Dr. Jana Chang serves as a Complex Area Academic Officer. She supports the school improvement work at Waimanalo School in Hawaii. She has served in the Hawaii DOE as a middle school teacher, established Hawaiiʻs teacher leader academy, and managed a grant to promote educator data use. At Kamehameha Schools, she served as a senior research analyst in a literacy program to support Native Hawaiian students and teacher education in public schools. As a state office leader, Jana participated in the inaugural State Office Leadership Academy, that aimed to support state-level leaders at HIDOE to understand Nā Hopena Aʻo and build their capacity to integrate the principles in their respective work spaces. Her doctoral research focused on the improvement journeys of restructured schools during NCLB. Her presentation experience has focused on the use of data to close achievement gaps, improve graduation rates, and transform schools. Jana is a student of Hawaiian feather work.

Since 2000, Hanohano Naehu has been a kia’i loko, a fishpond guardian on the island of Molokaʻi, Hawaii. He is the caretaker of this environment in which he restores an aspect of Hawaiian Aquaculture: a traditional, sustainable, ocean­ fishpond that presents other opportunities for creativity through the healing arts, sciences, and feeling spirituality. Hano, as he is referred to, is also a community educator, teaching ancient concepts in land stewardship and resource management. Hanohano is also the director for Hui o Kuapā 501c3, a non-profit that began in 1989 and whose mission is to restore loko iʻa, or Hawaiian fishponds, and educate the community through hands-on experiences.

Maile is co-founder of Ka Hale Hoaka, a school of Hawaiian Learning based out of her off-grid home in Honouliwai Valley where she creates cross-disciplinary courses and learning resources taught through a Hawaiian lens. Her teachings are grounded in Indigenous philosophies and practices such as mo’olelo, ʻōlelo Hawai’i, hula, and oli. She is also the director of the Molokaʻinuiahina project, a multi-generational community art project founded on traditional storytelling. Maile is the director of Hoʻokupu - A Hip Hop Anthology of Hawaiian History which includes an album and textbook resource used in schools throughout Hawaiʻi. In 2023 she was awarded a Na Hōkū Hanohano award for best Hip-Hop album of the year for the Hoʻokupu project. By teaching via various art mediums through the vessel of moʻolelo she emphasizes the great importance of building communication skills, self-confidence, and a new generation of storytellers. It is based on the belief that the ancient wisdom of our ancestors is the answer to our modern-day problems.

Giselle Sherry-Marsh is a school and district improvement specialist at WestEd, where she plays a vital role in supporting State Education Agencies (SEA), Local Education Agencies (LEA), and school leaders in implementing the Four Domains for Rapid School Improvement framework to drive continuous improvement efforts. Through her role at WestEd, Giselle’s dedication to driving transformative change within educational settings, coupled with her comprehensive understanding of school improvement methodologies, underscores her commitment to advancing student outcomes and positive learning environments for students, educators, and school communities. Giselle's tenure in school turnaround leadership is marked by a strong focus on developing teacher leaders and providing unwavering support to principals fostering positive school cultures conducive to growth and success.