Panelists' Biographies:

Dr. Jennifer Cruz | Superintendent of Pendergast Elementary School District
Dr. Jennifer Cruz graduated from Arizona State University with her Doctorate in Leadership, Innovation, and Policy Studies and went on to teach 4th grade, 6th grade, and identified gifted students in Phoenix, AZ. Her experiences are varied and include serving as a teacher, mentor/coach, principal, Federal Programs Manager, Director of Innovation, adjunct university professor, consultant, assistant superintendent, and Chief Academic Officer. Dr. Jennifer Cruz was chosen by the PESD Governing Board as the second Latina Superintendent in the Pendergast District in February 2021. Dr. Cruz has worked throughout the United States and abroad coaching educational leaders, facilitating strategic planning sessions, serving as a liaison between city agencies and school systems, and providing professional development workshops on Project Based Learning, leadership, continuous improvement strategies, curriculum mapping, and design thinking.


Cindy Segotta-Jones | Superintendent of Glendale Elementary School District
Cindy Segotta-Jones is the proud Superintendent of the Glendale Elementary School District (GESD). The district was voted the best school district in Glendale by the readers of The Glendale Star in 2020, 2021, and 2022. As a dedicated educator and servant leader, Segotta-Jones has experience as a teacher, principal, director and assistant superintendent. Her leadership focuses on ensuring balanced and strategic systems for the academic growth and social-emotional wellbeing of all students and staff. Under her leadership as Superintendent, Glendale Elementary School District was recognized as the first Model Professional Learning Communities (PLC) school district in Arizona. In addition to GESD, Segotta-Jones has served in the Cartwright and Aldine Independent (Texas) school districts, and as a member of the online faculty at Grand Canyon University. Segotta-Jones holds a bachelor’s degree in elementary education/Spanish from Adams State College and a master’s degree in elementary education from Arizona State University.


Dr. Jason Reynolds | Retired Superintendent of Peoria Unified School District
Dr. Jason Reynolds is the proud past superintendent of the Peoria Unified School District where he led 43 elementary and high schools, serving 36,000 students. He retired from this role in July 2023. Dr. Reynolds also served as deputy superintendent of Peoria Unified. Before joining the district, he held the role of assistant superintendent of leadership and secondary instruction in the Paradise Valley Unified School District. Other previous roles in Paradise Valley include director of curriculum and instruction, principal, assistant principal, and where it all began, teacher. Growing up in Iowa, Dr. Reynolds is the son of a pastor and a retired public-school teacher. He is supported by his wife Mara and two children who drive his passion for education and supports his position at the helm of the fourth largest preK-12th-grade school district in Arizona. Upholding the Peoria Unified mission of ensuring that every student, every day is prepared to shape tomorrow, Dr. Reynolds is still committed to ensuring the district is a safe and welcoming place for students and staff to work and learn, and that students and employees feel valued.


Brian Capistran | Superintendent of Glendale Union High School District
Mr.Brian Capistran is currently the Superintendent of the Glendale Union High School District where he manages the day-to-day operations and the growth and development of an award-winning district. Superintendent Capistran has spent his entire career serving the GUHSD community. Over the past 27 years, he has applied his professional preparation and extensive experience as a teacher and leader to make significant contributions to the success of the Glendale Union High School District. Mr. Capistran began his teaching career at Sunnyslope High School. He would later become the principal at Apollo High School. Superintendent Capistran also served GUHSD as an assistant principal, school safety administrator, assistant superintendent of student services, and associate superintendent of curriculum and instruction before becoming Superintendent of the Glendale Union High School District in 2015. Throughout his career, Superintendent Capistran has sought opportunities to make meaningful contributions to GUHSD, by serving on local and state-level committees, commissions, and boards including Glendale Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors. 


Dr. Scott Spurgeon | Superintendent of Western Maricopa Education Center (West-MEC)
Dr. Spurgeon earned his doctorate in educational leadership from St. Louis University.Dr. Scott Spurgeon is the Superintendent of the Western Maricopa Education Center (West-MEC), an educator with thirty plus years of experience serving communities in rural, suburban, and urban school districts, and has background in Career and Technical Education (CTE) that dates back to his high school educational experience. Dr. Spurgeon’s experience includes his current role of Superintendent/CEO at West-MEC, eighteen years of  senior level leadership including nine years as Superintendent of the Riverview Gardens School District, assistant superintendent for curriculum, instruction, assessment, and professional development in Northwest RI School District, associate superintendent for curriculum and school leadership and interim superintendent in Rockwood School District, and superintendent in Belleville High School District #201. He has been an administrator at the elementary, middle and high school levels, including alternative education. Additionally, he has taught graduate courses for Lindenwood University. Dr. Spurgeon has also been an educational consultant providing leadership training and professional development to more than 100 school and districts across America.


Kelli List | Owner of Charley's Sports Grill and Saguaro Grill
Kelli List is the Chief Accountability Officer and Partner of Charley’s Sports Grill and Charley’s at The Lakes and Owner of Saguaro Grill. Ms. Kelli List also is the Co-Founder of the STEM Leadership Alliance and CEO of the STEM Happens Network. She previously was the Executive Director for Global Education and Skills at the GE Foundation. She designed and executed a portfolio that focused on building education, skills and training initiatives to prepare the next generation for the demands of the workforce and the changing labor economy both nationally and globally. Ms. List has worked with schools and districts around the world. She was selected by the U.S. Department of Education to partake as the business U.S. delegate for a global education. She has led national and international convenings reaching over 30,000 leaders in STEM education that has included over 50 countries.
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Lorelei Konopka | Glendale Community College
Dr. Lorelei (Lore) Konopka is the Interim Vice President of Academic Affairs at Glendale Community College. In this executive leadership position Dr. Konopka provides oversight to the college academic departments and academic support services as well as directs and evaluates college instructional offerings to meet student, community, and industry needs. She coordinates college curriculum development; assures compliance with all regulatory agencies and promotes innovative approaches to teaching and learning. Dr. Konopka most recently held the role of Senior Associate Vice President where she supported student success and community outreach while providing strategic planning and operational oversight for the North Campus of Glendale Community College. Previous to that role, Dr. Konopka held various roles at GCC including; Interim Dean of Academic Affairs for Projects and Planning, Accreditation Liaison Officer for the Higher Learning Commission as well as overseeing the Office of Institutional Effectiveness.


Marilynn Babyar | Western Maricopa Education Center (West-MEC)
Marilynn Babyar is the Director of Student Services and has been with West-MEC for 13 years. In her long educational career of 40 years, Marilynn has been a teacher, counselor, assistant principal, and recruiter. Marilynn oversees school counseling, recruitment, exceptional student services, post-secondary partnerships, and career services for the growing West-MEC CTED in the West Valley. Marilynn has received both ACTEAZ CTE Counselor Of The Year (2007) and most recently ACTEAZ CTE Administrator Of The Year (2020) from the Association of Career and Technical Education AZ.


Lauri Perdue | University of Phoenix
Lauri Perdue has spent over 25 years in higher education and workforce development. She is currently the National Workforce Director for University of Phoenix. Lauri is responsible for the oversite and facilitation of on-campus and online higher education and serves as a community partner in Nevada and Arizona, promoting workforce development, while partnering with community and industry leaders to address the needs of higher education and workforce development. Lauri has extensive experience working with a diverse range of students in various post-secondary education administration roles. This includes working with traditional post-secondary college students, adult students, commercial arts, and trade school students. Lauri’s roles in higher education have afforded her the opportunity to manage and train teams on a national level in the areas of market research, program development, curriculum development, state licensure.  Additionally, at the national level, she has served as a consultant on new school openings. 


​Dr. Todd Sandrin | Vice Provost at Arizona State University West Campus
Dr. Todd Sandrin serves as Vice Provost at ASU’s West campus and leads ASU’s New College of Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences as Dean. Since his appointment to these roles in 2017, ASU’s West campus has experienced vigorous rates of enrollment growth as well as remarkable student success outcomes. He has led multiple valley-wide collaborations, including work with a team of leaders and faculty from across ASU and MCCCD to secure $5M in funding from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to support transfer student success in STEM disciplines. Prior to his service in his current roles, he coordinated efforts to build and launch several vigorously growing programs in ASU’s School of Mathematical and Natural Sciences, including those in Forensic Science, Cybersecurity, health-related fields, and Environmental Science. He also led efforts to create ASU New College’s unique undergraduate research program, NCUIRE, which provides students with real-world, practical experience beyond the classroom.  He also teaches both advanced courses in microbiology and introductory courses such as ASU 101, STEM success, and introductory biology.


Dr. Joshua C. Baker, O.D., M.S. | Senior Vice President and Chief Academic Officer at Midwestern University - Glendale Campus
Dr. Joshua C. Baker is responsible for the administration of the Health Sciences, Optometry and Pharmacy programs on both the Downers Grove and Glendale campuses, as well as the Veterinary Medicine program on the Glendale Campus. Dr. Joshua C. Baker, originally from Blossvale, New York, came to Midwestern University in March 2013 after serving as the Chief of Optometry Service at the U.S. Army Health Clinic in Stuttgart, Germany. As an Army Major, he spent time deployed in Al Asad, Iraq and received the Bronze Star. Dr. Baker received his bachelor’s degree from Ithaca College, earned a Master of Science in Secondary Science Education from Syracuse University, and graduated Magna Cum Laude from the Illinois College of Optometry. He completed a residency in Primary Care at the Brooke Army Medical Center, Fort Sam Houston, Texas as a part of the Northeastern State University College of Optometry.