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Convention speakers

Michael Thurmond, Esquire
Former Georgia Labor Commissioner
Michael Thurmond has distinguished himself as an attorney, author, lecturer and public servant. In 1986, he became the first African-American elected to the Georgia General Assembly from Clarke County since Reconstruction. He authored major legislation that provided more than $250 million in tax relief to senior citizens and working families. Following his legislative tenure, Thurmond was called upon to direct Georgia's historic transition from welfare to work program in which he created the innovative Workfirst program. The program helped more than 90,000 welfare-dependent families move into the workforce, saving more than $100 million that was reinvested in childcare, training and other support services. During his three terms as Georgia Labor Commissioner, Thurmond transformed unemployment offices throughout Georgia into state-of-the-art career centers focused on getting jobless Georgians back to work as quickly as possible. His latest book, Freedom: Georgia's Antislavery Heritage, 1733-1865, was awarded the Georgia Historical Society's Lilla Hawes Award and listed as one of the 25 Books All Georgians Should Read. Thurmond received a bachelor's degree in philosophy and religion with honors from Paine College and later earned a juris doctorate from the University of South Carolina School of Law. He also completed the Political Executives Program at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. In 1997, Thurmond became a distinguished lecturer at the University of Georgia's Carl Vinson Institute of Government. Presently, Thurmond is a general counsel with the law firm of Butler, Wooten & Fryhofer LLP and serves on the Board of Curators of the Georgia Historical Society and is a member of the Ebenezer Baptist Church West of Athens. He and his wife Zola are the proud parents of a daughter, Mikaya.


Jamie Vollmer
President, Jamie Vollmer, Inc.
Jamie Vollmer is president of Vollmer, Inc., a public education advocacy firm working to increase student success by raising public support for America's schools. Vollmer is the author of the highly acclaimed book, Schools Cannot Do It Alone: Building Public Support for America's Public Schools, which is one of the top ten education books of 2010, according to the American School Board Journal. Vollmer entered the education arena after careers in law and manufacturing. In 1988, he became a founding member and later the first executive director of the Iowa Business Roundtable when he was president of the Great Midwestern Ice Cream Company. People magazine proclaimed Great Midwestern the "Best Ice Cream in America!" Once a harsh critic, he is now an articulate champion of America's public schools. He has worked with hundreds of school districts, chambers of commerce, education associations, and foundations to remove the obstacles to student success. In addition to his book and numerous articles, Vollmer wrote and produced the videos, Why Our Schools Need to Change and Teachers are Heroes. In 2010, he was recognized by the National School Public Relations Association with its Learning and Liberty Award for his 20-year effort to strengthen school/community partnerships. Vollmer received a bachelor's degree from Penn State University and later earned a juris doctorate from Catholic University in Washington, DC. He is married to his college sweetheart and former baton twirling majorette, Jeanne Hecker, and they have three grown children who are all gainfully employed.


John Draper, Ph.D.
Chief Executive Officer, Educational Research Service
John Draper has presented uplifting messages to school districts and school administrators in more than 30 states. He believes that educators are suffering from the "curse of knowledge" — they don't know what it's like not to know what they know. "Miracles happen everyday in public schools, but the public is oblivious to them and educators see them as everyday occurrences," he shares. "The urban myth of failing public schools is tenacious and educators must learn a new set of skills to effectively serve today's children and lead 21st century schools. Never in our nation's history have educators been cast in such an underserved, negative light." As CEO of the former Educational Research Service in Alexandria, VA, Draper provided school leaders with much-needed research and information. His presentations are marked by thoughtful analysis, engaging narrative and a refreshing passion for the mission of public schools. He makes research fun! Prior to joining ERS in 2008, he served for nine years as executive director of the Council for Leaders in Alabama Schools (CLAS) which represents school administrators throughout the state. Draper resides in northern Virginia with his wife, Kathy, and they have three grown sons.


Brooke Haycock
The Education Trust, Artist-in-Residence
Brooke Haycock has been crafting and performing issues-focused theater with The Education Trust for more than a decade. A former high school dropout from an urban public school system, Haycock now spends most of her time in schools with students and educators, listening to their experiences of equity in education. Inspired by the work of documentarians Studs Terkel and Anna Deavere Smith, Haycock mixes interview with performance to produce incisive chronicles of opportunity and achievement in America. She received a bachelor's degree from the University of California in Santa Barbara and a master's degree from Johns Hopkins University.