Dr. Avis Williams
Dr. Avis Williams is an award-winning superintendent of Historic Selma City Schools in Selma, AL. A native of Salisbury, NC, she has served in leadership positions in the U.S. Army, as an entrepreneur and school administrator. While in the Army, she was stationed at Fort Jackson, SC, Yongson, Korea, and Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, AL. Before becoming an educator, Avis owned a fitness center and worked as a certified personal trainer.
She received her undergraduate degree from Athens State University, master’s from Alabama A&M and Jacksonville State Universities, education specialist degree and her doctorate from the University of Alabama. She taught English and Physical Education and coached dance team and track. Avis has been an elementary, middle and high school principal. She was the executive director of curriculum and instruction in North Carolina where she led instruction for over 60 schools. Before moving to Selma, she served as the assistant superintendent for curriculum in Tuscaloosa City Schools.
She is the author of a children’s chapter book, Welcome to Chase Shadows. Her joy comes from spending time with her daughter Briahna, running, writing and being a “dog mom” to her standard poodles, CoCo and Butterscotch. Avis enjoys public speaking and giving back to her community while working with families in need.
A graduate of Leadership Alabama Class XXIX, she is a member of the Rotary Club of Selma, the ASCD board of directors, Teach for America advisory board, School Superintendents of Alabama District 2 president, Delta Sigma Theta, Inc., Alabama Alliance of Black School Educators (AL ABSE) and the Selma Chapter of the Links, Inc. Avis has created and delivered dozens of professional development and motivational sessions to churches, student groups, educators and leaders nationwide. She was awarded the Marbury Technology Innovation award by the AL State Department of Education in 2011 as a principal and 2019 as superintendent. Dr. Avis Williams is the 2020 AL ABSE, Dr. Byas superintendent of the year and a 2019 finalist for Alabama state superintendent of the year.
Dr. Benda Elliot
Dr. Brenda (Bren) Elliott currently serves as DC Public Schools’ Chief for School Improvement and Supports. In this role, she overviews several key levers for equity including comprehensive school improvement planning, school redesign, staff recruitment and selection, leader development, the school-based leader and staff evaluation program, student supports, and social-emotional learning.
Bren has vast experience leading equity initiatives that lead to school and district transformation. As an Assistant Superintendent in the largest school district in North Carolina, she led the implementation of a comprehensive plan for equity discipline practices to address racial disparities in discipline outcomes and the implementation of a district-wide multi-tiered system of support for academics and behavior. While serving as the Executive Director for Student Support Services in Guilford County Schools (GCS), she created a High School Service-Learning Diploma program that in three years, resulted in high schools’ seniors documenting more than 650,000 hours of service to their schools and community, equating to an economic impact of more than $14 million. As a result of this work, she was selected to participate in a Capitol Hill Briefing focused on Service-Learning: A Strategy for School Reform. Also while in GCS, she developed of a pilot program that resulted in a 50% reduction in the number of out-of-school suspension for males of color. Bren has collaborated with law enforcement and the community to create diversion programs and to address disproportionate law enforcement contact. She has also helped to implement restorative practices, trauma-informed practices, and initiatives to increase access to college and career readiness resources and to address food insecurity.
Dr. Elliott recently completed her doctoral studies at High Point University. Her dissertation, “District-Level Equity Leaders’ Approaches to Addressing the Racial Achievement Gap Between Black and White Students in Urban Public Schools”, resulted in her being receiving the 2020 James Surratt Outstanding Doctoral Student award. She had presented nationally at various conference including Council of Great City Schools, American Association of School Administrators (AASA), International Council of Professors of Educational Leadership, National Association of Black School Educators, National Youth Leadership Council and Education Commission of the States.
Bren Elliott is an innovative systems-thinker and has more than 25 years of experience as a public educator. She spent 15 years working as an educator in Nashville, Tennessee, where her assignments included Director for High Priority Schools Advocacy, Area Director, High School and Middle School Principal, and High School Teacher. While in Nashville, she received the National Principal of the Year Award from the National Association of Black School Educators and was recognized by the city council for turning around one of the district’s most challenging high schools. Dr. Elliott is a former military officer and through that experience became an exemplary strategic thinker and planner. She cites as the major contributors to her success, a strong belief that students can and want to succeed and purposefully working to build a team of educators, students, parents and community members who believe the same.