Conference  Program

Don’t Forget Your Vendor Passport! MASPA Members – be sure to stop by each of our amazing exhibitors today and get your Vendor Passport signed. Not only will you learn about great resources and build connections, but you’ll also be entered to win some fantastic prizes

7:00 - 8:00 AM	Check-in, Networking, and Breakfast Get settled in for the day and connect with your colleagues. Brought to you by:
8:00 AM	Welcome & Sponsor Recognitions
8:10 - 9:30 AM	Leadership From Ted Lasso Matt Hillman, Superintendent, Northfield Public Schools Jeff Elstad,  Retired Superintendent, Owatonna Public Schools This informative and entertaining session will apply lessons from the immensely popular streaming series, Ted Lasso, to school leadership. Participants will leave with engaging examples of how a positive, vision-oriented approach to leadership will win the day! Dr. Matt Hillmann is the Superintendent of Schools in Northfield, Minnesota. Matt grew up in the Finger Lakes region of New York State. He earned a Bachelor’s degree in history at St. John’s University in New York City and three graduate degrees from Minnesota State University, Mankato. He is a past president of the Minnesota Association of School Administrators. In 2022, Matt was honored by the City of Northfield with its Human Rights Award. In 2023, he was named the MASA Minnesota Superintendent of the Year and was one of four finalists for the American Association of School Administrators National Superintendent of the Year award. In 2024, he was recognized by the Minnesota Community Education Association with their inaugural Most Supportive Administrator of the Year Award. Jeff Elstad has been a public educator for the past 32 years. He has been an early childhood special education teacher, speech and language pathologist, coach, and administrator. He has proudly served as a Director of Special Services for the New Prague Area Schools, Assistant Principal at Owatonna High School, Principal at Willow Creek Middle School (Rochester), and superintendent for a total of 15 years for the Byron Public Schools and Owatonna Public Schools. Jeff has a passion for developing people and systems. He has made it his commitment to communicate people’s potential so clearly, they begin to see it in themselves. He retired from education this past June to pursue a position with SitelogiQ as it perfectly aligns with his passion to serve others and to benefit the future of our children through quality systems. Attachments: Presentation (pdf) Brought to you by:
9:30 - 9:45 AM	Break
9:45 - 11:00 AM	Workforce Trends in Minnesota Details coming soon! Attachments: Presentation (pdf)
11:00 - 11:45 AM	Exhibitor Walk & Visits Don’t Forget Your Vendor Passport! MASPA Members – be sure to stop by each of our amazing exhibitors today and get your Vendor Passport signed. Not only will you learn about great resources and build connections, but you’ll also be entered to win some fantastic prizes Collect all your signatures Turn in your completed passport Join us at 4:00 PM today for the prize drawing! Don’t miss out! Fabulous prizes are waiting, and you must be present to win!
11:45 AM - 1:15 PM	Lunch
1:15-1:30 PM	MASPA Business Meeting Chris Hoehn, Executive Director, Minnesota Association of School Personnel Adiminstrators
1:30- 2:30 PM	Legal Update: Minnesota Paid Leave Mick Waldspurger, Shareholder, Squires, Waldspurger, & Mace, P.A. John Edison, Shareholder, Squires, Waldspurger, & Mace, P.A. Michael (Mick) Waldspurger is a shareholder with the law firm of Squires, Waldspurger, & Mace, P.A. Mick is dedicated to providing practical and proactive legal advice to his clients. He represents Minnesota and Wisconsin school districts in all areas of school law, including labor and employment law, special education, student discipline, data practices, board governance, and civil litigation. Mick also represents cities in labor and employment law matters and in civil litigation. Mick’s successful litigation experience includes lawsuits, arbitration proceedings, due process hearings, and countless other administrative actions. Sharing the experience he has gained in the field, Mick frequently presents at school workshops, training sessions, and state-wide conferences. He has also been a keynote speaker at the national level on labor relations and teacher contract negotiations. Mick is a member of the Minnesota Council of School Attorneys. After graduating from law school, Mick had the honor of serving as a law clerk to the Honorable Justice Donald Steinmetz of the Wisconsin Supreme Court. Mick received his B.A., cum laude, from Knox College and his J.D., cum laude, from Marquette University Law School, where he was an Executive Editor of the Marquette Law Review. John Edison is a shareholder with Squires, Waldspurger & Mace P.A. John believes government can be a force for good. He has devoted his entire legal career to working with cities, counties, school districts and other government entities. As an advocate, John appears in state and federal courts, administrative agency hearings, arbitration hearings and mediations in a wide variety of matters impacting school and municipal clients. As an advisor,  he works with clients to find practical, cost-effective solutions to a broad range of issues, such as labor and employment matters, open meetings and data privacy issues, conducting investigations, Title IX compliance, student discipline, special education, and drafting and reviewing contracts, ordinances, resolutions and other documents. John’s practice also includes acting as a lead negotiator for collective bargaining and providing training on topics relevant to the firm’s school and municipal clients. Before transitioning to private practice, John worked as a law clerk and Assistant County Attorney in the Civil Division of the Ramsey County Attorney’s Office in St. Paul, Minnesota. John received a B.A., summa cum laude, from the University of North Dakota and his J.D., summa cum laude, from the Hamline University School of Law. Attachments: Presentation (pdf)
2:30 PM - 2:45 PM	Break Brought to you by:
2:45 - 4:00 PM	Minnesota Paid Leave Interactive Discussion Labs Facilitated Discussions
4:00 - 4:15 PM	Conference Closing & Vendor Passport Prize Drawing Must be present to win!

MASPA has applied for BOSA and CLE credit for attendees of this event.

Thanks to Our Conference Partners