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Brian Ford, Special Education Hearing Officer (PA)Office of Dispute Resolution, Commonwealth of PennsylvaniaBrian Jason Ford received a B.A. from Franklin & Marshall College and a J.D. from Penn State Law(Dickinson). Hearing Officer Ford also holds a certificate in advocacy and dispute resolution from Penn Stateand is certified by the National Association of Hearing Officials. After studying special education mediationsystems while working as a research assistant in law school, Hearing Officer Ford practiced special educationlaw in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. He represented both families and educational agencies at variouspoints in his career. In 2010, Hearing Officer Ford was named a Pennsylvania Super Lawyers Rising Star. Heleft the private practice of law the same year to become a Hearing Officer. Hearing Officer Ford frequentlypresents on the subject of special education due process hearings and is a member of various professionalorganizations devoted to fair and effective administrative adjudications.Introduction to Special Education LawThe Particular Challenges of Special Education HearingsJim Gerl, Special Education Hearing Officer (PA)Office of Dispute Resolution, Commonwealth of PennsylvaniaAttorney James Gerl has an undergraduate degree with departmental distinction in political science fromthe University of Illinois (Urbana), a Master’s Degree in Public Policy Analysis (Political Science) from theUniversity of Illinois (Chicago) and a Juris Doctor from the University of San Francisco. He previously servedas a due process hearing officer and mediator for West Virginia for twenty-nine years. He has also servedas an IDEA Hearing officer and mediator for the District of Columbia, and he has been a special educationhearing officer for Utah; South Dakota; a portion of Pennsylvania; Delaware (panel chair) and the U. S.Virgin Islands (conflict case). Attorney Gerl has served as a special education state complaint investigatorfor state education agencies in New Mexico and Kentucky. He has been a frequent speaker and lecturer onvarious aspects of special education and law. He has attended the Administrative Law: Fair Hearing courseat the National Judicial College, and he is a certified hearing official by the National Association of HearingOfficials.A “Nuts and Bolts” Look at Due ProcessConduct and Control of the Administrative HearingW. Michael Gillette, Associate Justice, Oregon Supreme Court (retired) (OR)Appellate & Administrative Law Specialist,Schwabe Williamson & Wyatt, Portland, ORMick Gillette holds a J.D. from Harvard Law School and a B.A., cum laude, from Whitman College. Heserved as a Deputy D.A. in Portland, Oregon and as Assistant Attorney General for American Samoa. WhileDeputy Attorney General for the Oregon Department of Justice, he served as founding head of the ConsumerProtection Division, Chief Trial Counsel and Solicitor General. He served on the Oregon Court of Appealsfor eight years and on the Oregon Supreme Court for 25 years. He has taught at the National Judicial Collegefor 41 years and is the recipient of NJC’s Payant Award for Excellence in Teaching. He has also served asan adjunct professor at Portland State University and at both Lewis and Clark and Willamette UniversitySchools of Law.Avoiding Remand, Rehearing, and Reversal 1: Learning from the Mistakes of OthersAvoiding Remand, Rehearing, and Reversal 2: Making Evidentiary RulingsFor the Record: Guiding the Participants in the Administrative Hearing Process“I’ll sue!”—Where Agency Immunity Ends and Liability BeginsRecognizing and Responding to Mental Health Crises in Hearings and ElsewhereThe “Why” of Decision Writing: Wording Credibility Findings and Discussing Weight of EvidencePeter Halbach, Chief Hearing Officer (ND)North Dakota Department of TransportationJudge Halbach has a BA in Political Science from the University of Minnesota and a JD from the WilliamMitchell College of Law. After working for the Minnesota Attorney General’s Office for five years, he enteredprivate practice in North Dakota in 1988, and served many years as a part-time prosecutor and as an adjunctcollege instructor in paralegal and peace officer training programs. He became the municipal judge ofDevil’s Lake, North Dakota, in 2002. He 2003, he also became a Hearing Officer for the Department ofTransportation. He was designated DOT’s Chief Hearing Officer in 2015. He joined NAHO in 2006 andbecame a NAHO Certified Hearing Official (CHO) in 2011. He also served on the NAHO Board for four yearsas the Mountain Region representative. He is currently serving as Vice President of NAHO.Hearsay I: The Basics of Determining Hearsay AdmissibilityHearsay II: Reviewing Hearsay ExceptionsWhat You Should Know About Administrative Law3

Sarah Huber, Hearing Officer (ND)North Dakota Department of TransportationSarah is a NAHO Board member representing the Mountain Region. In 2005, she obtained her B.A. inSocial Work from Creighton University in Omaha and went on to work in youth rehabilitation programs inNebraska, Utah, Colorado and Idaho. In 2009, she returned to Omaha to study law at Creighton, practicingas a senior-certified attorney in both its small business and civil litigation legal clinics, and obtainedher J.D. in 2012. After graduating law school, Sarah moved to Bismarck, North Dakota, and became anadministrative hearing officer with the North Dakota Department of Transportation where her work includeshearings regarding driver’s licenses. Her decisions have been appealed as high as the U.S. Supreme Court.She has been a member of NAHO since 2013.Oops! I Shouldn’t Have How to Avoid Improper Use of Social MediaCross Examination Tips: A Mock Administrative HearingThe name of the class is—Hearing Room to Zoom: Meeting the Challenges of Virtual HearingsThe Honorable Mary Hannah Leavitt, President Judge Emerita (PA)Commonwealth Court of PennsylvaniaThe Honorable Mary Hannah Leavitt received a BA from Connecticut College, an MA from the Universityof Pennsylvania, and a JD from the Dickinson School of Law, where she was Editor of the Law Review.Following law school, she began her career with the Pennsylvania Insurance Department where sheeventually became Chief of Litigation and Chief Counsel. She left the Insurance Department for privatepractice with Buchanan Ingersoll. Her private practice focused on administrative law, appellate practice,and insurance regulatory law. During this time she also served as an adjunct professor at Pennsylvania StateUniversity. She was elected to the Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania in 2001, was retained in 2011, andbecame President Judge in 2012. From 2014 through 2016, she was the Distinguished Jurist in Residence atWidener Law. She remained President Judge of the Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania through the endof 2021.Decision Writing: the View From the Appellate BenchMary Long, Administrative Law Judge (PA)Pennsylvania Public Utility CommissionJudge Long serves as Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission as an administrative law judge, presiding overmatters involving Pennsylvania public utilities, including electric, gas, water, wastewater, transportation,telephone, and railroad crossings. Before her appointment to the PUC, Judge Long was a counsel to thePennsylvania Environmental Hearing Board and clerked for Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court JudgeJoseph T. Doyle. Judge Long graduated magna cum laude from Widener University School of Law, nowknown as the Commonwealth Law School. Her undergraduate degree is from the University of Pittsburgh.Judge Long currently serves on the Board of NAHO as the Northeast Region Representative and as theContinuing Education Committee Chair.Bench Skills – A PrimerLegal Terminology for Non-AttorneysCross Examination Tips: A Mock Administrative HearingHearing Room to Zoom: Meeting the Challenges of Virtual HearingsBobbie Marshall, Hearings Manager (TX)Texas Health and Human Services CommissionBobbie Marshall is a Hearings Manager for Texas Health and Human Services Commission. She has workedfor the State of Texas for 16 years, having also served as a Lead Hearings Officer and Hearings Officer. Sheobtained a Bachelor of Arts and Sciences from Texas Tech University. Mrs. Marshall became of member ofNAHO in September 2015, and is in charge of maintaining all of NAHO’s social media accounts—Facebook,Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn. She also regularly monitors and updates NAHO’s website. She currentlyserves on the NAHO Board of Directors as Southwest Regional Representative. She previously served on theNAHO Board as the Member-At-Large.Oops! I Shouldn’t Have How to Avoid Improper Use of Social Media4

Richard Murrell, Administrative Judge (TN)Administrative Procedures Division, Office of Tennessee Secretary of StateJudge Murrell holds a J.D. from University of Memphis, a B.A., cum laude, from Harding University andwas in private practice for 18 years before serving as Assistant Attorney with the General Civil Division ofthe Tennessee Attorney General’s Office. In 2005, he joined the Workers’ Compensation Bureau servingas an Administrative Judge and Director of Quality Assurance. He earned the designation of CertifiedAdministrative Law Judge through NAHO in 2013. In 2018, he was appointed as an Administrative Judgewith the Office of the Secretary of State Administrative Procedures Division, the State’s Central Panel, thathears cases for over 80 agencies and 200 case types. He participated in training conducting administrativeproceedings at the National Judicial College and is a trained mediator. He serves on the NAHO Board asSoutheast Region Representative and is a regular presenter at NAHO conferences.Handling Encounters With “High Conflict” Persons in Administrative HearingsHearing Room to Zoom: Meeting the Challenges of Virtual HearingsSay It in Plain English: Clear and Concise WritingQualifying Expert Witnesses & Weighing Their TestimonyJeffrey J. Nolan, Senior Counsel (MA)Holland & Knight, Boston, MAJeffrey Nolan is an education and employment attorney based in Holland & Knight›s Boston office whorepresents, advises, educates, and helps clients nationwide to successfully navigate the maze of legalobligations faced by educational institutions and employers. He represents and advises colleges, universitiesand independent schools throughout the United States regarding situations that implicate Title IX, the CleryAct, Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), and otherlaws that apply in the higher education context. In client-sponsored and public venues, Mr. Nolan regularlytrains education and human resources professionals throughout the country on best practices in Title IX/Clery Act compliance, witness-centered/trauma-informed fair investigations of Title IX/Clery Act, how toconduct hearings under the new Title IX regulations, ADA issues, and other education and employment lawissues.What Decision Makers Need to Know About Title IX Hearings,Title IX Updates, Guidance, and Forecast for 2021 and BeyondGregory L. Ogden, Professor of Law (CA)Pepperdine University School of LawProfessor Ogden has a BA, cum laude, from UCLA, a JD from UC Davis School of Law (Law Review Editor),an LLM from Temple University in legal education, and an LLM from Columbia University in administrativelaw. Since 1978, he has taught administrative law, civil procedure, professional responsibility, and remediesand is principal author of California Public Administrative Law. He’s been faculty editor of the NationalAssociation of Administrative Law Judiciary (NAALJ) Journal since 2000 and has taught at numerouscontinuing legal and judicial education conferences on administrative law, judicial ethics and related topics.Judicial Ethics for Hearing OfficialsDemeanor Evidence and CredibilitySanctioning Authority of Administrative Hearing OfficialsCathy Skidmore, Special Education Hearing Officer (PA)Office of Dispute Resolution, Commonwealth of PennsylvaniaHearing Officer Cathy Skidmore has been active in the field of special education dispute resolution inPennsylvania since 1994, in both formal and alternative dispute resolution processes. She earned her B.S. inSpecial and Elementary Education from Slippery Rock University, her J.D. from Duquesne University, andher M.Ed. from the University of Pittsburgh. Hearing Officer Skidmore previously served for fourteen yearsas an appellate due process hearing officer in Pennsylvania; and is trained in basic and special educationmediation serving as a special education mediator in Pennsylvania. Hearing Officer Skidmore has priorexperience in private law practice and as an adjunct professor of special education. She has been a frequentspeaker and lecturer on various aspects of special education and disability law, and has co-authored severalarticles related to due process. Hearing Officer Skidmore remains active in numerous special education andlegal professional organizations.Introduction to Special Education LawThe Particular Challenges of Special Education Hearings

Nefertiri Sickout, Esq., Chief Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Officer (PA)Mayor’s Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, City of PhiladelphiaNefertiri Sickout serves as Chief Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Officer of the City of Philadelphia, where sheleads the Mayor’s Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, and supports the Office of LGBT Affairs, Officefor People with Disabilities, and Office of Economic Opportunity. Under Nefertiri’s leadership, the Office isadvancing a collaborative strategy with City departments to produce greater racially equitable impact relatedto the City’s workforce, budget, services, and procurement. Nefertiri joined the Kenney Administration in2016 as an Assistant Diversity and Inclusion Officer and later served as a Deputy. Prior to the Mayor’s Office,Nefertiri worked at Pepper Hamilton LLP practicing commercial litigation. Nefertiri began her career inchild development, earning a BA in psychology from Clark Atlanta University, an MA in infant educationfrom George Washington University, and a Masters in developmental psychology from Teachers College,Columbia University. She is an alumna of Villanova School of Law.Improving Diversity and Inclusivity at Your WorkplaceAaron Smith, Administrator, Appellate Services Administration (AZ)Office of Inspector General, Arizona Department of Economic SecurityAaron Smith is the Administrator of the Arizona Department of Economic Security’s Office of InspectorGeneral, Appellate Services Administration (ASA), which conducts state-level hearings for all of theprograms administered by the Department of Economic Security, with few exceptions. He was previously thePresiding Administrative Law Judge of the Public Assistance division for three years and served as an ALJ inboth Public Assistance and Unemployment Insurance divisions. As an ALJ, his duties included conductingevidentiary hearings for the purpose of determining the validity of departmental actions, researching andapplying relevant federal and state law, and preparing and issuing decisions and dispositions. During his16 years as an ALJ, he conducted approximately 6,000 hearings. He received a BS in Criminal JusticeAdministration and an MBA from the University of Phoenix and a JD from Phoenix School of Law.Conducting Legal ResearchSNAP (Nutrition Assistance) Intentional Program Violation HearingsEssential Techniques for Hearings Involving Self-Represented LitigantsJimmy C. Stokes, Hearing Officer and Policy Analyst (GA)Georgia Association of Educational LeadersJimmy Stokes is a former college chemistry professor and high school principal. He has been the educationdisciplinary hearing officer for a number of school districts in Georgia for the past ten years. He recentlyretired from his position as the Executive Director of the Georgia Association of Educational Leaders(GAEL). Through GAEL he has helped train hearing officers and tribunal members across the State ofGeorgia. He holds three degrees in chemistry and education from the University of Georgia and a MPA fromthe University of West Georgia. Dr. Stokes still assists GAEL as Policy Analyst. He is also a registered lobbyistfor the Georgia General Assembly. He currently serves NAHO as Chair of the Certification Committee.Recent Court Decisions in Educational DisciplineSay It in Plain English: Clear and Concise WritingColleen Ulrich, Assistant Director of Student Discipline & Behavioral (GA)Intervention and Hearing Officer, Gwinnett County School DistrictColleen Ulrich is a former classroom teacher and middle school Assistant Principal. She has served asan educational disciplinary Hearing Officer for the past ten years for Gwinnett County Public Schools inGeorgia. As the Assistant Director of the Office of Student Discipline and Behavioral Intervention, sheassists in training new hearing officers and school administrators. Ms. Ulrich holds education and leadershipdegrees earned from Georgia State and Brenau University. Additionally, she earned her EducationalSpecialist degree from Lincoln Memorial University.Recent Court Decisions in Educational Discipline

Horace A. Buckley, Adjudicator (GA) Gwinnett County Public Schools Dr. Horace Buckley is a passionate educator and a NAHO-certified hearing official who works to ensure fairness for the people he serves. He began teaching mathematics in grades 6-12 in Columbus, Ohio. . college instructor in paralegal and peace officer training programs. He .