Dr. Waded Cruzado
Since January of 2010, Dr. Waded Cruzado has served as the 12th President of Montana State University, and during that time she has significantly reshaped the face and future of the state’s first land-grant institution.
An articulate and inspirational speaker on the role of the public university, President Cruzado has become well-known for her understanding of the Morrill Act, which created the land-grant university system 150 years ago. She is a passionate champion of the land-grant’s tripartite mission of education, research and public outreach, as well as the important role higher education plays in the development of individuals and the prosperity of the nation.
President Cruzado was honored as the 2011 Michael P. Malone Educator of the Year from the Montana Ambassadors for demonstrating outstanding accomplishment, excellence and leadership in the field of education. She also was recognized as a Paul Harris Fellow by Rotary International and, in November 2012, the Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities awarded President Cruzado the Seaman A. Knapp Memorial Lectureship, in honor of the founder of the Cooperative Extension Service.
In 2012, President Barack Obama appointed President Cruzado to the Board for International Food and Agricultural Development, a seven-member advisory council that advises USAID on agriculture, rural development and nutrition issues related to global food insecurity. In 2013, President Cruzado also began serving on Montana’s Governor Steve Bullock’s Equal Pay for Equal Work Task Force.
Prior to coming to MSU, President Cruzado served as executive vice president and provost at New Mexico State University, a post she held since Sept. 1, 2007, and served as NMSU’s interim president from 2008-2009. She also served as Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at NMSU (2003-2007) and as Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at Puerto Rico’s land-grant university, the University of Puerto Rico at Mayaguez.
Courtney Clark
With two successful businesses and four rounds of cancer (so far!) under her belt, Courtney Clark is the luckiest unlucky person in the world. Courtney works with teams who need to succeed during stress and change without burning out, lashing out, or giving up. She is an in-demand keynote speaker who presents internationally to organizations on how to adapt faster and achieve more by developing resilience and ReVisionary Thinking™. She once failed at being a dancer in New York, but that's probably for the best.
Courtney speaks about a unique blend of what she calls “content-based motivation.” Her presentations balance left brain strategies with right brain storytelling, so every single member of the audience walks away feeling primed for success, no matter their personality or learning style. Everyone in the room will be moved by the blend of humor, stories, research, and interaction Courtney brings to a keynote. Courtney’s resilience work has been featured in Forbes, Psychology Today, USA Today, and The Chicago Tribune. Her 2 books on resilience, The Giving Prescription and The Successful Struggle, have been called “practical,” “powerful,” and “empowering” by industry leaders. Courtney lives in Austin, Texas with her husband and three dogs, all of whom she found at the Humane Society... including the husband!
Stephen Schreibeis
Stephen’s life goal is to value, believe in, and unconditionally love people every day. This goal has led him to where he is currently as the Superintendent of Glendive Public Schools in Glendive, MT. Stephen started as a high school math teacher and quickly fell in love with leadership. His passion for adding value to others and serving them steered him into administration where he could support teachers and staff every day. Stephen has been an administrator in four different schools before becoming superintendent of Glendive Public Schools. He is excited to continue working with a great staff and community making small actions to create great change.
In August of 2016, Stephen became a certified speaker, trainer, teacher, and coach for the John Maxwell Team. This team focuses on training leaders around the world. Recently he was able to go to Costa Rica and train the country’s leaders to be facilitators, in a roundtable model to help transform their country.
Stephen has also started "The CLEAR Leadership Academy", a student leadership development experience designed to equip students with skills in the following areas: Communication, Leadership, Equipping, Attitude, and Relationships.
Stephen is passionate about inspiring and empowering others to become better leaders. He understands the challenges that come with leadership, but believes that we need to “flip” our mindset from viewing those challenges as obstacles to seeing them as opportunities for growth. That is what separates successful leaders. Through his work with the John Maxwell Team, Stephen now helps individuals discover their own unique leadership style and embrace the mindset to make a positive impact in their businesses, schools, and/or communities. He is committed to equipping the next generation of leaders with the tools they need to create a brighter future for all.