About Rob Bixler

Rob Bixler is Chief of Staff of Orange County Public Schools, the eighth-largest public school district in the nation and fourth-largest in Florida. The district serves about 209,000 students at 210 schools and is one of the largest employers in Central Florida with more than 25,000 team members.

Mr. Bixler was born and raised in Orlando and a product of Orange County Public Schools – Lake Weston and Riverside Elementary, Lockhart Middle and Edgewater High. He received his Bachelor’s Degree in Secondary Education, Social Sciences from Flagler College and Master’s Degree in Educational Leadership and Supervision from the University of Central Florida.

In his 33rd year working in public education, Rob has been a classroom teacher, school-based and district-level administrator. He began his administrative career as a dean of students at Edgewater High School then an assistant principal at Glenridge Middle School. Over the next 11 years, Rob was principal at Killarney Elementary, Dillard Street Elementary and Westbrooke Elementary. All schools achieved “A” ratings under his leadership. Rob has assumed various district level roles and previously served as the Associate Superintendent for Curriculum and Digital Learning. He oversaw PreK-12 curriculum and instruction, visual and performing arts, instructional materials, instructional technology, and digital learning which includes the district’s 1:1 initiative called LaunchED.

About Harold Border

Dr. Harold Border serves as the Chief Executive Officer, Strategy and Infrastructure, for Orange County Public Schools (OCPS), where he aligns districtwide strategic initiatives and partnerships to the OCPS Strategic Plan. The Strategy and Infrastructure office is comprised of Facilities Construction, Maintenance, Custodial, Real Estate and Land Planning, Procurement Services, Student Enrollment, Strategic Integration, and Stakeholder Feedback.

Over the past 3 decades in OCPS, Dr. Border has served as a middle school teacher, basketball coach, assistant principal, principal, executive area director, area superintendent, Chief of High Schools, Chief Strategy Office and now as Chief Executive Officer. As Chief of High Schools from 2016–2022, he oversaw student success in 22 traditional high schools, impacting approximately 60,000 students and 4,200 staff members. During his tenure, OCPS achieved unprecedented success in graduation rates and access to rigorous coursework, reaching the district’s highest traditional high school graduation rate of 98.5%.

Earlier in his career, Dr. Border served as Principal of Hunter’s Creek Middle School, where the school earned 100% Adequate Yearly Progress across all student groups — the first middle school in OCPS to accomplish this distinction. He later became Principal of Freedom High School during a period of state intervention due to multiple “D” grades. Under his leadership, Freedom improved to “A” status, expanded access to rigorous coursework by more than 300%, and became a flagship site within OCPS.

Dr. Border has served on numerous boards and committees, including Junior Achievement of Central Florida, the Central Florida Boy Scouts, and the Orange County Citizens’ Commission for Children. Nationally recognized, he has selected to participate in the Inaugural Michael Casserly Urban Executive Leadership Institute and was chosen to part of the Fellowship for Public Education at the Yale School of Management. His advocacy for school climate and student health initiatives has earned recognition from the Aspen Society and the American Heart Association.

He is also a Future Chiefs for Change where he collaborates with education leaders across the nation to advance innovative, student-centered policy and system transformation. Harold is also a member of the inaugural Imagine Network where he works alongside innovate leaders across the nation.   In this work, he is designing transformational opportunities in OCPS that include mircoschools and an AI high school while also ensuring space is optimized across the 8^th largest district in the nation.  Finally, Dr. Border is a member of the ILO AI Strategy and Leadership Network, Cohort 1, where he works alongside district leaders to thoughtfully integrate artificial intelligence into strategic planning, operational systems, and student outcomes.

Dr. Border earned his bachelor’s degree in elementary education, along with master’s and doctoral degrees in educational leadership from the University of Central Florida, and completed a fellowship with The Broad Center at the Yale School of Management. He previously served in the United States Navy.

Dr. Border’s wife, Janice, has been an Exceptional Education teacher in OCPS for 25 years and currently serves as an Elementary School Staffing Specialist. They have three children, Kristina, Anneliz, and Mason, who are and will be graduates of OCPS, reflecting their deep personal and professional commitment to public education.

About Tashanda Brown-Cannon

Dr. Tashanda Brown-Cannon has dedicated over 25 years to serving the students of Orange County Public Schools with excellence. A native Floridian, Dr. Brown-Cannon matriculated through Duval County Public Schools before obtaining a Bachelor of Arts Degree (B.A.) in Elementary Education from Florida Agricultural & Mechanical University. Driven by a lifelong passion for learning, she received a Master of Education in Educational Leadership (M.Ed) from the University of Central Florida and completed her Doctorate of Education in Educational Leadership (Ed.D.) at National Louis University.

An innovative instructional leader, Dr. Brown-Cannon’s many years of service have greatly benefited students inside and outside the classroom. Recognized for her efforts, Dr. Brown-Cannon became a turnaround principal for Tangelo Park Elementary School, where she implemented innovative strategies to increase teacher effectiveness and student achievement. Under her leadership, the school earned five consecutive “A” ratings from the Florida Department of Education from 2007 through 2012. In 2009, Dr. Brown-Cannon was honored as the State of Florida’s 2009 Literacy Leader of the Year and drew national attention for her accomplishments with a featured article in Lifestyles magazine. Under her leadership, Tangelo Park Elementary School was recognized as a “Distinguished School” at the National Title I Conference.

Continuing to ascend in her career, Dr. Brown-Cannon assumed the role of executive area director in 2013 and associate superintendent in 2019, where her dedication to fostering a culture of educational excellence and transforming high-needs schools was felt throughout OCPS. Dr. Brown-Cannon’s tireless efforts to increase the leadership capacity of principals and mentor colleagues paved the foundation for student success.

In recognition of her exemplary contributions and unwavering commitment to educational excellence, Dr. Brown-Cannon achieved a significant milestone in 2023 when she was promoted to the esteemed position of chief academic officer. In this role, she leads the charge of shaping the educational future of OCPS, ensuring every student receives a high-quality education.

With a proven track record of coaching principals, increasing student outcomes, and developing a pipeline of turnaround leaders, Dr. Brown-Cannon continues to be a driving force in education. Her career is a testament to her passion for making a difference in the lives of students and educators alike. She remains a beacon of inspiration within the OCPS community.

About Doreen Concolino

Doreen Concolino has been with the Orange County Public Schools (OCPS) since 1995, bringing over 28 years of expertise in governmental accounting. Throughout her career, she has held key leadership roles in Title I federal Programs and the Office of Management and Budget, most recently serving as Senior Director. In May 2021, she was appointed Chief Financial Officer for OCPS by the Superintendent.

Doreen earned her Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with a concentration in Finance and Economics from Long Island university. She’s an active member of the Florida School Finance Officers Association and the Florida School Finance Council, which advises the Commissioner of Education on school funding and business matters. In 2018, she participated in the Institute of Florida School Finance, and in 2023, she completed a certification in Education Finance from Georgetown University

About John Palmerini

As the General Counsel John Palmerini provides legal advice and counsel to the School Board on School Board/Superintendent Relations, relations with other governmental entities, First Amendment issues, instructional and library materials matters and LGBTQ issues. John oversees all litigation on behalf of the District.

John has practiced for more than 20 years, mostly concentrating his practice in labor and employment before coming to Orange County Public Schools. In his prior roles as Associate General Counsel and Deputy General Counsel, he provided counsel to the School Board, the Superintendent and District Staff in all areas of labor and employment law, including hiring and termination issues, wage payment issues, exemption, and overtime issues, as well as compliance with state and federal disability and, leave laws. He has represented the district in cases involving claims regarding Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the American with Disabilities Act, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, the Family Medical Leave Act, the Florida Civil Rights Act, and the Fair Labor Standards Act.

John has previously conducted training with respect to issues such as union representation, progressive discipline, religious issues in schools, sexual and workplace harassment, handling leave issues, and best practices.

In addition, John has also been a guest speaker before the Florida School Boards Association, the Florida Association of District School Superintendents, the Florida School Board Attorneys Association, the Florida Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association, the Florida Organization of Instructional Leaders, the Florida Records Management Association, the Florida Educational Negotiators, the Florida Association of School Business Leaders, Association of Legal Administrators and the Orlando Diversity Council.

John received a B.S. in Journalism and a B.A. in Political Science from the University of Florida and his J.D. from the University of Florida, Levin College of Law. He is Board Certified in Education Law and Labor and Employment Law.

John is currently the President of the Florida School Board Attorneys Association. He is also the Florida School Board Attorneys Association 2022 recipient of the C. Graham Carothers Award of Excellence, presented annually to a Florida school board attorney who has demonstrated excellence in the profession.

Education
University of Florida, B.S., Journalism, and B.A., Political Science
University of Florida, J.D., Levin College of Law

Bar Admissions
State of Florida
District of Columbia
United States Northern District of Florida
United States Middle District of Florida
United States Southern District of Florida
United States Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit

About Kathryn Shuler

Dr. Shuler has served Orange County Public Schools (OCPS) for over 30 years in various roles as a classroom teacher, administrative dean, assistant principal, associate superintendent, Chief Academic Officer, and now Chief Schools Officer. She has extensive experience overseeing curriculum and digital learning, student and health services, multilingual, professional learning, and federal programs. In her current role, Dr. Shuler is responsible for providing oversight and direction for the efficient operations and academic performance through developing leadership capacity in one of the largest districts in the nation.

She is a current member of the Chancellor's Leadership Academy, Superintendent’s Cabinet, YMCA Metro Board of Directors, the Ginsburg Institute for Health Equity, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated, the OCPS foundation board, and former member of the Holocaust Visitors’ task force. In addition, she previously served as the Regional Executive Director for the Florida Department of Education, Bureau of School Improvement, overseeing district improvement efforts among 7 school districts in the state of Florida.

Her most notable accomplishments include leading a school in reform from a school letter grade of “F” to “A” (making 100% AYP), named Central Floridian of the Week, and the Just Read Florida Elementary Literacy Leader of the Year. As the associate superintendent, School Transformation Officer, 20 of the schools served improved 838 percentage points under her supervision as opposed to a decline of 929 percentage points the previous year. In addition, she led the initiative to launch the district’s first Parent Academy, which supports parent advocacy and learning, serving over 25,000 parents and community members to date.

Dr. Shuler received her doctorate in Educational Leadership from National Louis University and her M.ED. in Education from Nova Southeastern University. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Education from Stetson University

About Bridget Williams

Bridget Williams is the Deputy Superintendent of Executive Services for Orange County Public Schools, the eighth-largest public school district in the nation and fourth-largest in Florida.

Born in Orlando, she is a home-grown product of OCPS, attending Richmond Heights and Eccleston Elementary Schools, Robert E. Lee Middle School and Edgewater High School.

Over the last 30 years, she has served and led the children and families of Orange County as an alternative education teacher; guidance counselor; dean; assistant principal; and district administrator. She also served as principal of Robinswood Middle School and earned the school’s first “A” rating from the Department of Education. At Jones High School, she moved the school to a high performing “B” rating and established the International Baccalaureate Program. As Associate Superintendent of Specialized Student Support, she guided the services of more than 180 schools of testing assessments and accountability, grants, and fully funded Title I programs. As Area Superintendent of the West Learning Community she supervised principals and served as a liaison to the school board. She also served as the Chief of Staff overseeing School Board Services and the Human Resources Division(HR). During this time the HR division earned and received national and local recognition for its enhanced marketing and recruitment strategies and efforts.

Dr. Williams is a proud alumna of Florida A&M University, where she earned a bachelor’s and master’s degree. In addition, she received a second master’s degree from the University of Central Florida and doctorate from Nova Southeastern University.

She was honored to be inducted into the Edgewater High School Foundation Hall of Fame and has received numerous awards for her commitment to excellence in public education. Just to name a few: The Queen Smith Award from Council of the Great City Schools; Distinguished Educational Leadership Award from the international educational organization Phi Delta Kappa, Inc.; the Drum Major Award from Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.; International Women on the Move Award from ONYX Magazine; the Educator of the Year Award from Junior Achievement of Central Florida; and the Lifetime Achievement award from the Orange County School Counseling Association.

Williams and her husband, Dexter, are the parents of two exceptional young men - Joshua (Florida State University) a System Software Quality Engineer with Lockheed Martin and Elijah (Duke University) an Associate Account Executive at Amazon Web Services.

Education
Bachelor’s & Master’s Degree from Florida A&M University;
Earned Second Master’s Degree from University of Central Florida and her Doctorate degree from Nova Southeastern University

Time in current position
Dr. Williams has been Deputy Superintendent since July 2023