Speaker Biographies

Donald J. Converse, MA
Educational Development Director
An instructor and trainer in the education market, Don has been an entrepreneur, public speaker, and teacher. With degrees in marketing, business management and organizational leadership, Don was a Business Instructor at FCC College of San Diego, the Senior Regional Customer Service Director at IKON Office, and the past President of Signature III, Inc. Don is also Co-Chairman of Fundraising for his local Habitat for Humanity.  He has edited several books and authored the white paper - The Customer Service Perspective of the Information Technology Professional.

Now in his role at FFS as Educational Development Director, Don assists schools and districts in choosing the family engagement developmental programs that will maximize the results of their efforts and minimize the learning curve for implementation. A true professional, Don nevertheless sets people at ease with his humor, quick thinking, and eye for ways to achieve improvement in learning.

Larry Van Hoose
Vice President of Operations
New to Family Friendly Schools in February of 2009, Larry brought an extensive background in sales, marketing and operations management from both the aerospace and industrial manufacturing sector. Larry fills the gaps in strategic marketing, creative design and technology, operations, data analysis and communications.

With a diverse background developed while working nights at a computer store during the early years of the PC and technology "explosion", Larry spent his days pursuing his commercial arts and photography degree. It was only natural as time passes that cutting-edge forms of computer-based media and design pushed their way into the creative aspects of Larry's burgeoning commercial photography and design business. As his business grew, he took over more and more of the marketing business from his clients which led to a more thorough understanding of strategic marketing and corporate operations.

After 15 years of doing business in the hectic metropolitan area of Phoenix, Arizona, Larry packed up the family and moved to the beautiful and much more serene environs of the Blue Ridge Mountains of Southwestern Virginia. He now lives with his beautiful wife and four children in Galax, Virginia, about a stone's throw from the Blue Ridge Parkway and the North Carolina border.

Elizabeth Holiday Morgan
Certified Family Engagement Specialist
Elizabeth Morgan is a Sacramento, California native who not serves as a Family Engagement Trainer and Coach for FFS, but also as an adjunct professor for California’s largest community college district, Los Rios Community Colleges.  She teaches courses in education and sociology where she pulls upon her vast knowledge and experience of the interworking of our nations urban schools.  Prior to this, she served as a school administrator at St. HOPE Public School 7, a K-8 urban charter elementary school.  She worked regularly with parents and educators to help create empowering solutions to life-impacting problems within children’s lives. 

Elizabeth graduated amongst the top of her class from Harvard University with a Masters in Education.  She also holds a bachelors degree in Psychology from Xavier University of Louisiana.

Karen Hackett-Villalobos
Certified Family Engagement Specialist
In addition to her current responsibilitites as an FFS Certified Trainer and Coach, Karen has served as the Tri-County (Sutter, Colusa and Yuba Counties) BTSA Induction Program Director since 2001.  In this role, Karen has worked with thousands of teachers delivering research-based professional development through an accredited licensure program.  Prior to this position Karen was the Superintendent and Principal at Lake School in Glenn County for three years and has worked at the primary school level teaching since 1995. 

Karen also co-authored and was awarded an Improving Teacher Quality Grant that focused on job-embedded professional development for teachers.  She is currently working as adjunct faculty for Chapman University instructing future educators in early literacy skills. 

Nicholas S. D'Amico
Certified Family Engagement Specialist
Nicholas S. D'Amico is a certified trainer and distance coach with FFS. He is also an educator with classroom teaching and administrative experience at all three levels of education; elementary, secondary, and higher education. He has worked most closely with parents, teachers, and administrators to raise the level of student achievement of all students, with a particular focus on the needs of English Language Learners and their parents and teachers. From 1997-2000 he distinguished himself as a Visiting Educator with the Professional Development Unit at the California Dept. of Education in Sacramento, where he served as the state administrator and consultant for California's Bilingual Teacher Training Programs.

Nick holds a Masters Degree in Latin American Studies and a Doctorate in Educational Administration and Policy Studies from the University of California, Los Angeles.. 

Sam Bartlett
Engagement Speaker, Trainer and Author

Although recently stepping out of his role as CEO of Family Friendly Schools, Sam Bartlett is still an active speaker and trainer in the area of engaged customer service and support Stafff. Before coming to FFS, Mr. Bartlett was the CEO of Digital Juice, Inc., an internationally recognized leader in 3-D animation and interactive media. Mr. Bartlett led the company to a record-breaking 300% growth in just his first year (2002), and eventually 1000% growth during his tenure with the company. Under his leadership, Digital Juice was recognized by Florida Trend magazine as one of Florida's most significant businesses to watch.

Prior to joining Digital Juice, Mr. Bartlett served as president of a successful company which provided on-site training to Public Schools and Fortune 500 companies such as Rockwell International, Black & Decker, Johnson & Johnson, Corning and John Hancock. Mr. Bartlett is a consultant, conference speaker and author*. His seminar participants consistently rank his workshops as “the best they have ever attended”.

Mr. Bartlett is the lead author of Sizzling Customer Service (J&B Publishers, 1998) and co-author of Building Better Schools by Engaging Support Staff (Engage! Press, 2008).

From 1995 to 2003, Dr. Constantino served as principal of Stonewall Jackson High School in Manassas, Virginia. Stonewall achieved much success, both nationally and internationally. During Dr. Constantino’s tenure, Stonewall Jackson High School student achievement consistently improved. Stonewall was named number one among all Prince William County High Schools in the percentage of students entering college and among the top ten percent of schools worldwide offering the International Baccalaureate Program.

Dr. Constantino was the 1997 Principal of the Year awarded by the Virginia State Counseling Association and the 2000 recipient of the Washington Post Distinguished Educational Leadership Award as well as being named the Prince William County Principal of the Year for 2000. In March 2000, and again in May 2003, Stonewall Jackson High School was listed among the nation’s “Top 100 high schools” in Newsweek magazine. The May 2001 issue of Time Magazine announced Stonewall Jackson as its “High School of the Year.” SAT Scores at Stonewall Jackson climbed 91 points in six years making Stonewall number one in SAT participation and achievement among all Prince William County Schools.

Dr. Constantino founded Family Friendly Schools in 1999, while residing as principal of Stonewall Jackson High School. With practical experience in the field of family engagement, Dr. Constantino’s “Engage All Families” Five- Step Process was formed to create data-driven results through family engagement and is now used by hundreds of schools and districts in 35 states.

Most recently, Vie co-authored the book, Building Better Schools by Engaging Support Staff. This project was conceived several years ago and has brought much clarity to engaging all support staff. Within the book, Vie discusses why support staff are critical links to school success and student achievement. Likewise, she offers numerous ideas on how to move individuals from "forgotten hero to an Engaged Ambassador." Building Better Schools by Engaging Support Staff has been received extremely well by both support staff and school administration.

As a member of the FFS team, Joan keeps us all on track, manages accounts receivables, payables, payroll, and assists in conference logistics.