship for the Program in Education at Duke University that focused on Education through the Lens of Social Justice. She holds a bachelors degree from Duke University in Political Science and a masters of education degree from Columbia University. Toni is a facilitator for The Race Institute for K-12 Educators and is a contributing author to The Guide for White Women Who Teach Black Boys.
A reflection on our faculty from a past participant.