Professional Development Sessions

Earn up to seven hours of continuing professional education (CPE) credit at the 2024 ATPE Summit. Please check back soon for details on this year’s breakout sessions.

Keynote Speakers

Alyson Van Hooser, author of Infinite Influence and leadership expert

Opening Keynote | 2–3 p.m. Monday, July 8

In a world moving at breakneck speed, your ability to authentically connect with people from all walks of life makes the difference between success and failure. As someone born under-resourced and underestimated, Alyson Van Hooser discovered exactly how to build influence with anybody … and now she is sharing her top seven secrets with you. Learn to build instant connections that will endure a lifetime and begin creating endless opportunities for yourself and others. 

Alyson’s work reveals future-proof, practical, and immediately actionable strategies for captivating, connecting, and compelling people to move forward with you, whether they are students, colleagues or fellow members! Her results-obsessed inspiration guides people at all stages of their careers to make practical changes that drive real-life results! 

As president & CEO of Van Hooser Associates Inc. and as a trusted authority and resource for effectively leading people, Alyson uses her management experience with Walmart, her leadership experience in the financial industry, and her work as an elected city council member—all by the age of 26—to relate authentically with the challenges leaders are facing. 

Artist’s appearance arranged through Gotham Artists. 

Kim Bearden, co-founder and executive director of the Ron Clark Academy

Closing Keynote | 11 a.m.–12:30 p.m. Wednesday, July 10

Kim Bearden is the co–founder, executive director, and language arts teacher at the highly acclaimed Ron Clark Academy, an innovative middle school and educator-training facility in Atlanta. More than 115,000 educators from around the world have visited Kim’s classroom and attended her workshops to learn better ways to engage students, promote academic excellence, build relationships, and create a climate and culture for success. 

Throughout her career, Kim has received numerous accolades, including induction into the National Teachers Hall of Fame. She was chosen from over 70,000 nominations to be honored as the Disney American Teacher Awards Outstanding Humanities Teacher, and the Milken Family Foundation selected her to receive the Award for Excellence in Education. She is the winner of the InfluencHer Award, the University of Georgia Outstanding Educator Award, and the Turknett Character Award for Servant Leadership. Mercedes-Benz recognized her in its Greatness Lives Here campaign, and Women Works Media Group has named her one of Georgia’s Most Powerful and Influential Women. 

Over the past 36 years, she has been a teacher, instructional lead teacher, curriculum director, school board member, staff development trainer, and middle-school principal. Kim is also a wife, mom, and the bestselling author of three books: Crash Course, Talk to Me, and Fight Song: Six Steps to Passion, Power, Peace, and Purpose. 

Artist’s appearance arranged through Gotham Artists.