Strategic Planning that Sticks: From Ideas to Implementation

What does it take to move from big ideas to meaningful, lasting change?

Meet the visionary leaders of Achieve Charter School, Greater San Diego Academy, and Fenton Charter Public Schools as they share how strategic planning helped them navigate change, clarify priorities, and align their school communities around a shared vision for success.

Whether you're at the beginning of your journey or looking to strengthen your current approach, this session will offer practical insights and real-world examples to guide your next steps. Learn how these leaders assessed their readiness for strategic planning, built momentum among stakeholders, and translated big-picture thinking into actionable goals.

In this interactive panel, we’ll explore:

How to know if you’re ready, willing, and able to engage in strategic planning
Key questions to ask yourself to set the stage for success
Tools and approaches that help turn vision into measurable progress
Strategies for community engagement that ensure your plan is both grounded and sustainable

Walk away with new tools, guiding questions, and the inspiration to lead with clarity, strategy, and purpose.

Presented by

Casey Taylor

Superintendent
Achieve Charter School

Casey Taylor is the founder and Executive Director of Achieve Charter Schools of Paradise. After the 2018 Paradise Camp Fire, Casey led her team in reopening schools in temporary facilities in Chico, while building a permanent school facility there. In the 2021-22 school year, Achieve opened Achieve Charter School of Chico at the new facility and reopened Achieve Charter School of Paradise at the original campus in Paradise. She and her team are now working to reopen Achieve Charter High School in Paradise in the coming years.

Catherine Ann

Director
Greater San Diego Academy

Catherine has served as the Director of Greater San Diego Academy since 2015. She is passionate about discovering the unique spark in each person and helping them believe in their ability to achieve great things. Catherine is honored to be part of an amazing community that supports students and families to rediscover their joy in learning, their belief in themselves, and the importance of finding their own way.

Dr. David Riddick

Chief Executive Officer
Fenton Charter Public Schools

Dr. David Riddick serves as the Chief Executive Officer of Fenton Charter Public Schools, a network of high-performing TK–6 schools in Los Angeles. He currently serves on the boards of ASCIP, LAUSD’s Charter Operated Program (COP3), and CharterSAFE. A career educator and systems-level leader, Dr. Riddick was instrumental in the transformation of Santa Monica Boulevard Community Charter School from one of the lowest performing schools in East Hollywood to one of the highest performing. He previously served as Director of Fenton Avenue Charter School, Assistant Principal in the Saugus Union School District, and as a teacher and coordinator in LAUSD. Dr. Riddick holds a B.A. in Communications from Loyola Marymount University and earned both his Master’s and Doctorate in Educational Leadership from California State University, Northridge.

Dr. Nicole Assisi

CEO
Thrive Public Schools

Nicole is the founding CEO for Thrive, an educational nonprofit supporting leaders to create vibrant learning opportunities for adults and kids. She has over 20 years of experience working in innovative education and was a founding leader for multiple high-profile schools. Nicole was recognized as a “40 under 40” leader in San Diego and was a finalist for CEO of the Year from the San Diego Business Journal. As a coach and consultant, she supports hundreds leaders and their organizations to increase their capacity. Nicole holds a Doctorate in Educational Leadership from USC as well as two Master’s Degrees.

Shelli Kurth

Chief Innovation Officer
Thrive

Shelli is the Chief Innovation Officer at Thrive. Shelli is an experienced school leader, nonprofit founder, grassroots organizer, school leader, and coach. Shelli’s passion for the people she serves has made her a sought-after coach, trainer, and consultant. She is also a national speaker and writer. She is driven by a deep belief in equity, access, and opportunity for all through the empowerment of individuals. Shelli brings intuition and joy to her work and is skilled at working through thorny relationships, creating consensus, and moving teams towards greater collaborative outcomes.