2023 Teaser Video

Welcome to SEC’s 2023 Professional Development Conference

Welcome to Success Education Colleges’ 2023 Professional Development Conference (PDC)! We are excited to once again gather for what will no doubt be a day full of learning and fun. As always, our Team Members are at the heart of this event—we firmly believe “Our Students Are at Their Best When We’re at Our Best”!

SEC continues to find ways to grow as a Highly Reliable Organization (HiRO) for our Students and Employers—making no assumptions, pressing to the root of problems, deferring to expertise, and destigmatizing failure—all while demonstrating extraordinary resilience as an organization. Of course, we could not continue to press forward without our incredible Team Members—who are doing HiRO work in each of their roles.

The conference format will follow past years, consisting of a few general sessions along with learning labs. The caliber of our presenters is simply remarkable and we look forward to hearing what they share. These esteemed presenters will undoubtedly inspire us and galvanize our resolve to continue to carry out our mission every day.

We’ve made it easy to personalize the day by attending the learning lab sessions that best fit your role and learning goals. These sessions fall into four different tracks: Leadership Track, Nursing Faculty Track, Compliance Track, and Faculty Track—each labeled with a helpful icon so you can choose the right sessions for you.

We cannot wait to see what this year’s conference will bring!

2023 Teaser Video
2022 Highlights

 

2019 Highlights
2018 Highlights

PDC 2023 Schedule

Friday, December 8, 2023 | 7:15 am – 4:35 pm

Schedule Legend

The Gold Star: Learning Lab Leadership Track
The Red Stethoscope: Learning Lab Nursing Faculty Track
The Green Check: Learning Lab Compliance Track
The Blue Caduceus: Learning Lab Faculty Track

7:15am – 8:15am Registration and Continental Breakfast

8:30am – 10:15am Opening General Session (Ballroom A, B, & C)

SEC’s Culture, Values, and Resilience and the State of SEC

Mitchell Fuerst, President, Success Education Colleges

You Matter: Why Your Commitment to Institutional Success Means Student Success

Dr. Michale S. McComis, Executive Director, ACCSC

10:15am – 10:30am Break

10:30am – 11:20am Learning Lab Block #1

Building Better Relationships

Gary Byron, General Manager and Senior Trainer, Dale Carnegie Southern Los Angeles
Room 203AB

Simulation: Every Day in Every Class for VN and RN Students

Tim Bristol, PhD, RN, FAAN Owner NurseThink.com
Room 100AB

The ADA Act – An Important Update (Mandatory Learning Lab for Previously Invited Team Members)

Katherine (Kate) Lee Carey, JD, Special Counsel, Cooley LLP
Room 200AB

Top 10 Ways to Spend More Time With Lawyers and Less Time Serving Students

Edward Cramp, Esq., Managing Partner, Duane Morris, LLP
Room 200C

The Top 10 Creative Teaching Strategies for 2023-24: Be Wise to What’s Up and Coming

Michele L Deck, RN, BSN, M.Ed, LCCE, FACCE – Presenter, Author, Educator, and Co-Founder/CEO of G.A.M.E.S.
Room 106

Boost Retention While Building Community

Elizabeth Keifer Herron, Vice President – Solutions & Sales, Collegiate Admission and Retention Solutions (CARS)
Room 103

11:20am – 11:35am Break

11:35am – 12:25pm Learning Lab Block #2

The Top 10 Creative Teaching Strategies for 2023-24: Be Wise to What’s Up and Coming

Michele L Deck, RN, BSN, M.Ed, LCCE, FACCE – Presenter, Author, Educator, and Co-Founder/CEO of G.A.M.E.S.
Room 106

Simulation: Every Day in Every Class for VN and RN Students

Tim Bristol, PhD, RN, FAAN Owner NurseThink.com
Room 100AB

Boost Retention While Building Community

Elizabeth Keifer Herron, Vice President – Solutions & Sales, Collegiate Admission and Retention Solutions (CARS)
Room 103

The ADA Act – An Important Update (Mandatory Learning Lab for Previously Invited Team Members)

Katherine (Kate) Lee Carey, JD, Special Counsel, Cooley LLP
Room 200AB

Top 10 Ways to Spend More Time With Lawyers and Less Time Serving Students

Edward Cramp, Esq., Managing Partner, Duane Morris, LLP
Room 200C

Leveraging the Powerful Learning Tools of Mastering to Boost Student Engagement and Improve Outcomes

Frances Lai, Editor and Product Manager, Pearson
Room 203AB

12:25pm – 12:35pm Break

12:35pm – 1:10pm Breaking Bread with HiROs Here at the PDC! (Ballroom A, B & C)

1:10pm – 1:55pm Midday General Session (Ballroom A, B & C)

The Unsold Mindset

Colin Coggins & Garrett Brown

2:05pm – 2:55pm Learning Lab Block #3

Simulation: Every Day in Every Class for VN and RN Students

Tim Bristol, PhD, RN, FAAN Owner NurseThink.com
Room 100AB

Building Better Relationships

Gary Byron, General Manager and Senior Trainer, Dale Carnegie Southern Los Angeles
Room 106

Navigating the Maze of Title IX Compliance (Mandatory Learning Lab for Previously Invited Team Members)

Valerie Mendelsohn, JD, President, Mendelsohn Solutions
Room 200C

Marketing in an AI World

Tammy Bailey & Jackie Post, Managing Partners, Exacta Media
Room 103

Leveraging the Powerful Learning Tools of Mastering to Boost Student Engagement and Improve Outcomes

Frances Lai, Editor and Product Manager, Pearson
Room 203AB

The Speed of Trust

Beylor Meza, SEC Chief Operating Officer
Room 200AB

2:55pm – 3:25pm Holiday Hot Chocolate & Cookie Social (North Lobby)

3:25pm – 4:45pm Closing General Session (Ballroom A, B, & C)

SEC’s Traditional Annual Team Member Recognition:
  • Business Partner of the Year Award
  • 2023 PACESETTERS
  • Years of Service Awards
  • Campuses of Distinction
  • 2023 FIRST CIRCLE Inductees

2023 PDC Presenters

Meet our esteemed presenters. Click on any of them to learn more!
(Updated often, please be sure to check back)

Michale S. McComis, Ed.D.

Executive Director, Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges (ACCSC)

Michale S. McComis, Ed.D., Executive Director, Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges (ACCSC)

Dr. McComis is the Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer for ACCSC. His tenure with ACCSC began in 1994 and he has spent the last 29 years working towards helping to make schools and opportunities for students better through the accreditation process. His efforts are focused on identifying best practices, developing leadership, and driving institutional improvement, student achievement, and student-centered approaches to quality education.

Michale oversees ACCSC’s accreditation process for over 650 institutions focused on career and vocational education and is an advocate for establishing multiple quality pathways to student success through postsecondary education. Michale has served on several task forces and groups looking at issues such as quality credentials, emerging providers, and expanding opportunities for students. Michale has also testified in Congress and served as a negotiator for federal rulemaking on multiple occasions.

Michale earned his BA in History, Master of Education, and Doctor of Education degrees from the University of Virginia. Before going to college, Michale served in the United States Marine Corps and worked in the trades as an electrician’s apprentice and HVAC Technician.

Colin Coggins & Garrett Brown

Bestselling Authors of The Unsold Mindset

Colin Coggins & Garrett Brown, Bestselling Authors of The Unsold Mindset

Colin Coggins and Garrett Brown are the bestselling authors of The Unsold Mindset, practitioners, and professors of entrepreneurship. They met at enterprise software startup, Bitium, which they helped lead to an acquisition by Google. They teach at the University of Southern California’s Marshall School of Business, where the course they created, “Sales Mindset for Entrepreneurs,” has become one of the school’s most popular classes. They are also investors, startup advisors, and co-founders of Agency18, a firm that helps mission-driven companies adopt the Unsold Mindset. Sought after as keynote speakers and lecturers, these two dynamos love connecting with purpose-driven audiences from diverse industries, professions, and backgrounds. Check out their website at www.colinandgarrett.com.

Kate Lee Carey, JD

Special Counsel
Cooley LLP

Katherine (Kate) Lee Carey, JD, Special Counsel, Cooley LLP

Kate is Special Counsel with the Higher Education Practice Group of Cooley LLP. She has been working in higher education for nearly 15 years in operational, legal, regulatory, compliance and governmental affairs capacities. She has developed expertise in accreditation, state licensing, federal Title IV and other relevant state and federal higher education statutes and regulations. Her role also includes assessing and operationalizing new and changing laws and regulations; developing compliance structures, including analysis of existing operations; conducting compliance auditing; and reviewing and developing legislative and other governmental policy. Kate has served as an institutional representative with the California Bureau for Private Postsecondary Education Advisory Committee since 2010.

Tammy Bailey

Managing Partner, Exacta Media

Tammy Bailey, Managing Partner, Exacta Media

A truly effective account services professional not only understands the central roles of listening and asking the right questions, but how creative and media play integral parts in ensuring campaign success. Tammy has spent more than two decades honing this craft, guiding industry giants in Healthcare, Education, Finance, and Travel and Hospitality to success. Tammy is proactive in working with cross-functional teams in Digital, Traditional Media, and Tech.

Jackie Post

Managing Partner, Exacta Media

Jackie Post, Managing Partner, Exacta Media

Media buying and planning is a science and an instrumental part of every successful campaign. With veteran media strategist, Jackie Post, at the helm of EXACTA’s omni-channel media services department, every marketing effort is on-target, cost-effective, and aligned perfectly with client objectives. Over the years, her keen sense of negotiation and her extensive advertising and marketing know-how in both digital and traditional formats have been key in the overall growth and success of our clients in Healthcare, Education, Finance, Travel and Hospitality, and e-Commerce. “Great creative needs the right platform and audience to succeed,” Jackie professes. “Never underestimate the power of media planning and placement with the right message.”

Edward Cramp, Esq.

Managing Partner
Duane Morris, LLP

Edward Cramp, Esq., Managing Partner, Duane Morris, LLP

Edward M. Cramp represents institutions of higher education around the United States in accreditation, regulatory, litigation, and transactional matters. He also serves as the managing partner of the firm’s San Diego office.

Mr. Cramp is active in the private postsecondary education community. He regularly speaks at conferences and events throughout the country on a variety of issues.

Mr. Cramp served as a judge advocate in the United States Navy, where he was appointed to the rank of Lieutenant Commander. During his time in the naval service, he defended numerous matters before courts-martial and administrative boards. He also represented the interests of the United States in claims brought against and on behalf of the Navy.

Mr. Cramp is a strong advocate of diversity and inclusion in the workplace and LGBTQ rights. He serves on the steering committee of the firm’s Diversity & Inclusion program. He regularly represents members of the LGBTQ community in civil rights matters on a pro bono basis and is active in the local LGBTQ community.

Mr. Cramp is admitted to practice in California and Illinois. He is a graduate, with honors, of the Illinois Institute of Technology’s Chicago-Kent College of Law and a graduate of the University of California, Riverside.

Tim J. Bristol, PhD, RN, FAAN

Owner, NurseThink.com

Nurse Tim Bristol, PHD, RN, CNE, ANEF

Internationally known educational consultant and nurse educator, Tim Bristol, is a faculty member at Walden University, consultant for the Haiti Nursing Foundation and FSIL nursing school, and owner of NurseTim, Inc. Dr. Bristol helps empower schools not only across the country, but also across the globe — at all levels of education and accreditation. He has led teams through initial program approval, interim reports, and reaccreditation as a faculty member, administrator, and consultant, and specializes in active learning for class, clinical, and lab environments. Schools and government organizations around the world consult with Dr. Bristol to integrate new standards, introduce curricular innovations, make education more accessible, and develop strategic plans. As a faculty development and curriculum design specialist, he is an expert in bringing the evidence-base of nursing, healthcare, and education to students and faculty in the states, and as far away as Haiti. Dr. Bristol also writes and contributes to numerous publications, and is known for his motto: “Today we will learn how to learn.”

Elizabeth Keifer Herron

Vice President
Solutions & Sales, Collegiate Admission and Retention Solutions (CARS)

Elizabeth Keifer Herron, Vice President - Solutions & Sales, Collegiate Admission and Retention Solutions (CARS)

Elizabeth Keifer Herron, a founding partner of PEAC Student Loan Assistance, is currently a member of the executive management team of CARS. Elizabeth provides client services, community outreach, and is the chief compliance specialist for the family of companies. Serving on numerous committees for higher education associations, she presents at many workshops and conferences; her presence in Washington, DC enables her to access up-to-the-minute information on a variety of legislative and regulatory issues affecting the industry. Prior to founding PEAC in 1992, Elizabeth was the chief lobbyist for the Career College Association (now CECU) and served as an experiential educator for Outward Bound Professional, facilitating corporate teambuilding workshops to improve organization efficacy. She received her BA with honors in Political Science and Economics from Douglass College of Rutgers University, and resides in Washington, DC with her husband and two boys.

Gary Byron

General Manager and Senior Trainer, Dale Carnegie Southern Los Angeles

Gary Byron, General Manager and Senior Trainer, Dale Carnegie Southern Los Angeles

Gary Byron has presented to over 40,000 people from ages kindergarten to adult.  He started 3 businesses, has an MBA in Management from Loyola Marymount University, and a BS in Chemistry from Dickinson College in Pennsylvania.  When he got bored, he wrestled an alligator, did standup comedy, and coached little league baseball.  The toughest was little league baseball. Currently, he is General Manager of Dale Carnegie Southern Los Angeles, and a certified Dale Carnegie Senior Trainer.   His training specialties are Sales, Effective Communication and Human Relations, and High Impact Presentations.

Valerie Mendelsohn, JD

President, Mendelsohn Solutions

Valerie Mendelsohn, JD, President, Mendelsohn Solutions

Valerie Mendelsohn is a senior executive with more than 20 years of combined private sector and traditional education experience. She is president and co-founder of Mendelsohn Solutions, a comprehensive compliance, risk management, accreditation and Title IX consulting firm.  Valerie received her Bachelor of Arts from Lake Forest College and her Juris Doctor from the DePaul University College of Law.  Valerie previously served as an Executive Board Member for the California Association of Private Postsecondary Schools.

Frances Lai

Editor and Product Manager, Pearson

Frances Lai, Editor and Product Manager, Pearson

Frances has been working in academic publishing with Pearson for the last 5 years. She has experience on the Product and Content sides of both the Physical and Life Sciences list. Prior to her current role, she was a rep in the field, covering HE accounts in Northern and Southern California, where she truly came to understand the needs of instructors and their students. She is delighted to be in a position to improve the experience of today’s teachers and learners. Frances is based in Los Angeles, CA.

Michele L. Deck, MEd, BSN, RN, LCCE, FACCE

Presenter, Author, Educator and is the Co-Founder, President and Chief Executive Officer of G.A.M.E.S.

Michele L. Deck, MEd, BSN, RN, LCCE, FACCE

Michele Deck presents nationally and internationally on innovative teaching methods in the field of health care education and training. She is the recipient of many honors and awards for her creativity, innovation, productivity and exemplary leadership qualities. Honors include ANPD’s prestigious Belinda E. Puetz Award, election to Sigma Theta Tau National Nursing Honor Society, Business Woman of the Year by the National Business Council, and Best Over All Trainer by Creative Training Techniques Companies. She is co-founder and chief executive officer of G.A.M.E.S., a company that specializes in seminars on adult learning and interactive training methods, and Tool Thyme for Trainers, a company which supplies innovative and creative presentation tools for educators worldwide. She has authored twelve books on creative and involving ways to train adults. She is a past president of Lamaze International. She serves on ANPD’s Education committee and was a member of the Editorial board of the Journal for 8 years.

Beylor Meza

SEC Chief Operating Officer

Beylor Meza, SEC Chief Operating Officer

Coming Soon

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Videos From 2023 PDC

 

Location

Ontario Convention Center: 2000 E Convention Center Way, Ontario, CA 91764

Conference Map

Registration

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