MCRC@ ADVIS - The Moment We're In Resources Page
Thank you for joining us!
Here you’ll find presentation materials, plus the description and speaker information from the workshops.
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DAY 1
presented by Bri Beverly, CEO, Lotus Life Total Wellness
Resources
About the Session
This session focused on sustaining oneself in the work through reflection, boundary-setting, and balance. Participants examined lessons from their five-year journeys, recognized signs of depletion, explored sustainable practices and community care, and considered when to rest, pivot, or push forward—while beginning a personal plan for long-term sustainability.
About the Presenter
Briana Danielle Beverly, MS, LPC, NCC is the Founder & CEO of Lotus Life Total Wellness Inc., a multi-brand wellness ecosystem rooted in therapy, coaching, and holistic health. Under the Lotus Life umbrella, she leads Sown Counseling & Wellness (therapy services) and Cultivate (coaching, community, and wellness programs), while developing MoveWell, a digital fitness membership platform.
Briana is a licensed professional counselor, researcher, and entrepreneur committed to reshaping how individuals and communities access care. With over a decade of clinical and program leadership experience, she blends evidence-based therapy, somatic practices, and wellness coaching into integrated offerings that honor the whole person.
She is currently completing her PhD in Health Psychology, where her dissertation focuses on the experiences of Black women with fibromyalgia and mood disorders, and how values-based support systems can improve well-being. Beyond her scholarship, Briana has held clinical strategy and engagement leadership roles in digital health, bridging her expertise in psychology with innovative technology solutions.
Her mission is simple yet expansive: to create accessible, rooted, and sustainable pathways to mental, physical, and spiritual wellness.
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presented by Staci Williams Seeley, Managing Director, DSG Global
Resources
About the Session
This session guided participants in cultivating, curating, and narrating their leadership journeys toward successful search outcomes. Participants reflected on experiences that strengthened their leadership profiles, clarified strengths and growth areas, developed a compelling personal opening statement, received peer feedback, and prepared for conversations with search consultants, committees, school communities, and trusted advisors.
DAY 2
Dr. Louisa Egan Brad, Dean of Equity, Justice and Belonging, Westtown School
Resources
About the Session
This workshop examined how independent schools can more effectively engage parents and community stakeholders—especially when navigating concerns around DEI and change initiatives. The session explored strategies for understanding different parent constituencies, responding to resistance, building supportive coalitions, and communicating equity work to varied audiences. Participants also discussed approaches for managing social media and public criticism, and for working with alumni and donors who may push back on school priorities.About the Presenter
Dr. Louisa C. Egan Brad is currently Dean of Equity, Justice, and Belonging at Westtown School. She was thrilled to return to the world of Quaker education after receiving tenure and promotion to Associate Professor of Psychology at University of Portland, a Holy Cross university in Portland, Oregon. After attending a Title 1 elementary school and an independent school for Middle and Upper School in Southern California, Louisa received her B.A. from Swarthmore College, and M.S., M.Phil, and Ph.D. in Psychology from Yale University, and completed a postdoctoral research fellowship at Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University..
Elaine Johnson, Founder, ETeaches365
Resources
About the Session
This workshop explored the often-unspoken dynamics that shape how DEIJB work succeeds—or stalls—within independent schools. Participants examined how power operates across an organization, how to “read the room” to identify allies, fence-sitters, and sources of resistance, and how to respond when leadership support exists but the wider culture is not yet aligned. The session also addressed navigating white fragility and defensiveness, building strategic relationships and coalitions, and recognizing when you have leverage—and when you don’t.
About the Presenter
A veteran educator with nearly two decades of experience teaching elementary and middle school students in the Lower Merion School District, Elaine Johnson has served as a classroom teacher, curriculum designer, and district leader since 2006. Over the past decade, she has contributed to essentialized ELA curriculum development and advanced the district’s Cultural Proficiency initiatives. Her commitment to literacy and community extends beyond the classroom through service on the Boards of the Penn Wynne Library and Mother Bethel Academy.
Honored by Peloton’s Jess Sims in A Toast for Teachers, Elaine centers her work on belonging, high expectations, and culturally responsive instruction. Her article, “From Diversity to Belonging: Nurturing Inclusivity and Literacy Skills in the Classroom,” published in the University of Pennsylvania’s educational journal, highlights her dedication to creating learning environments where all students feel seen, valued, and empowered.
Known for her “high expectations, high warmth” approach, Elaine has helped transform student confidence and achievement. She continues to receive heartfelt messages from former students and families who credit her connection with reigniting their love of learning, strengthening their sense of belonging, and supporting them in realizing their full potential.
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presented by Amber Berry, Vice President, AI & Strategy, Middle States Association
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About the Session
This session examined how AI and automation were impacting equity work, including algorithmic bias, technological justice, and the evolving role of DEIJB practitioners in tech accountability. Participants explored the digital divide, the use of technology as a tool for equity, and emerging opportunities at the intersection of AI and equity.
About the Presenter
Amber Berry is co-founder of MSA's RAIL: Responsible AI in Learning, a change implementation framework serving 75,000+ students globally toward safe, ethical AI adoption for the purpose of powerful learning and meaningful transformation. Amber spent 15 years in classrooms and school leadership roles with a focus on professional development rooted in an ethos of continuous improvement.
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Resources
About the Session
This keynote examined how to identify schools where equity work can truly thrive. Participants explored indicators of authentic equity commitment, including governance, leadership, culture, and financial investment, and learned to recognize warning signs during the search and interview process. Through case studies, the session highlighted differences between schools doing this work well and those that are not, while offering guidance on evaluating a school’s equity maturity and understanding Carney Sandoe’s role in aligning values-driven candidates with mission-focused schools.
About the Presenter
Brandon Jacobs is Practice Leader, Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging (DEIB) Consulting Practice, Search & Consulting Services and also supports our Head of School, Key Administrator, Catholic Schools, and Diversity Leadership Search Practices.
Brandon has been instrumental in growing our DEIB Search and Consulting Practices. He has worked with dozens of independent schools, colleges and universities, and education organizations, running searches for DEIB practitioners and leading consulting engagements around implicit bias, equitable hiring, BIPOC faculty and staff retention, and other topics.
Brandon is also a course facilitator in school culture and inclusivity for Global Online Academy, Dean of Student Advisement for the New Jersey SEEDS program helping high-achieving students from low-income families, and served as Admissions Counselor and Multicultural Recruiter for Rider University.
Before joining CS&A, Brandon served as the Director of Diversity and Inclusion at The Shipley School (PA) where he led the development and implementation of policies, procedures, and programs that sustained an inclusive school community and curriculum and fulfilled the School’s diversity and inclusion goals. Working closely with school administrators, he directed recruitment and retention initiatives to broaden the diversity of the student body and among faculty and staff.
Brandon has presented at the NAIS People of Color Conference, the Hawaii Association of Independent Schools, ADVIS, PAIS, and SAIS conferences. He is a well-known thought leader and is consistently invited to serve on panels, lead workshops, and speak on topics of equitable hiring and retention, diversity and equity strategic planning, curriculum design, climate assessments, and board governance. Brandon matriculated from the College of Wooster (OH) where he studied sociology and communications. He went onto to graduate from Saint Joseph’s University with a Master’s of Educational Leadership.
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Resources
About the Session
This session provided an overview of school governance, focusing on how boards function and the roles of trustees. Through real-world case studies, participants examined board dynamics, explored strategies for building effective relationships with board members and governance leaders, and reflected on lessons learned from both successful and challenging board engagement.
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