Jill Martin, Ph.D.

Principal
Thomas B. Doherty High School
Colorado Springs, Colorado

Jill Martin has been an educator for thirty-eight years and a high school principal for the past fourteen, both in Colorado and Ohio. She is currently the principal of Doherty High School in Colorado Springs District 11 in Colorado. She was named as the 2006 Colorado High School Principal of the Year and was recently honored as the 2007 NASSP/MetLife National High School Principal of the Year. These awards reflect her commitment to collaborative leadership and successful efforts to personalize the school environment and increase literacy and academic rigor. Previous professional experiences include teaching English and Special Education, and serving as a Team Leader, Dean of Students and Assistant and Associate Principal. She has conducted numerous workshops on issues and trends in public education and teaches graduate courses for the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs and the University of Phoenix. She earned a bachelor’s degree in Secondary Education and English from Monmouth University in New Jersey, a master’s degree in Special Education from the University of Denver, and a doctorate in Educational Leadership from the University of Northern Colorado.

Larry Nyland, Ph.D.

Superintendent
Marysville School District
Marysville, Washington

Superintendent Larry Nyland is a long–time educator with a passion for building teams that improve student learning. Recently, Dr. Nyland was named Washington State Superintendent of the Year and National Finalist. He was recognized for leading the district work in literacy and improving students’ achievement while also establishing better relationships with employees and union leaders after a challenging teacher strike. Nyland’s leadership also helped the district rebound from financial difficulty and lower enrollment to see the voter approval of a $20 million bond to build two new schools.

Dr. Nyland’s passion is building teams of people who do great things for kids. He is personally invested in teaching and learning, leading professional development, and participating in hundreds of classroom walk-throughs each year. His focus is on learning how to learn and teaching others how to learn. Under Nyland’s direction, teachers have taken on the literacy work, watched each other teach, and challenged each other to grow professionally.

Nyland has been superintendent of the Marysville School District, serving 12,000 students, since 2004. He previously served as academic officer and human resources director at Highline School District near Seattle. Dr. Nyland additionally held superintendent roles in the Shoreline and Pasco School Districts and in Alaska. Outside of school districts, he formerly directed the superintendent preparation program at Seattle Pacific Univeristy and has been a consultant/advisor to many of the statewide instructional initiatives in Washington State. He earned his bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees from the University of Washington.