Speaker Information

To see the complete bio with pictures, visit this link: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1A4JobaxFRcXfRWAehsOjCfOXFA4CJLZm/view?usp=sharing​

Margo Bellamy
Margo Bellamy is a retired educator, community leader, and passionate advocate for children,
families, and public education. She is currently serving her third term on the Anchorage School
Board, where she is committed to ensuring every student has the opportunity to thrive.
Throughout her career, Margo has championed student-centered leadership, equity, and strong
community partnerships. Drawing on decades of experience in education, governance, and
nonprofit leadership, she is recognized for building bridges across diverse perspectives and
leading with integrity, collaboration, and purpose.

Shirley Holloway
Dr. Shirley Holloway, an education expert in board leadership and policy, has served as
teacher, principal, superintendent, and Alaska’s ED Commissioner. She also helped to create
Ilisagvik College in Utqiagvik, Alaska. Dr. Holloway has held numerous leadership positions,
including membership on the Alaska State Board of Education, Regent of Charter College, and
President of Sheldon Jackson College, along with a variety of roles in multiple nonprofit
organizations. Her extensive experience reflects her commitment to education, advocacy, and
leadership. She currently serves as the President Emerita for both NAMI National and NAMI
Alaska.

Jennie Knutson
Jennie Knutson, PhD, is a Term Assistant Professor of School Psychology at the University of
Alaska Anchorage. She has 27 years of PK–12 experience as a school psychologist and district
administrator in Alaska, including having served as the Senior Director of Mental Health and
Student Support for the Anchorage School District. Throughout her career, Dr. Knutson has
been a strong advocate for the implementation of Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) to
address student needs. Her work has included initiatives in evidence-based assessment and
decision-making practices in reading, policies for identifying specific learning disabilities, social
emotional learning (SEL), integration of mental health services in schools, and Positive
Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS)

Rachel Payne
Rachael Payne, PsyS, LEP, is a School Psychologist who has been practicing since 2011 with
experience in emotional disabilities, selective mutism, and autism assessment. As a
neurodivergent practitioner and former special education student, she is committed to improving
how we identify and support autistic girls who are often missed or misdiagnosed in school
settings.

Jason Pedersen
Jason A. Pedersen, PhD, NCSP, serves as President of the National Association of
School Psychologists (NASP) and is a nationally recognized leader in school
psychology. His work focuses on systems-level design and sustainable implementation
to help schools build coherent, high-functioning educational systems. He is also the
Founder and Principal of Pedersen Education Strategy Consulting.

Cecil R. Reynolds
Cecil R. Reynolds, PhD, is an internationally recognized psychologist, neuropsychologist,
researcher, and assessment expert who earned his doctorate in School Psychology from the
University of Georgia. He has authored more than 300 scholarly publications, over 50 books,
and more than 50 commercially published psychological tests, including the widely used
Behavior Assessment System for Children (BASC) and Reynolds Intellectual Assessment
Scales (RIAS). Dr. Reynolds has held numerous national leadership roles, including president of
the National Academy of Neuropsychology and APA Divisions of School Psychology, Clinical
Neuropsychology, and Evaluation, Measurement, and Statistics, and has received numerous
awards for his contributions to research, assessment, and professional practice. He is Emeritus
Professor of Educational Psychology, Professor of Neuroscience, and Distinguished Research
Scholar at Texas A&M University, where he taught for 28 years and helped establish the
neuroscience faculty. Dr. Reynolds continues to write and practice forensic neuroscience in
Austin, Texas, specializing in complex, high-stakes litigation involving central nervous system
functioning.

Ann Ringstad
A lifelong Alaskan, Ann Ringstad serves as Executive Director of NAMI Alaska, the statewide
affiliate of the National Alliance on Mental Illness, where she leads efforts to expand mental
health awareness, education, advocacy, and support across the state. Her commitment is
shaped by lived experience and a deep understanding of the impact mental illness has on
individuals, families, and communities. With more than 45 years of experience in advocacy,
public service, and community leadership, Ann works to ensure that people living with mental
health conditions and their families have a voice, their rights are protected, and patient and
family perspectives are represented in decisions affecting care and treatment. She has helped
expand NAMI Alaska’s statewide outreach and programs, connecting national best practices
with Alaska’s unique geographic, cultural, and behavioral health needs. Ann serves on the
Alaska Psychiatric Institute Advisory Council, and participates in key policy forums, advocating
for improved access to responsive, inclusive, and effective behavioral health services in both
urban and rural communities.

Marlene Schwaighofer
Marlene Schwaighofer has worked with children with special needs for 15 years. Marlene holds
a master’s-level degree in psychology from Austria, where she provided private psychological
assessments and bullying prevention workshops before moving to the United States in 2009.
Marlene obtained a Specialist in School Psychology degree from Texas State University-San
Marcos and a Diplomate in School Neuropsychology. She also is a Board Certified Behavior
Analyst, Nationally Certified School Psychologist, and a Licensed Educational Psychologist. She
currently works in her private practice, Kolibri Educational Psychology, in Santa Cruz, California.

Linda Self
Linda Self is a Nationally Certified School Psychologist with 25 years of experience in the
Anchorage School District. For the past 11 years, she has served as the School Psychology
Lead, where she supports the department’s 46 school psychologists and interns. In this
leadership role, she provides mentorship, coordinates professional development, and partners
with district leadership to advance system-level initiatives to improve outcomes for students. Her
professional interests include building sustainable crisis response systems in school districts,
strengthening the delivery of comprehensive school psychological services, and supporting a
sustainable training pipeline to prepare future practitioners.