Shomari Jones - Consultant

Shomari Jones is the Director of Equity and Strategic Engagement at Bellevue School District. He leads staff in thoughtful exploration of institutionalized racism and its impact on student learning and mentors students to raise their social awareness and help them feel more connected and engaged in the district and their communities, which has resulted in a community-wide conversation, bringing to light racial and socio-economic inequities. He serves as a powerful advocate for and witness to the experiences of students of color to help district leaders identify, confront, disrupt, and dismantle structures that limit the potential of those students. He developed several student empowerment initiatives like Students Organized Against Racism (SOAR), Breaking Out Of the Margins (BOOM), and Sistahs Having Outstanding Uniqueness Together (SHOUT), as well as parent advocacy groups like the Parent Alliance for Black Scholars (PABS). In 2019, Shomari was recognized as a “Leader to Learn From” by Education Week. He has served as the Chief Operating Officer at the Urban League of Metropolitan Seattle, a not-for-profit organization with 82 years of activism and community experience in the heart of Seattle’s most diverse neighborhood, the Central District. Shomari also volunteers at the Seattle University Center for Social Transformation and Leadership and the Bellevue Police Chief Diversity Committee. He holds a Bachelors in Science in Mathematics from Tuskegee University and has a daughter in college.

Dr. Kathryn Kennedy - Founder & Principal

Dr. Kathryn Kennedy is founder and principal consultant of Consult4ED Group. In the past, Kathryn served as the Director of the Michigan Virtual Learning Research Institute, the research arm of Michigan Virtual, Director of Research for the International Association for K-12 Online Learning (iNACOL) (now the Aurora Institute), adjunct professor and advisor for the Ed.D. program at the Johns Hopkins University School of Education, and assistant professor of instructional technology at Georgia Southern University. She served on the Leadership Team for the National Standards for Quality Online Learning. She is one of the founding editors-in-chief of both the Journal of Online Learning Research and the Handbook of Research on K-12 Online and Blended Learning. In addition to her love for education and research is her love for wellness. She combined her work in education and wellness to serve as founder and executive director of Wellness for Educators, formerly a 501(c)(3) nonprofit and now a program of Consult4Ed Group, that is invested in and passionate about supporting educators worldwide with research-based, trauma- and equity-informed trainings, coaching, and strategies for social, emotional, mental, and physical health and wellbeing through a variety of somatic (or mind-body) practices. She is author of the book The Mind-Body Connection for Educators (Jossey-Bass, spring 2023). Kathryn is also a certified somatic coach and is accepting individual and group coaching clients through Embodied Change Coaching.

Liz Kennedy - Project Associate

Liz’s work at Consult4ED Group focuses on project management, finances, website design, instructional design, proofreading, and editing. She also serves as the Chief Operations Officer of Wellness for Educators. Liz holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Natural Science with certification in Early Childhood Education from Lesley University and has worked as an administrator and project manager for health-related and education-based organizations for over 25 years. Liz is a yoga practitioner and earned a 500-hr Yoga Teacher Training certificate (YTT).

Brenda Maurao - Consultant

Brenda Maurao has been a dedicated educator for over twenty years, eleven of which have been in school and district administration, primarily at the elementary level. Five years ago she left school administration to become the Assistant Director of Elementary Education in Framingham. She has supported all areas of curriculum, instruction, and assessment across 9 elementary schools and in collaboration with the secondary team. After her first year in Framingham, Brenda was placed on special assignment at Stapleton Elementary School in Framingham as principal to improve systems and supports during some administration challenges.  She worked with school and district teams to rebuild this school by prioritizing culture, inclusivity, and health and safety. After returning briefly to district work in Framingham this past fall, Brenda was hired by the Belmont Public Schools to serve as the principal of the Mary Lee Burbank Elementary School (K-4) which began in January 2022. Brenda also serves as a program supervisor for student teachers at Framingham State University, MASCD board member, Soul of Leadership Fellow through MASCD, and mentor to school leaders. She lives in Holliston, MA with her husband Michael, daughter Lucy and son Max.

Kate Mayfield - Consultant

With experience in the business, education, and nonprofit sectors, Kate Mayfield brings a deep knowledge of best practices in education, as well as strategies to effectively implement and manage projects and programs. Innovative and results-driven instructional designer with a robust background in project management, curriculum development, and educational technology. Skilled in designing engaging learning experiences and leading cross-functional teams to achieve their goals.

Kate approaches projects with a user-centered, solution oriented approach. She taught middle school English for seven years before moving into the nonprofit sector. She holds a BA in English from Louisiana State University, as well as a Master of Arts in Teaching from Eastern Kentucky University and a Master of Education in School Administration from Murray State University.

Kate worked with a nonprofit for four years to bring innovative practices to teaching and curriculum in Kentucky’s schools. Additionally, Kate led the Kentucky Online Learning Experience Collaborative convening district online programs together to determine collective best practices, provide support and professional learning, as well as continuous improvement efforts.

Emma Lucille McCabe - Consultant

Emma Lucille McCabe is an illustrator with experience in design, bookbinding, hand lettering, pattern design, murals, and animation. She graduated from the Maine College of Art with honors in 2015 and has exhibited her work across the U.S. and India. In 2017 Emma completed a two-month artist residency at Elsewhere Studios in Paonia, Colorado. From there she ventured on a six-month road trip through America's National Parks to create work dedicated to protecting public lands. Emma started 2019 with a residency hosted by the Goethe Institut in Colombo, Sri Lanka. Emma currently lives in Roxbury, Massachusetts, with her husband.

Emily McCord - Consultant

Passionate about education and driven to support the professional success of early career educators, Emily McCord serves as the Associate Director for Professional Community Programs in Career Connections at Indiana University – Bloomington’s School of Education.  In this role, she is an educator, career coach, and professional community curator. With energy, intentionality, and creativity, she envisions and coordinates professional development experiences that allow students to develop knowledge and skills needed to thrive in their early years as education professionals.  As an adjunct instructor for the School of Education, Emily teaches the courses Self-care for New Teachers and Mind-Body Skills Group.  She has also worked to develop a new Educator Wellbeing Distinction co-curricular program designed to help teacher education students develop knowledge and skills necessary to remain personally optimistic, hopeful, strong and resilient as they enter the field of K-12 teaching, including being able to effectively apply this expertise to help their professional communities and students thrive.  Emily has completed both the Professional Training Program and Advanced Training Program in Mind-Body Medicine offered through the nationally and globally recognized Center for Mind-Body Medicine (CMBM.org).

Stephanie McGary - Consultant

Stephanie McGary is a Licensed Professional Counselor and Registered Play Therapist. She is a mental health clinician at a local preschool for children and families experiencing homelessness and is the owner of Tots-N-Teachers Counseling and Consultation Services, LLC, a private practice limited exclusively to children and educators. During her 10+ years in non-profit work, Stephanie has worked closely with children impacted by individual and collective trauma. She has also walked alongside educators in assisting them in the integration of SEL practices and academics while also helping to increase the awareness around specific mental health needs of children and adults. Stephanie received a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Dillard University in New Orleans, LA and a master's in counseling from Southern Methodist University in her hometown of Dallas, TX.

Lisa Mullis - Consultant

Verbal and visual language has been a running theme throughout Lisa’s professional and personal journey. From a childhood filled with fine art extracurriculars and notebooks crammed with creative writing, to a dual education in journalism and graphic design, to helping her Ethiopian-born son learn English, Lisa has been ever fascinated with the power of art, writing, music, and dialogue to communicate and connect. Prior to Paraphrase Communications, Lisa founded and operated Blue Marble Creative for sixteen years where she led communication strategy, brand identity and message development, and design execution for her clients. Lisa was also responsible for Blue Marble’s marketing activities and business operations including co-management of Blue Marble’s team. Near the end of 2016, Lisa sold her ownership interest in Blue Marble to her business partner so she could shift her focus to incorporate more writing and teaching into her work.

Sophie O’Connor - Consultant

Sophie is a doctoral student at the University of Kansas with a background in elementary education. Her research interests include educator stress, emotional exhaustion, and burnout, especially among early career teachers in urban public schools. Sophie is also interested in exploring the role of mindfulness practices and programs as a potential support for teacher wellbeing. Her professional and academic experiences have shaped her interest in how policy, school culture, and emotional labor intersect in K-12 education. Through qualitative methodologies, Sophie seeks to better understand these dynamics and promote more sustainable practices for teacher retention and support.

Laura Jeanne Penrod - Consultant

Laura Jeanne ("Jeannie") Penrod's journey as a high school educator has spanned 18 years in the Clark County School District, and she is the 2024 Nevada State Teacher of the Year. Jeannie teaches disciplines ranging from special education to English language learners and varying English language arts and career technical education teachers and training programs. She facilitates meaningful learning experiences with students using project-based learning (PBL) and social-emotional learning (SEL) to foster student reflection and advocacy. Passionate about teacher leadership, Jeannie has engaged in local, statewide, national, and global fellowships. She is a contributing columnist with The Nevada Independent, a published author, and has spoken and provided professional development at local and national conferences. 

Alejandra Ramos Gómez, M.Ed. - Consultant

Alejandra Ramos Gómez is a bilingual consultant and trainer passionate about the intersection of arts, education, and wellness. She holds a Master’s in Bilingual Education from Southern Methodist University and a Master's in Human Development and Education from Harvard University, where she worked as a research assistant at the Ecological Approaches to Social Emotional Learning (EASEL) Lab. Further, Alejandra is certified in Mindfulness Training and Dance Therapy and has extensive experience in facilitation across the US and Latin America. As a former public school teacher in Texas, she led culturally responsive SEL and multilingual education initiatives for diverse students and families. She currently collaborates with local and international institutions, including Consult4Ed Group, UNICEF, and K-12 schools. Alejandra is also a doctoral student at Johns Hopkins University, specializing in Neurodiversity and Neuroeducation. 

Dr. Mary Rice - Consultant

Mary Rice is an Associate Professor of Literacy in the Department of Language Literacy and Sociocultural Studies at the University of New Mexico. She taught English language arts and English as a second language at the middle level in public schools for 10 years. Her research and teaching explore the roles and responsibilities that emerge in designing and doing digital learning. Recent honors include a publication award from the Innovations in Special Education Technology Division of the Council for Exceptional Children (2024) and the K12 National Open and Distance Learning Award from the Open and Distance Learning Association of Australia (2025).

Meredith Roe - Consultant

Meredith Roe is an Education Industry Architect, as part of Microsoft's WorldWide Education team. Prior to this, she created and led the Virtual School Network (ViSN) for Catholic Education Western Australia (CEWA), and led digital transformation projects for Canberra Goulburn Catholic Education. An experienced educator and leader at system level and in remote and metropolitan schools, Meredith understands how technology can help schools address a wide range of contemporary challenges. She is a keen advocate for using technology to enable equitable access to quality education, particularly in regional, remote or rural areas. Meredith understands the importance of building relationships and connections for successful online delivery and has designed teacher training for the successful delivery of quality online courses. Her leadership in online learning has been recognized both locally (Excellence in Educational Leadership Award, from the Australian Council for Educational Leadership) and internationally (Online and Blended Learning Award, ISTE and K-12 Innovation in Online Learning, USDLA). Outside of work, Meredith enjoys pilates, the beach, cooking, and travelling.

Jonathan Santos Silva - Consultant

Jonathan Santos Silva has been a trouble-making, system-breaking leader in education for over 12 years. You may know him from his work as Founder of The Liber Institute and as Chairman of The Bored of Ed Podcast, but Jonathan can also be credited with contributions to the Cambiar Catalyst Fellowship and South Dakota’s Native American Achievement Schools. Jonathan has been recognized for his work as a classroom teacher, founding school leader, and leadership coach, and is a sought after speaker due to his engaging and uplifting style. He holds a B.S. in Business Administration from Northeastern University and an M.A. in Education Administration from the University of South Dakota and currently resides in Rhode Island with his wife, four children, and two dogs.

Aaron Schorn - Consultant

Aaron is a father, teacher, and learner. Aaron is Head of Growth and Learning at Unrulr where he works to make learning visible and joyful. He is also a teacher, program director, and co-designer of student-agency-driven learning communities around the globe. His work is focussed on apprenticeship, craftsmanship, storytelling, and providing youth the space, time, resources, and methodologies to turn their ideas into iterative realities. Aaron's professional background is in education, international business, digital storytelling, and operations/management. At the Nalukai Foundation, Aaron creates and implements entrepreneurship schema and curriculum rooted in culture, hustles to find mentors, and waxes poetic on authentic storytelling.

Jessica Shopoff - Consultant

Jessica Shopoff is the Director of Policy for the Texas Public Charter Schools Association.  She is responsible for championing the Association’s efforts to reform charter school policy in Texas as we pursue our mission to ensure every family has the ability to choose a high-quality public school. Prior to joining TPCSA, Jessica was a Harvard Strategic Data Project Fellow and School and Market Analyst for the Learn4Life network of dropout recovery charter schools.  She is an educator at heart and her professional career includes time spent as an elementary teacher, online charter high school lead advisor, regional data specialist and trainer, and accountability policy specialist.  She is a self-professed data nerd and policy wonk who believes that zip code should not determine a child’s future. Jessica holds a BA in Interdisciplinary Studies from the University of Texas at Dallas and a M.Ed in Educational Technology Leadership from Lamar University.  She lives in San Antonio, and in her free time enjoys reading, watching football, and hiking and camping in the Texas Hill Country with her husband, four kids, and two dogs.

Dr. Janice Silver - Consultant

Dr. Silver started her education career as a high school science teacher in rural, eastern North Carolina. She went on to serve in the Curriculum and Instruction division at North Carolina Virtual Public School, which is the 2nd largest state virtual school in the country. Her leadership across this organization focused on digital teaching and learning. Dr. Silver later served as Director of Curriculum and Instruction, Chief Technology Officer, Chief Academic Officer, and Superintendent where she led schools to high student growth every year. She now serves in Government Affairs in the Education Technology field.

Dr. Silver earned her Education Doctorate in Educational Leadership and Management from Capella University. Shortly thereafter she earned her Education Specialist Degree from Appalachian State University. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Biology (Pre-Medicine) from Elizabeth City State University and Master of Science in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Scranton. Dr. Silver has published several professional journal and op-ed articles in the field of online learning, education leadership, MTSS, and Science of Reading. Her area of expertise lies in thought leadership, district transformation, adult SEL, MTSS, and facilitation. She believes that service is the rent that we pay to live on this wonderful planet called Earth!

Sarika Simpson - Consultant

Sarika has dedicated her life to education. Sarika began as a teacher and for more than 20 years, she has served in multiple leadership roles across the country in both the public and private sectors. Sarika has proven success in the areas of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging, Leadership Coaching, Professional Learning, Emotional Intelligence, Creating Healthy Teams, and Academic Achievement. Sarika consistently has positive outcomes and is impactful because she answers the question, what problem am I prepared to solve? Sarika works collaboratively to assess the needs, develop a plan, and implement the plan with fidelity. Sarika is known as a servant leader. She takes education seriously, maintains high expectations, inspires passion, and always looks for opportunities to learn.

Antonia Small - Consultant

Antonia “Toni” Small has a background in dance that began at an early age. Through dance, she met the world. She had many beloved teachers who introduced her to ballet, modern, and jazz techniques, as well as the stage and performing. As a young woman, stage and screen performer, Marge Champion, took her to her first yoga class. Her yoga classes are taught with a curiosity for the body's innate wisdom, drawing on her years of dancing, lots of current study, and a firm belief that everyone who walks into a yoga class, already has some kind of practice. She is certified as an Integrative Yoga for Seniors instructor through Kimberly Carson and Carol Krucoff's Yoga for Seniors Professional Training at Duke Integrative Medicine in Durham, North Carolina. She is also an Experienced - Registered Yoga Teacher (E-RYT), through the Yoga Alliance at the 500-hour level. Her yoga teacher trainings were completed through the ShivaShakti School for Yoga & Healing Arts in Maine. She is also a Somatics and Kinesiology student and completed the Intelligent Movement Training program with the Soma Kinese School in 2019. Toni is also a fine art photographer (http://www.antoniasmall.com).