Olivia Brown has been with Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools for the past 16 years and currently serves as the Director of Communications.  She has a bachelor’s degree in English-Journalism from Tennessee Tech University and a master’s degree in Corporate Communications from Austin Peay State University.  She is the current president of the Tennessee Association of School Communicators and, as part of her position,  serves on the Metro Schools’ Crisis Response Team.  Prior to Metro Schools, she worked for six years as a newspaper editor.

Carol Birdsong is Communications Director for Williamson County Schools which serves about 32,000 students. She has been with the school district for 15 years. She has a bachelor’s in Broadcast News and Public Affairs from the University of Alabama and Bachelor’s in Secondary Education from the University of Missouri, Kansas City. Prior to Williamson County Schools, she worked in TV news and promotions in Hopkinsville, KY; Knoxville, TN; and Cape Girardeau, MO. She also taught high school English, journalism and PR at Platte County High, outside of Kansas City.  

Elise Shelton is Chief Communications Officer for the Clarksville-Montgomery County School System, which serves about 31,000 students. She has been with the school system for 17 years and is certified as a consultant by the Institute of Crisis Management. She has B.A. degrees in journalism and history from Western Kentucky University. Prior to working in public schools, she was communications manager at St. Thomas Hospital, and she has about 10 years experience as a newspaper journalist.