Every school, district, and organization I work with is different—different history, different people, different pressures. Vela doesn’t bring in a pre-packaged program. Every engagement is customized to your context, your goals, and the time and resources you actually have.
Below are the core ways we can work together. Think of these as starting points; from there, we design what will serve you best.
Leadership Coaching & Mentoring
Build the kind of leadership bench your system deserves.
Leadership can be isolating—especially when you’re juggling urgent decisions, personnel issues, community expectations, and your own personal life. Leadership coaching with Vela gives you a trusted, experienced thought partner who has sat in the same chairs you occupy now.Together, we create a confidential space to process real situations, strengthen decision-making, and align your leadership practice with your values.
Who this is for
• Superintendents and assistant superintendents
• Principals and assistant principals
• HR directors and central office leaders
• Instructional coaches and aspiring leaders
What our work can include
• Thinking through complex personnel or board issues
• Clarifying your role, priorities, and boundaries
• Strengthening communication and difficult conversations
• Supporting new or struggling principals and APs
• Coaching instructional leaders on how to support teaching and learning
• Navigating career transitions or new positions
How it can be structured
All coaching is customizable. Options include:
• 1:1 executive coaching (short-term intensives or longer-term support)
• New leader or cohort-based coaching series
• Combination of virtual sessions and on-site visits where appropriate
We’ll start with a conversation about your role, your current challenges, and what success would look like for you and your system—then build a plan that fits.
Practical, story-driven training to keep ethics and boundaries clear.
Most educators want to do the right thing—but the “right thing” isn’t always obvious in the moment. Blurred Lines is my educator ethics training designed to help staff, leaders, and boards navigate gray areas before they become headlines.Rather than relying on fear or worst-case scenarios, we use real-world stories, clear frameworks, and your own policies to create shared understanding about boundaries and professional conduct.
Who this is for
• School and district leadership teams
• Certified and classified staff
• Governing board members
• HR directors building onboarding or corrective systems
What the training can address
• Professional boundaries with students, staff, and families
• Social media and digital communication
• Conflicts of interest and dual relationships
• Reporting responsibilities and chain of communication
• Creating safe, trusting environments for students and staff
• How ethics and boundaries support retention and culture
How it can be structured
Blurred Lines can be designed as:
• A keynote or conference session
• Half-day or full-day training
• A multi-session series for deeper culture work
• Part of onboarding or annual required training
Content, scenarios, and language are always customized to your policies, state context, and current needs.
Set a clear heading—and stay on course.
Compass is Vela’s strategic planning process designed to help your organization move from “we should really have a plan” to a living roadmap that people actually use.Whether you’re a small district, a single-site school, a higher education program, or a nonprofit, Compass helps you clarify who you are, where you’re going, and how you’ll know you’re making progress.
Who this is for
• School districts and single-site schools
• Charter networks and private schools
• Higher education programs and departments
• Education-focused nonprofits and community organizations
What we can build together
• Clear, relevant vision and mission statements
• Core values that truly reflect your culture and aspirations
• Strategic focus areas and objectives grounded in data
• Action steps with timelines, owners, and check-in points
• Simple progress-monitoring structures you can sustain
What the process can look like
Every Compass engagement is tailored to your size, timeline, and budget, and can include:
• Stakeholder engagement (surveys, focus groups, listening sessions)
• On-site facilitation of planning retreats or workshops
• Virtual follow-up sessions to refine and finalize the plan
• Support in communicating the plan to staff, boards, and community
Whether you’re updating an outdated plan or starting from scratch, Compass helps your team make meaningful decisions and move in the same direction.
Lead WEL: Women in Educational / Executive Leadership
Create brave, honest spaces for women leading at the highest levels.
Lead WEL (Women in Educational/Executive Leadership) is both an annual summit and a growing suite of offerings designed to support women in demanding leadership roles. It’s a place for real conversations about the work—not just polished success stories—a space for connection, learning, and encouragement across sectors.
Through Lead WEL, we focus on practical strategies, shared experiences, and support systems that help women sustain their leadership, navigate complexity, and continue to grow.
Who this is for
• Women superintendents, principals, and assistant principals
• Women executives and senior leaders in K–12, higher education, nonprofits, and public agencies
• Women leaders in HR, operations, strategy, and other executive roles
• Emerging women leaders preparing to step into executive positions
What Lead WEL can include
• Keynotes and facilitated sessions at the annual Lead WEL Summit
• Customized leadership retreats or workshops for women executives in your district, organization, or region
• Sessions on confidence, boundaries, navigating bias, and career pathways
• Networking and mentoring structures that can continue after the event
How we can partner
You can:
• Participate in the annual Lead WEL Summit
• Bring a tailored Lead WEL experience to your school system, organization, or regional network
• Integrate a women’s leadership strand into your existing conferences or professional development
Together, we’ll design an experience that aligns with your goals and the women leaders you want to support.
Keynotes & Featured Speaking
Real talk for people doing real work.
My keynotes are built for leaders who don’t have time for fluff. They’re story-driven, honest, and practical—grounded in the realities of leading schools and systems right now. We’ll shape each keynote to fit your audience, your context, and what you need people walking out the door ready to do.
Sample Keynote Themes
1. When the Job Won’t Stop: Resilient Leadership That’s Actually Sustainable
This keynote is for leaders who are tired of being told to “do self-care” while the work keeps piling up. We look at what resilient leadership really looks like in practice—boundaries, decision-making, relationships, and the small habits that keep you grounded when the pressure is high.
Audience walkaway: A realistic, honest framework for leading well without burning out or checking out.
2. Blurred Lines: The Ethics Conversation Your Staff Deserves
Instead of scare tactics or worst-case horror stories, this keynote uses real scenarios and clear language to talk about ethics and boundaries in a way people can actually use. We connect the dots between everyday decisions, student safety, professional reputation, and the culture you’re trying to build.
Audience walkaway: Shared language, practical guardrails, and a healthier way to talk about ethics before there’s a problem.
3. Compass Leadership: Stop Chasing Fires, Start Steering the Ship
If every day feels like putting out fires, this keynote reframes how leaders think about vision, strategy, and “the work on the wall versus the work in the halls.” We talk about setting a true heading, aligning people and resources, and building plans your team will actually use.
Audience walkaway: Simple, usable tools for turning big goals into daily decisions that make sense.
4. Lead WEL: Grit, Grace, and the Truth About Women in Leadership
This keynote creates space for an honest conversation about what it really means to be a woman in educational/executive leadership. We name the unspoken pressures, celebrate the strengths women bring to the work, and talk about grit, grace, and not doing this alone.
Audience walkaway: Permission to lead as themselves, strategies for navigating barriers, and a renewed sense of connection and possibility.
Each keynote can stand alone or be paired with workshops, breakout sessions, or coaching to carry the work forward.
Interested in bringing one of these to your event?
Share your audience, date, and what you hope they’ll walk away with, and we’ll shape a keynote that fits.
CONTACT VELA
Ready to Explore What Support Could Look Like?
Choose the service (or services) that best fit your needs, then reach out so we can shape something that works in your context, with your people, and your timeline.